Data as of Aug 25, 2026 · Based on 404 AI responses from ChatGPT Search and Google AI Mode · See how Parse measures this
For school library cataloging, the best solution depends on your school size and technical requirements. Follett Destiny is the widely recognized leader for large K-12 environments, offering integrated tools for managing books, digital content, and textbooks. For smaller libraries or those with limited budgets, 
Brands AI recommends here
Named in 43% of answers
Named in 38% of answers
Excellent for individual school or small classroom libraries, this tool excels at speed and simplicity. It allows for rapid cataloging by scanning ISBN barcodes via a smartphone app for an automated setup.
Named in 31% of answers
Best for smaller school libraries with fewer than 20,000 items, this platform is highly affordable. It converts LibraryThing collections into a clean, professional-looking catalog interface for students.
Named in 28% of answers
Source | Citation share |
|---|---|
 (Re)Building A School Library, Part 4: Cataloging Software | AASL Knowledge Questhttps://knowledgequest.aasl.org/rebuilding-a-school-library-part-4-cataloging-software/ | 2.9% |
Libib | Library management web apphttps://www.libib.com/ | 2.2% |
 Top Rated Library Automation Software with School librarieshttps://www.getapp.com/industries-software/library-automation/f/school-libraries/ | 2.1% |
TinyCathttps://www.librarycat.org/ | 2.1% |
TinyCat for School and Classroom Librarieshttps://www.librarycat.org/forschools | 1.7% |
 Koha (software) - Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koha_%28software%29 | 1.5% |
Library software for small librarieshttps://simplelittlelibrarysystem.us/school-package-plus/ | 1.2% |
 Home - Cataloging Tools and Resources - LibGuides at American Library Associationhttps://libguides.ala.org/catalogingtools | 1.1% |
 A free library managing software/system than can hold over 6000 books? : r/librarianshttps://www.reddit.com/r/librarians/comments/181wmhy/a_free_library_managing_softwaresystem_than_can/ | 1.1% |
 What is the best tool for cataloging a classroom book library?https://www.facebook.com/groups/FountasPinnell/posts/2549599715300818/ | 1.0% |
Creating a digital catalog for your school library is a rewarding project that transforms physical shelves into an accessible, searchable hub for students and teachers. Here is a step-by-step approach to building or upgrading your school's digital catalog: - **Evaluate current software** : Check if your district…
Creating a digital catalog for your school library is a rewarding project that transforms physical shelves into an accessible, searchable hub for students and teachers.
Here is a step-by-step approach to building or upgrading your school's digital catalog:
Evaluate current software : Check if your district already provides an enterprise library management system (LMS) or if you need to choose an independent platform.
Determine feature requirements : Decide whether you need basic search, barcode scanning, student/teacher accounts, circulation tracking, or integration with single-sign-on (SSO) tools like Google Classroom or Microsoft ClassLink.
Follett Destiny : A gold standard in K-12 education, known for robust cataloging, resource management, and state-wide district sharing.
BiblioCommons / Insignia : Popular alternatives offering modern, user-friendly interfaces for students and comprehensive backend tools for librarians.
LibraryWorld or Atriuum : Cost-effective, cloud-based options that are great for smaller school budgets or private/independent schools.
Open-source options (like Koha) : Free software licenses, though they require dedicated IT support or hosting from a third-party vendor to set up and maintain.
Weeding : Before importing records, weed out damaged, outdated, or inaccurate materials using the CREW method (Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding).
Physical labeling : Ensure barcodes and spine labels are intact, scannable, and cleanly organized so data entry or scanning goes smoothly during the transition.
Use MARC records : When adding new books or migrating data, import MAchine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) records from vendors (like Bound To Stay Bound or Follett) or databases like the Library of Congress. This populates professional metadata (ISBN, subjects, summaries, Dewey Decimal/LC classification).
Retrospective conversion : If migrating from a legacy card catalog or an old spreadsheet, you may need to outsource the data conversion or batch-upload spreadsheets mapped carefully to your new LMS fields.
