A printable catalog card can make a book gift feel personal in about ten minutes. You fill in the title, the author, and a short note about why you chose it. Then you print it on cream cardstock and tuck it inside the front cover or tie it to the ribbon. The person you give it to gets the book plus a small record of the moment, and that card tends to stay in the book long after the wrapping paper is gone.
Want to make your own? Try the free generator
Why does a catalog card make a book gift feel personal?
Most gift tags end up in the recycling bin by the end of the day. A catalog card has a reason to stay. It looks like it belongs with the book, it fits neatly inside the cover, and it holds details the reader may want later: when the book arrived, who gave it, and what you hoped they would find in it.
There is a little nostalgia in it, too. Plenty of book lovers remember tugging open a wooden drawer at the library and flipping through soft, worn cards with their fingertips. Handing someone a card of their own brings that feeling right back.
What should you write on a gift catalog card?
Keep the top of the card true to the book and save the personal part for the notes line. A good gift card usually includes:
- The author and title, with the author written last name first the way libraries do it
- Publication info, such as the city and year of the edition you bought
- A call number, either the real Dewey number or one you invent for fun
- A sentence or two in the notes field about why you picked this book for this person
That last line is where the gift really lives. "For the summer you finally read on the porch" will mean more in ten years than any store-bought tag.
Call number ideas that make a gift memorable
The call number is the sneaky fun part. You can look up the real Dewey number, which is a lovely touch for a reader who likes things accurate. Or you can make up a number that means something to the two of you. Use the date you met, or the recipient's initials followed by a count of every book you have given them.
Numbered gifts add up. A friend who receives JM-01 one birthday and JM-02 the next ends up with a tiny collection of her own, shelved in the order she received them.
How do you make and print a gift catalog card?
You do not need design software. The free catalog card generator lets you look up a book by title or ISBN, fill in any remaining fields, and choose a style. For gifts, the Vintage Typewriter font on the Aged Paper background gives you that well-loved library look. Clean White with Modern Serif suits a crisp new hardcover better.
Pick the 5 x 3 inch size for a classic card that slips inside a front cover. Download it as a PDF when you are ready to print, or as a PNG if you want to add it to another project first. Print on heavy cream cardstock so the card feels substantial in your hand, then trim the edges with a paper cutter for a clean finish.
Ways to give a catalog card beyond the gift tag
Once you have a few printed, you will keep finding new places for them.
- Punch a hole in one corner and tie it to the ribbon as a gift tag.
- Tuck it inside the front cover as a bookplate that records who gave the book and when.
- Make a full set for a new parent's first shelf of picture books, one card per book.
- Frame a single card for someone's favorite novel and give it as art for a reading nook.
- Fill a small card box with a card for every book a friend has lent you, as a thank-you.
Planning cards for a party or a big occasion? Our roundup of library card gift ideas covers wedding favors, teacher gifts, and bookworm birthday cards.
While the printer is warm, run off a few extra blanks in your favorite style. Gift season has a way of sneaking up, and a small stack of cards in the desk drawer means the next book you wrap already has its tag waiting.
Gift-worthy supplies for book lovers
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A handsome Library of Congress book for anyone who loves catalog cards.
Heavy blank cards for printing catalog cards with a warm vintage look.
Make a catalog card for your next book gift
Look up the book, add your personal note, and print a gift-ready card in minutes.
Open the generator