How can I catalogue CDS, DVDS and books?

QHave you ever recommended a suitable program for cataloguing CDS, DVDS and books? I’d prefer it to be free, if possible.

Colin M Baker

ALibib is a library-management tool that’s perfect for these jobs. Create an account by going to www. libib.com and clicking Get Started (top right). Select the free Basic account – this lacks some advanced features of the Pro account (£82 a year), such as marking items in your library as being loaned out, but it’s fine for most home users and lets you add up to 5,000 items (the Pro version extends this to 100,000 items).

Next, grab your phone and install the mobile app (Android www.snipca.com/45251; IOS www.snipca. com/45250). Log into the app using the Libib account details you created above, then tap the ‘+’ button (bottom right) to create some folders (one each for DVDS, CDS and books, for example). Tap a folder to open it, then the ‘+’ button. Now select Barcode ( 1 in our screenshot) and point your phone’s camera to the barcode on whatever item you’re adding. Libib will locate the item’s details (title, cover art and so on) and add it to your library. If it doesn’t recognise the barcode, you’ll see the option to fill in the details yourself.

To search your entire library, tap the magnifying glass 2 . You can also view details (such as the release date or film length) for any entry by tapping it, then tapping Information. When viewing an item, click Edit for additional options, such as to change details or add your own rating and review.

Libib also lets you share your collections with other users (useful if you like to swap books with friends, for example). Log into Libib on your browser, select Publish in the list on the left, give your library a name (this is used to create the public URL), then click Add. Next, click Select Some Options, choose the folders you want to share, then Publish. To stop sharing, click the ‘x’ next to each folder you shared, then Publish.