Visual discovery : Enable book cover images, genre carousels, and visually rich displays rather than just plain text lists.
Curated lists : Create custom digital "shelves" or reading lists for seasonal themes, classroom curriculum units, or award winners (like Newbery or Caldecott winners).
Student orientation : Host quick library orientation sessions showing students how to log in, search by keyword/genre, place holds, and check due dates.
In-school promotion : Post QR codes around the library and classrooms linking directly to the web portal login page.
If you'd like, let me know:
I can help you narrow down the best software choice or draft a migration timeline.
No sources cited
For a school library, I’d recommend **using a real library-management system rather than building the catalog from scratch in Excel/Google Sheets**. A spreadsheet can be useful during the migration, but you’ll eventually want cataloging, circulation, inventory, student search, and reporting in one place. ## A…
For a school library, I’d recommend using a real library-management system rather than building the catalog from scratch in Excel/Google Sheets. A spreadsheet can be useful during the migration, but you’ll eventually want cataloging, circulation, inventory, student search, and reporting in one place.
For a K–12 school, look for a system that supports:
One established K–12 option is follettsoftware.com. It specifically supports cataloging, circulation, inventory, reporting, MARC importing, and student-facing discovery.
If your school/district already has a library system, I'd start by finding out what it is before purchasing anything. District IT or another librarian may already have licensing and infrastructure available.
This is probably the biggest time-saver.
For books with ISBNs, search for an existing catalog record and import it. For example, Destiny recommends searching by ISBN because it helps locate the correct record and avoid duplicate records.
The underlying standard you'll encounter is MARC 21, which is the machine-readable format used to exchange bibliographic information between library systems.
In other words, instead of entering:
Title / author / publisher / subjects / description / classification... for every book, you can generally find an authoritative record, import it, and then add your school's local information.
This is an important concept when setting up your catalog.
Suppose you own five copies of Charlotte's Web.
You want:
Bibliographic record
Copy records
That allows the catalog to say "5 copies owned, 3 currently available" rather than treating each physical book as an entirely separate catalog record.
Create a one-page cataloging policy covering things such as:
This sounds bureaucratic, but it will make your catalog consistent when you—or someone else—are adding resources five years from now.
I'd use a barcode system tied to the library software rather than inventing your own numbering scheme.
A typical workflow becomes:
Book arrives → catalog record → copy record → barcode → label → shelf → searchable online
For existing collections, you can work shelf-by-shelf rather than trying to catalog the whole library at once.
The catalog shouldn't just be an inventory database.
Students should be able to search things like:
A modern discovery interface can bring print and digital resources together. For example, Destiny Discover provides a browser-based search interface for books, e-books, audiobooks, databases, and other resources.
I'd use a three-phase rollout:
Phase 1 — Foundation
Phase 2 — Retrospective cataloging
Phase 3 — Student experience
Don't make a giant Google Sheet your final catalog unless your collection is extremely small and you only need a simple inventory. It can be an excellent migration spreadsheet, but you'll quickly run into problems with multiple copies, circulation, authority control, searching, holds, overdue materials, and reporting.
If you tell me roughly how many resources you have (e.g., 2,000 vs. 20,000), whether you're K–5, 6–8, or 9–12, and what system—if any—you currently use, I can lay out a specific low-cost setup and step-by-step migration plan for your library.
Phase 2 — Retrospective cataloging
Creating a digital catalog for your school library is a game-changer. The "best" way depends heavily on your budget, district requirements, and how tech-savvy your student body is, but modern **Integrated Library Systems (ILS)** or dedicated cataloging platforms are the gold standard. Here is a breakdown of the best…
Creating a digital catalog for your school library is a game-changer. The "best" way depends heavily on your budget, district requirements, and how tech-savvy your student body is, but modern Integrated Library Systems (ILS) or dedicated cataloging platforms are the gold standard.
