Your whole library, in your browser.
OctoCat catalogs your books, music and movies on the web. Bring your existing ReaderWare catalog with you, scan new arrivals by ISBN or barcode, and browse your collection from any computer, tablet or phone.
For ReaderWare users
Bring your ReaderWare catalog online
Years of cataloging shouldn't stay stuck on one PC. OctoCat reads your ReaderWare data as it is, keeps the fields and lists you know, and can always hand it back in ReaderWare's own backup format.
Restore a ReaderWare backup
Upload the backup zip from the ReaderWare desktop app. Your whole catalog comes across, cover images included.
Or import the database directly
No recent backup? Zip up the ReaderWare desktop database folder and import it straight in. A catalog.csv export with images works too.
Never locked in
Download a backup any time. It uses the same format as ReaderWare's own backups, so your catalog can always go back.
A look inside
Everything you catalog, and new ways to see it
The familiar ReaderWare fields, lists and reports, plus views of your collection the desktop app never had.
Catalog
Search and sort the way you think
Choose the columns you want, in the order you want, and search across title, author, publisher, ISBN and keywords from a single box.
- Narrow a search to one field:
Author:HerbertorTitle:Dune. - Build Advanced Searches and save them, with a default that runs every time.
- Bulk-edit many items at once, and find duplicates.
Add items fast
Scan it and it fills itself in
Scan or type an ISBN and OctoCat looks it up across Google Books, Open Library, the Library of Congress and more at once. It fills in title, author, publisher, category, pages and a cover image, without ever overwriting something you've typed.
- Works with any USB barcode scanner, and decodes a classic CueCat automatically.
- Batch Add: scan a whole box of books, then look them all up in one go.
- Music and movies by UPC, too.
Bookshelf
See your library as a library
Switch between a table, a wall of covers, groups by author or category, and a virtual bookshelf. Every book gets a spine sized by its page count, so even books with no cover image look at home on the shelf.
Series
Know which volume you're missing
Every series in your catalog shows which numbered volumes you own, which are on your want list, and where the gaps are.
- A Want List with one-click "Buy it" links to the shops you choose.
- Mark a wanted book as owned the day it arrives.
Insights
The big picture of your collection
How many books you have, what they're worth, which decades they come from, and your top categories, publishers and authors.
Relationship Graph
Discover how your books connect
See your collection clustered by author, category, series, publisher or shelf location. Drag clusters around, then double-click any book to open it.
Prefer ReaderWare's Fish Eye view? It's here too.
And much more
The tools collectors rely on
Loan tracking
Check books out to friends, see what's overdue, and get a gentle reminder until they come back.
Report Writer
ReaderWare's 23 report templates included: catalog cards, spine labels, loan reports, with real scannable barcodes.
Lookup Lists
Rename, merge or tidy authors, publishers and categories, with a count of how many items use each.
Export to a spreadsheet
Download your catalog as a CSV with cover images, ready for Excel or any other system.
Obsidian Knowledge Map
Import your Obsidian reading notes and see them linked to the books they're about.
Your own private catalog
Each account gets its own separate catalog database. Nobody else sees your collection.
Questions
Switching from ReaderWare
Can I move my ReaderWare catalog into OctoCat?
Yes. Upload a ReaderWare backup zip and OctoCat restores your whole catalog, cover images included. You can also import a ReaderWare desktop database folder directly, or a catalog.csv export with its images.
Can I go back to ReaderWare later?
Yes. OctoCat's backups use the same format as the ReaderWare desktop app's own backups, so your data is never locked in.
Does OctoCat work with a CueCat or USB barcode scanner?
Yes. Any USB barcode scanner works, and a classic CueCat's scrambled output is decoded automatically, in the ISBN box, the catalog search and loan checkout.
Do my ReaderWare report templates work?
OctoCat's Report Writer uses ReaderWare's template format and comes with ReaderWare's 23 bundled templates, including catalog cards, spine labels and loan reports. You can install your own templates too.
Do I need to install anything?
No. OctoCat runs in your web browser, so your catalog is available from any computer, tablet or phone.
Ready to bring your library online?
Questions about OctoCat, moving from ReaderWare, or getting an account? We'd love to hear from you.
support@octocatalog.com