So next time a friend asks you if you own a copy of a book they want to read, you can check your app and answer them with confidence. They also allow you to organize your home library into categories and even differentiate between hard copy books and e-books too. These apps stop you from making repeat purchases or wasting your time searching for a book you don’t own. Most of them work with a barcode scanning feature that operates through the camera on your phone, making cataloging quick and easy. The following six apps are all free or cheap to download, and they can change the way you collect books. I didn’t even know such a thing existed until recently, but I’m so glad I’ve finally discovered a way to itemize my home library. That’s why I began researching apps that can help to organize and catalog my book collection.

But the more books on my shelves, the harder it is to keep track of them all. The local library, secondhand bookstores, thrift stores, and online bookstores, not to mention all the books I’ve borrowed or been given by friends and family. If you’re anything like me, you collect books from everywhere.

Have you ever spent hours looking for a book that you’re almost positive that you own, but you just can’t find it amongst your cluttered bookshelves? Or have you ever purchased a copy of a book, only to get home and discover that you already own it? Most bibliophiles, myself included, can relate.

Best free home inventory app