Library Card Q&A

Catalog card vs library card

A catalog card records information about a book and helps you locate it in a collection.

A catalog card records information about a book and helps you locate it in a collection. It includes fields like title, author, call number, publisher and notes. A library card, on the other hand, is a membership card that gives a patron borrowing privileges. Card Catalog Generator focuses on catalog cards but can also produce decorative membership cards by editing the template fields.

Key differences

AspectCatalog cardLibrary card
PurposeDescribes a book for filingIdentifies a patron for borrowing
FieldsTitle, author, call number, publisher, notesName, barcode, membership number
FormatTypically 3x5 inches or 4x6 inchesUsually wallet-size (credit-card format)

Create a catalog card

Use the free generator to design a printable library catalog card for your next book, classroom project, or home library.

Open the generator