Here is a breakdown of the best approaches and platforms to get your library online:
To help narrow down the best choice, could you tell me:
No sources cited
For a school library, I’d recommend **using a real library-management system rather than building the catalog from scratch in Google Sheets or Excel**. The key is to create a searchable catalog that handles both the *bibliographic record* (what the book/resource is) and the *individual copy* (which physical copy your…
For a school library, I’d recommend using a real library-management system rather than building the catalog from scratch in Google Sheets or Excel. The key is to create a searchable catalog that handles both the bibliographic record (what the book/resource is) and the individual copy (which physical copy your school owns).
For a K–12 library, the strongest options are purpose-built library systems such as:
If your district already has Destiny, Alexandria, or another system, I'd use that rather than creating a parallel catalog.
Create records for more than just books. Depending on your collection, you might include:
For digital resources, include the access link, login/access instructions where appropriate, grade level, subject, and licensing information.
Don't manually type every field for every book if you can avoid it.
Look for existing MARC records using ISBN, title, author, or another identifier and import them into your system. MARC 21 is the standard format used to encode bibliographic information, and the Library of Congress maintains the current MARC 21 specifications.
School systems such as Destiny and Alexandria specifically support MARC-based cataloging/import workflows.
Think of it this way:
One title record → multiple individual copies For example, you might have one catalog record for Charlotte's Web, but 12 physical copies. Each copy gets its own barcode.
That lets you track:
Modern school library systems can scan or import barcode lists and use them for inventory and circulation.
At minimum, I'd want:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Title | The Wild Robot |
| Author | Peter Brown |
| ISBN | 9780316381994 |
| Publication year | 2016 |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| Subjects | Robots; Survival |
| Call number | FIC BRO |
| Grade/age range | 3–6 |
| Format | |
| Location | Main Library |
| Barcode | 000012345 |
| Status | Available |
| Digital link | URL, if applicable |
You don't necessarily need to expose all of these fields to students. The underlying record can be detailed while the student-facing catalog stays simple.
The catalog should make it easy for a student to answer:
"Do we have anything I'd like to read?" So prioritize searches such as:
A good interface should also show cover image, summary, location/call number, and whether the item is available.
If you're starting with an existing collection, I'd use this sequence:
Week 1: Choose the software and establish your cataloging conventions.
Week 2: Clean up your existing spreadsheet/list and remove obvious duplicates.
Week 3: Import existing bibliographic records wherever possible.
Weeks 4+: Barcode and physically verify the collection shelf by shelf.
As you scan each item, verify:
Book → catalog record → barcode → shelf/location → condition
That turns the catalog project into an inventory project at the same time.
SCHOOL LIBRARY CATALOG
│
┌────────────────┼────────────────┐
│ │ │
Bibliographic Physical Digital
records copies resources
│ │ │
title/author barcode access URL
ISBN/subjects location format
publisher status license
description condition access notes
│ │ │
└────────────────┼────────────────┘
│
Student Search
│
┌──────────┴──────────┐
│ │
Students Teachers
If you're a single school with an existing collection, I'd start by asking your district IT/admin whether you already have access to Destiny or Alexandria. If you do, use that system.
If you're starting completely from scratch, I'd choose a school-oriented library-management system with MARC import, barcode circulation, online student search, inventory, and reporting rather than building a custom database. Those features will save you enormous amounts of work later. Destiny, for example, explicitly supports cataloging, circulation, inventory, reporting, MARC importing, and student access.
If you tell me approximately how many books/resources you have, whether they're currently in a spreadsheet, and whether your school/district already uses a system like Destiny, I can lay out a step-by-step cataloging plan (including the exact spreadsheet columns to prepare for import).
SCHOOL LIBRARY CATALOG
│
┌────────────────┼────────────────┐
│ │ │
Bibliographic Physical Digital
records copies resources
│ │ │
title/author barcode access URL
ISBN/subjects location format
publisher status license
description condition access notes
│ │ │
└────────────────┼────────────────┘
│
Student Search
│
┌──────────┴──────────┐
│ │
Students Teachers
If you're a single school with an existing collection, I'd start by asking your district IT/admin whether you already have access to Destiny or Alexandria. If you do, use that system.
