How do I make catalog cards for a home library

To make catalog cards for a home library, create one card per book with a call number or shelf code, the author (Last, First), the title, publication info and a short note. In Card Catalog Generator you can look a book up by title or ISBN to fill most fields, adjust them, and download a PNG or PDF to print.

What should go on a home library catalog card?

A home card does a slightly different job than a public library card. Nobody else needs to find your books, so the card only has to make sense to you and your household. A good home card answers three questions: what is this book, where does it live, and is there anything I want to remember about it?

• Call number or shelf code: a Dewey number, the first letters of the author's surname, or a location code like "OFFICE-2".
• Author and title: the basics you will search by.
• Publication info: city and year help you tell two editions apart.
• Physical description: page count and size, handy for spotting a missing oversized art book.
• Notes: where you bought it, who gave it to you, whether it is signed, or a line about why you kept it.

The person who runs this site uses printed catalog cards to keep track of her own home library, and the notes line is where a plain list turns into something personal.

How do I fill in the generator for a book I own?

1. Type the title or ISBN and click Look up book details. Google Books fills in what it finds.
2. Check the author and title against the book in your hand. Online records sometimes describe a different edition.
3. Set the Entry / Call Number. With Dewey or Library of Congress selected, the lookup suggests a starting number such as "813 AUS". Change it to match your own shelves if you like.
4. Use a quick-fill button (Novel, Biography, History, Poetry or Reference) if you are entering a book by hand and want a head start.
5. Add a line in Synopsis / Notes, pick your font, background and size, then download.

How do I keep a set of cards consistent?

The generator does not save anything between visits, so settle your style before you start and write it on a sticky note: one font, one background, one size. Vintage Typewriter on Aged Paper gives the look of an old library drawer. Modern Serif on Clean White is easier to read in small print. If you will be filing cards in a box, choose the size before printing a single one, because 5x3 and 6x4 cards will not share a drawer neatly.

Work in small batches. Ten books an evening is enough to make real progress without the job turning into a chore.

FAQ

Can I print several cards on one sheet?

The generator makes one card per download. You can place several downloaded PDFs or PNGs on a single page in a word processor or layout app, then print and trim.

What if Google Books cannot find my book?

Fill the fields in by hand. Older, self-published and secondhand books often have no online record, and the card works the same either way.

Do I need a call number at all?

No. A home catalog filed by author works fine with just the author's surname in the top corner.