How to Track and Manage Books Using ISBN Barcodes

Book Tracking FAQs

Why use Orca Scan for book inventory management and ISBN tracking?

Most commercially published books have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN), a unique identifier used to distinguish one book or edition from another. On printed books, the ISBN is typically displayed as a barcode on the back cover, allowing you to build a searchable book inventory simply by scanning each ISBN barcode with Orca Scan.

How to track ISBN book barcodes using Orca Scan

With Orca Scan’s Book Tracking Template, every time you scan an ISBN barcode, the app automatically fills in details such as Title, Author(s), Publisher, Description, and Number of Pages.

You can then record quantity and storage location, turning your collection into a fully digital library management system, all from your smartphone.

To get started:

1. Download the Orca Scan barcode app
2. Create a new sheet using the Book Tracking Template
3. Scan any book’s ISBN barcode
4. Review the book details, add quantity and location
5. Save your updates and start building your library database

Do all books have an ISBN barcode?

Most commercially published printed books have an ISBN, usually shown as a barcode on the back cover, but some older, privately published or independently produced books may not have a scannable ISBN barcode. Digital books can also have ISBNs, although they do not have a physical barcode to scan.

If a book does not have a scannable ISBN barcode, you can enter its details manually in Orca Scan and use the built-in barcode label designer to create and print a unique barcode for tracking. This keeps every book in the same searchable inventory, regardless of whether it originally came with an ISBN barcode.

How can I customise my book tracking sheet?

Orca Scan is a fully customisable book tracking software and barcode scanner app, designed for flexible book inventory management.

You can easily add custom fields to record extra details, like photos, signatures, and GPS locations - helping you to track each book’s condition, ownership and storage location. You can set up triggers to receive alerts when books require repair or when stock levels are low, and the built-in history log provides a complete audit trail of every update to your catalogue.