If you're starting completely from scratch, I'd choose a school-oriented library-management system with MARC import, barcode circulation, online student search, inventory, and reporting rather than building a custom database. Those features will save you enormous amounts of work later. Destiny, for example, explicitly supports cataloging, circulation, inventory, reporting, MARC importing, and student access.
Creating a digital catalog (an Online Public Access Catalog, or OPAC) for your school library transforms how students and teachers find and check out books. - Step 1: **Audit and weed your collection** before digitizing so you don’t spend time cataloging outdated or damaged items. - Step 2: **Choose your Library…
Creating a digital catalog (an Online Public Access Catalog, or OPAC) for your school library transforms how students and teachers find and check out books.
If you'd like, let me know:
I can help you narrow down the best software match for your library.
No sources cited
For a school library, I’d **avoid building the catalog from scratch in Excel or Google Sheets** unless your collection is very small. The best long-term approach is a **library management system with a student-facing online catalog (OPAC)**. It can handle cataloging, circulation, inventory, barcodes, reports, and…
For a school library, I’d avoid building the catalog from scratch in Excel or Google Sheets unless your collection is very small. The best long-term approach is a library management system with a student-facing online catalog (OPAC). It can handle cataloging, circulation, inventory, barcodes, reports, and digital-resource links in one place.
Use existing MARC records wherever possible. MARC 21 is a widely used standard for exchanging bibliographic information, including titles, authors, subjects, publication information, and physical descriptions.
For a book, your workflow should ideally be: ISBN → retrieve catalog record → review/edit → add your school's copy information → assign barcode → save. 3. Separate the "book" from your "copy."
For example, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone is the bibliographic title record, while your three physical copies are individual item records. Each copy can have its own barcode, location, status, and circulation history. Systems such as Destiny explicitly distinguish resource descriptions from individual items. Destiny Help 4. Create consistent fields and policies.
At minimum, I'd want:
For digital resources, the catalog should contain a clickable access link, not just a description. MARC 21 provides the 856 field specifically for electronic location/access information. Library of Congress 5. Digitize in batches rather than trying to finish everything at once.
I'd tackle the collection in this order:
Current/high-circulation books → new acquisitions → digital resources → older/less-used materials → special collections.
As you work, scan barcodes rather than manually entering identifiers. Batch-editing capabilities can also save considerable time when you're making the same change to many copies. Destiny Help 6. Make the catalog useful to students, not just librarians.
The student interface should let a child search by things like:
"dragons" → fantasy books → available now → appropriate grade/reading level → shelf location
rather than requiring students to know exact author/title information. Student-friendly discovery interfaces are a major feature of school-focused systems.
I'd use this simple architecture:
Library management system ↓ MARC bibliographic records ↓ Individual copy + barcode records ↓ Online student catalog ↓ Links to ebooks, databases, websites, videos, etc.
Keep a separate spreadsheet as a backup/migration inventory, but don't make the spreadsheet your primary catalog.
If you're a solo librarian or have limited technical support, use whatever library-management platform your district already supports. If you're free to choose, I'd compare Destiny, Alexandria, and Koha based on cost, district IT support, SIS/SSO integration, ease of importing MARC records, student usability, accessibility, and how well each handles your digital resources.
If you tell me roughly how many items you have (e.g., 2,000 vs. 20,000), whether they're currently in a spreadsheet, and whether your school already uses any library software, I can give you a concrete step-by-step migration plan.
Creating a digital catalog for a school library is an exciting project that instantly makes your collection more accessible to students and teachers. The "best" way depends entirely on your budget, technical support, and the size of your…
Creating a digital catalog for a school library is an exciting project that instantly makes your collection more accessible to students and teachers. The "best" way depends entirely on your budget, technical support, and the size of your collection.
