If you’ve ever bought a book you already own (or you know you own it but can’t find it), a personal library catalog fixes that in one afternoon.
If you want your whole reading life organized in one place (TBR, reading log, notes, quotes, stats, wrap-ups), NotionReads is the fastest way to get there.
What you’re building
A single Notion database called Library that answers:
- Do I own this?
- What format is it?
- Where is it?
- Did I lend it to someone?
- Have I read it / want to read it soon?
The Library database (recommended properties)
Create a database called Library with:
- Title (Title)
- Author (Text)
- Format (Select: Physical, Kindle, Audiobook)
- Owned? (Checkbox) — yes, it’s redundant; it makes filtering effortless
- Location (Select: Bookshelf, Bedroom, Living room, Kindle, Audible, Other)
- Series (Text or Relation)
- Read status (Select: TBR, Reading, Finished, DNF)
- Genre (Multi-select)
- Tropes (Multi-select, optional)
- Rating (Number)
- Lent to (Text)
- Loan date (Date)
- Notes (Text)
Optional but powerful:
- Re-read? (Checkbox)
- Signed / special edition (Checkbox)
- Tags (Multi-select: Comfort read, Book club, ARC, Paperback-to-keep)
Views that make it feel like an actual catalog
Create these views:
- All owned (Owned? = checked)
- Physical shelf (Format = Physical)
- Digital (Format = Kindle OR Audiobook)
- Currently loaned out (Lent to is not empty)
- TBR at home (Owned? = checked AND Read status = TBR)
How to avoid overbuilding the system
The temptation is to track everything (ISBNs, page counts, publishers…). Don’t.
A library catalog should be fast:
- Add a book in under 30 seconds
- Find it in under 10 seconds
If you want detailed reading stats, keep that in a separate reading tracker.
- Here’s a ready-to-go reading database: Notion reading list template
- If you want a stats view (without spreadsheets): Notion reading stats dashboard
Tie in lending (so books don’t disappear)
If you lend books often, you have two options:
Option A: Keep it simple inside Library
Use the Lent to + Loan date fields and the “Currently loaned out” view.
Option B: Use a dedicated loan tracker
If you want due dates + reminders + history, use this: Book loan tracker in Notion
Add a Wishlist view (so your “want to buy” list isn’t chaos)
If you often see a BookTok rec and forget it, add a view:
- Wishlist (Owned? unchecked AND Read status = TBR)
Or use a dedicated tracker if you prefer: Book wishlist tracker in Notion
A 10-minute weekly library reset
Once a week:
- Add any new purchases
- Mark any finished reads
- Update loans
- Pick 1–3 “TBR at home” books for the week
That last step is the secret: you’ll actually read what you already own.
CTA
If you want the full system (reading list + notes + quotes + stats + wrap-ups) already built so you can just use it, start here: https://www.notionreads.com