Guides · Use case
Scan ISBN Barcodes: Catalog Books by Photo and Export a List
Whether it’s your home library, a school library or boxes for a used-book sale: with the ISBN barcode on the back cover, you can catalog books in seconds, even several at once.
Key takeaways
- The barcode on the back of a book is an EAN-13 that contains the ISBN-13. It always starts with 978 or 979.
- With a barcode scanner app, you read the ISBN with your camera, no typing required.
- Scan2List: Inventory Scanner reads several ISBN barcodes in one photo at the same time. Lay the books side by side and capture a whole stack with one shot.
- You export the list as a CSV for Excel or Google Sheets.
What’s in a book’s barcode?
Since 2007, every ISBN has 13 digits and is also a valid EAN-13. The barcode on the book encodes exactly that number. It’s made up of the prefix (978 or 979), the registration group for the language area or country (0 and 1 stand for English-speaking countries), the publisher code, the title number and a check digit.
Sometimes there’s a smaller five-digit add-on code to the right of the main barcode. On US books, it often encodes the suggested retail price, and it’s not part of the ISBN.
Converting ISBN-10 to ISBN-13
Older books only carry a 10-digit ISBN. Converting is easy: put “978” in front, drop the old check digit and calculate the new check digit using the EAN method. The check digit calculator does that for you. You can also add books without a barcode to a list in Scan2List manually.
How to catalog books by photo
- Create a list: In Scan2List, create a list, e.g. “Living room shelf”, “Box 3” or “May book sale”.
- Lay out the books: Place the books back cover up, side by side on a table or the floor. Six to ten per photo usually works well. Make sure the light is good and avoid glare on shrink wrap.
- Take the photo: One photo per stack. The app reads every visible ISBN barcode at once and adds them to the list.
- Check: If a book is missing, its code was usually covered or reflecting light. Just photograph that book again on its own. Books captured twice are merged automatically.
- Export: Export the list as CSV or TXT and open it in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.
If individual codes won’t read, the tips in Barcode not scanning? will help.
What an ISBN list is good for
Cataloging your home library
With an ISBN list, you know which books you own and won’t buy any twice. Add title and author as needed, for example by looking up the ISBN in the Library of Congress catalog or Open Library. For collections with valuable editions, the list also serves as documentation for your homeowners or renters insurance. You’ll find a matching template in the inventory template.
School and community libraries
If you want to inventory a small library’s collection, you can create a list shelf by shelf and combine the exports in a spreadsheet. That quickly gives you a complete catalog of your holdings. For checkouts and returns with due dates, though, you need real library software. Scan2List is a capture app, not a circulation system.
Selling books: used-book sales and buyback
Before selling to a buyback service or at a used-book sale, a list of all your books with ISBNs helps you keep track: what’s already sold, and what’s still in which box? Buyback apps usually scan one book at a time. With a list created in advance, you keep an overview of your entire stock, even if you sell on several platforms.
Used bookstores and online sellers
If you list used books on marketplaces, you need the ISBN for every book. With the photo scan, you capture an entire incoming shipment in minutes and import the CSV into your inventory system or the marketplace’s upload tool.
Frequently asked questions
Can I scan an ISBN with my iPhone?
Yes. The barcode on books is an EAN-13 and can be read by any barcode scanner app that supports EAN-13. Scan2List: Inventory Scanner can also capture several books in one photo.
Does Scan2List show the title and author?
No. Scan2List captures the ISBN and works completely offline, without an online database. You can add title and author afterward in a spreadsheet, for example by looking up the ISBN in the Library of Congress catalog or Open Library.
What does 978 at the start of an ISBN mean?
978 and 979 are the EAN prefixes for books; they mark the number as an ISBN. Next comes the registration group, for example 0 or 1 for English-language publishers.
How do I capture books without a barcode?
Older books often only have a printed ISBN-10 or no number at all. In Scan2List, you can add codes to a list manually. Convert an ISBN-10 to an ISBN-13 first with the check digit calculator.