Here is a step-by-step roadmap to guide you through choosing a platform and building your digital catalog efficiently:
- **Commercial / School-Specific Options:** If your school district has a budget, industry giants like **Follett Destiny** or **Athena** are built specifically for K-12 schools. They handle circulation, student data integration (via roster sync), and age-appropriate search filters seamlessly.
- **Budget-Friendly / Small School Options:** If you are running a smaller independent or charter school on a tight budget, **TinyCat** (powered by LibraryThing) or **[Librarika](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESOQHrOzAVIXIS5elS7Rc6e4iwk0jKrQwOIyEgYX4ZAc-13uO68bkidlgNIjldSUHQeECLWR_p6bcQSQ)** offer fantastic, low-cost or freemium web-based online public access catalogs (OPAC).
- **Open-Source Options:** If your school has an IT department willing to host it, **Koha** is a robust, entirely free open-source ILS with zero licensing fees, though it requires more technical setup.[](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESOQHrOzAVIXIS5elS7Rc6e4iwk0jKrQwOIyEgYX4ZAc-13uO68bkidlgNIjldSUHQeECLWR_p6bcQSQ) [[1]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESOQHrOzAVIXIS5elS7Rc6e4iwk0jKrQwOIyEgYX4ZAc-13uO68bkidlgNIjldSUHQeECLWR_p6bcQSQ)[[2]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESUwHrOzAVPGtKTbPrjAeKnzkaxVh02nMwu-ZVap0DXHKdsokd0KTFRhyFBzkMAZnXHHoeBpyyzf7yNUmThoJ4wv99ckOpunQl9n1-nxwGA5lQImpW)[[3]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESTgHrOzAVQezr66frR_UTyHh0l_g6fZCOiZ2LkoJHAb9mAhmVRvVuT8DHINHtH_z7G_n4s_avOUygAzs72KdG3m0_JyrVRtc5VjgU-4RaUQ)[[4]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESaAHrOzAVCi852ojE4c1T2Bie5ENNYO8MJ0JPnqd76ancWNLzlEgNMU4NwoOrW7Ade-kMbYhM4grRMlgVNBW1FW37fvBvZrMByZq0iPjjFZ7yGZNVgvAMDnwSEpHHrAStJzM_-aPR2VKg)[[5]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESVgHrOzAVK-8M5wL2466zYUZCfbmCTKJgPZvHBRTs6CtVTGaRzQe61qP86rN5VVDDqRMrSYqHbgkRKi3xTe00ShHFoJWHZ7vXbV3-GDB6jkPkMRdTSFvA)
- Before you start typing or scanning, do a quick physical shelf-read. Weed out damaged, outdated, or inaccurate books. It is much easier to catalog what you *actually* want in your collection than to clean up data later.
- **ISBN Scanning:** Modern systems allow you to use a USB barcode scanner or a smartphone app to scan a book's ISBN. The software will automatically pull bibliographic data, summaries, and cover art from global databases (like MARC records or Amazon/LibraryThing APIs).
- **Batch Import:** If you already have an Excel or CSV spreadsheet of your books, look for a platform that supports a clean CSV/MARC batch upload to save hours of manual entry.[[1]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESeAHrOzAVhUbivMhCppxSZsA-fx6UrA8vun27F0k_wbdKOLZYU_xG4cd6fPMMLdiiKqUprqzymWNU4ZIbRpgzs2vTLX1i_5Z2jW_1Uh1qsEgAnMllXkYhXlm2bgFJsPaY2CwM_4SP0IFMvleRgPSyAcWRoPe3k4T8gQ)[[2]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAEScwHrOzAV3B034jUYobKMEKGwEvhlFBtDtHGKy59MLBTmHVhXtdU2iCLMnaduyC0oGFE5BxwlkOJORBKS_4zBdK5ydEJbYB2lFSe5ovlE68jbQgDZwJwuRRY0zrEoT8U0ny5ls1pAts9fqTXQY9myqtSPwwc)[[3]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESggEB6zswFSd7N5eqSPOx1Thh5OvlQTt6vEm6tc88z4FPBNiBrApxy8SACpRbQ0D6Kdt69ZhXeVOcKnG5x-9FJRM4a4pHhzu8P-OqUtTyHln7VT75fpcZUJLWsd8eW_MTu9n-zLokzPvJPppizctMROu5seNO8Y01ONIDSi28A98zKown)[[4]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESdAHrOzAVTyz9epkRJSzkpqsdfTjagy-DPfXabC9dFQ7QPoqxNjNL4BFgVaBra_DlykvCZjySw-cS6iX2C4k0F307x1pR_mkZJGfv_HG96QDKDF4w8i7wPNLCmuZ0MTXKsmimoQFp8fyjrE4h_IQ6J1A7O-9t)[[5]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESXAHrOzAVz4mg27DPIIZazyI61v7JDKzF2cpioA8cuYDIa8t2R5iWF4leJc-LifLpfHNRS24nUcfI95xxohn0R-Cu6LBetda4Y1I0xdHBZDlw7KHRBcw9KqDutmTa)
- Ensure the student-facing search interface is friendly. Look for features like visual search (browsing by book covers or genres rather than just text), reading levels (Lexile or Accelerated Reader tags if your school uses them), and student review or tagging capabilities.[[1]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESjQEB6zswFQm8iPCaHYXlDo2xxWTaVbFWEXfNoGKCR9Xrp6NOLW1CFw_O-6UHuddBwRdmSuhQfla1hVKuDPJZkhnSwWVxdaHh9JDd8Iq2ktE4VdODRaoX0oJ7y4WwFFfHh-T38tDqWTO0WSJ8n5cV-V0xTyJsw1QiBX2sTr0d2W9JbwlQzzTGW3SNbd8tKwU)[[2]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESWwHrOzAVrXuAxdvWRbn3OxVsaQkhBFCtPt7TX5yTvVlb7GZa-ktV7sdbscrc93eUo9zw9XtMihdtFsCnjYxTI2i-omfEcg08ORfLbang17BaQ6iBGhkTXM4H5mI)[[3]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAEShQEB6zswFZlmnrgtbL6-zHJfu8G1XTsGb4MiSFsqQdVS2wEzN-MDyRNbOmY7GbS4TGbpn1D_uJRLshWfWRBbqWjjXuOOuUzTYXICDKWIlKjia04012rUXOeXPK4pLgpfEkPOJ6Qjt2_AhGWg_BzGBWyVtzOMs01UzbHaiuSBR1BkkQErxtNV)[[4]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESXgHrOzAVpuw19Jrp4l2Kzs7dTeaiXajUkaG7kP34uKXea6uEdkL_rzrtsHlLQjj7t_2d0yQPGKj9W5BAoni9rfpIZ9hjnS9J_f4ORJn_rFSA4XG76WsRJAevwmE3quY)[[5]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESawHrOzAVGSOxwFIQL1-XqWI0Ti0XhZ_WJY506m-WVInE-0_Nww_pMuz41lF8_4hpDT7SoGaXIQlPidUcmT28CaXGSnpiwebcGhK5Mc3EvxT2WN4flr_aQvIT0nJJhaPb10tRtvzhiD8jTesK)
- Decide if your digital catalog will just be a "lookup" tool or if you will use it for check-ins/check-outs. If tracking circulation, you’ll need barcode labels on your books and student ID cards (or a simple patron database) linked into the system.[[1]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESiQEB6zswFUoSpMKxmflnR1eUuysfA7R5RyslO1VQ6tY6Sw6OTPd34zU60pCLvrO56-EvWtqLeIwN75EETjOA4PtLiDTztgDVDS8VYnJ0dxVqbHwB0bOHiFzgKtnk2kma2XPwAFAXKwVDKABOFtMS_6p9PU5ln23A0cpnngc_5PovKhvb2KqudiJCXA)[[2]](https://google.com/goto?url=CAESVgHrOzAVxrIgsXFZG5zgHTE7iz9SRd5tEtfoZp1Zlt35gpbg-yoxmpmcsX5ie9D171j9YamjEZt5-emBsdFSGgEkxgHC3zC3SNxxAn1OZ28phNY2tZko)
To help narrow down the exact platform you need, tell me:
For a school library, I’d recommend **using a real library management system (LMS) rather than building the catalog from scratch in Google Sheets**. The key is to create one searchable catalog that covers both your physical collection and the digital resources students actually use. ## A practical approach ### 1.…
For a school library, I’d recommend using a real library management system (LMS) rather than building the catalog from scratch in Google Sheets. The key is to create one searchable catalog that covers both your physical collection and the digital resources students actually use.
Include more than just books:
For digital resources, the catalog record should contain a stable link, a short description, subjects/keywords, grade level, and any access restrictions.
If your school already has one, start there rather than migrating unnecessarily. Common K–12 options include:
If you're in a district, check with district IT/library administration first. They may already have a system, MARC records, student authentication, or an SSO integration available to you.
This is where a lot of librarians lose enormous amounts of time.
For your existing collection, look for a system that can import MARC bibliographic records rather than requiring you to type every title, author, subject, etc. MARC remains an important standard for exchanging library bibliographic data, while ALA identifies RDA as the current standard for bibliographic description.
Your job should primarily be:
import → verify → customize for your school → add your local information
rather than:
type every record from scratch.
You don't need professional-level metadata for every website. I'd use something like:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Title | NASA Climate Kids |
| Description | Interactive climate and Earth-science resources |
| URL | Permanent resource link |
| Subject | Earth science; climate |
| Grade | 4–6 |
| Resource type | Website |
| Access | Free |
| Language | English |
| Curriculum connections | Science |
| Keywords | climate, weather, Earth |
| Reviewed | 2026-08-27 |
| Reviewed by | Library |
The important thing is consistency. A simple controlled vocabulary for resource type, grade band, and subject will make searching much better.
ALA's cataloging and metadata guidance is useful if you want to develop a more formal system rather than inventing your own terminology.
A technically perfect catalog that students can't figure out isn't very useful.
I'd aim for students to be able to search by:
keyword → author → title → subject → format → grade/level → availability
And make digital resources clearly identifiable with something like "Online Resource" or "Access Resource."
Ideally, a student searching for climate change should see relevant books and appropriate digital resources in the same discovery experience.
I wouldn't try to digitize everything simultaneously.
Phase 1: Get the physical collection into a reliable LMS.
Phase 2: Add your most-used databases and digital subscriptions.
Phase 3: Add curated free/OER resources.
Phase 4: Add specialized collections, curriculum links, research guides, etc.
Phase 5: Establish an annual review process so dead links and obsolete resources don't accumulate.
This also fits nicely with AASL's emphasis on curating resources and continually assessing the school library's effectiveness. The current AASL Standards are in their second edition, published in 2025.
You can start with a spreadsheet or database, but I'd treat that as a temporary inventory/metadata repository, not your ultimate student catalog.
A good spreadsheet could have:
Title | Author | Resource Type | Subject | Grade | Description | URL | Login Required | Provider | Date Reviewed | Notes
Then, when you adopt an LMS, you have a clean dataset ready to migrate.
My biggest recommendation: don't start by asking "How do I digitize our books?" Start by asking "What do I want a student to be able to find with one search?" That determines the software, metadata, and workflow you actually need.
If you tell me your school level (elementary/middle/high), approximate collection size, whether you already have a catalog system, and your budget, I can recommend a specific setup and a migration plan.
The best approach is **not to start with a spreadsheet**. For a school library, I’d build a proper **library management system (LMS)** with an online discovery catalog, then use a spreadsheet only for planning/importing data. A good digital catalog should let students and staff: - Search by **title, author, subject,…
The best approach is not to start with a spreadsheet. For a school library, I’d build a proper library management system (LMS) with an online discovery catalog, then use a spreadsheet only for planning/importing data.
A good digital catalog should let students and staff:
If your school already has one, use it rather than creating a new system. Ask your district IT department what platform your schools use or whether there's an existing subscription.
For a new system, I'd look at:
For most school librarians who don't want to become the library system's IT administrator, I'd favor a hosted K–12 product over building your own database.
At minimum, each title should have:
| Field | Example |
|---|---|
| Title | The Wild Robot |
| Author | Peter Brown |
| ISBN | 9780316381994 |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Publication year | 2016 |
| Subject/genre | Science fiction; robots |
| Reading level | If your school uses one |
| Call number | FIC BRO |
| Location | Main Library |
| Format | Hardcover |
| Copy/barcode | 00012345 |
| Status | Available |
| Notes | Graphic novel, bilingual, etc. |
The important distinction is between a title record and a copy record. If you have five copies of the same book, you generally want one bibliographic record with five individual copies/barcodes—not five independently typed catalog records.
This is where a library system becomes enormously valuable.
Use MARC records or another standardized catalog-record import process wherever possible. Destiny, for example, specifically supports MARC record importing.
For an existing collection, I'd do this:
That is dramatically easier than starting from scratch.
The back end can be complicated; the student interface shouldn't be.
Ideally, students see a search page where they can type:
mystery books about ghosts rather than having to understand library cataloging terminology.
Follett's Destiny Discover, for example, is designed as a student/educator discovery interface and can search print resources alongside eBooks, audiobooks, interactive books, and subscription databases.
You can also create curated lists such as:
That makes the catalog useful as a student-facing discovery tool, rather than merely an inventory database.
If your collection isn't already barcoded, I'd make this part of the project.
Each physical copy gets a unique barcode. Then circulation becomes:
Student ID → scan book → scan student → done
This also gives you useful data later: which books circulate, which grades use particular sections, which materials never circulate, etc.
Don't simply dump links to websites into the book catalog.
I'd create a separate digital resources layer containing things such as:
Each resource should have a short description, intended audience/grade, subject, and access information.
If you use Destiny, its Collections functionality can curate and share websites, documents, books, eBooks, videos, and other resources in addition to the formal catalog.
I wouldn't try to digitize everything during one giant project.
Phase 1 — Foundation
Phase 2 — Existing collection
Phase 3 — Digital collection
Phase 4 — Student experience
Phase 5 — Continuous maintenance
Modern systems can make that ongoing work much easier; for example, Destiny provides cataloging, inventory, circulation, reporting, and collection-analysis capabilities rather than treating the catalog as a static list.
I wouldn't make Google Sheets/Airtable your permanent catalog unless your collection is extremely small.
A spreadsheet can be excellent for a temporary inventory or migration project, but it quickly becomes awkward when you need:
A database designed specifically for libraries handles those relationships much better.
My target architecture would be:
Library management system → online student catalog → physical books + eBooks/audiobooks + curated digital resources
with barcode scanning for circulation and MARC/imported records for cataloging.
If you tell me roughly how many items you have (e.g., 2,000 vs. 20,000), whether you already have a catalog, and whether you're in a single school or district, I can recommend the most practical setup and migration path for your situation.
The best way to create a digital catalog for a school library is to **use an established Integrated Library System (ILS) or Library Management Software (LMS) designed for schools** rather than a generic spreadsheet, as dedicated software automates ISBN lookup, barcode tracking, and student…
The best way to create a digital catalog for a school library is to use an established Integrated Library System (ILS) or Library Management Software (LMS) designed for schools rather than a generic spreadsheet, as dedicated software automates ISBN lookup, barcode tracking, and student checkouts.
Recommended School Library Software
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If you tell me your approximate budget and collection size (number of items) , I can help you choose between a free tool or a full enterprise school system.