---
title: How the catalogue works on Your Book Nest
Metadescription: How items, copies, item kinds and tags work in Your Book Nest - add a title in seconds, track every physical copy separately, no MARC records needed.
Display description: Items are the titles in your collection and copies are the physical things on the shelf. Type a title and it is catalogued - no MARC records, no cataloguing standard to learn.
author: Dan Edwards
author_role: Founder
author_url: https://danedwardsdeveloper.com
author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-edwards-developer
published: 2026-07-04
---

Token estimate: ~1,000

# How the catalogue works on Your Book Nest

By **[Dan Edwards](https://yourbooknest.com/contact)**, Founder.

The catalogue has two layers. An **item** is a title - The Hobbit, a jigsaw, a DVD box set. A **copy** is one physical thing on the shelf, so three copies of The Hobbit are three copies of one item, each tracked separately when it goes out on loan.

## What is an item?

An item is anything your library lends. Only the title is required. You can also record an author, an ISBN, a description and notes, and classify the item with a kind and tags - all optional, all editable later.

There is no cataloguing standard behind any of this. Older books without ISBNs are fine, and a half-filled-in item lends just as well as a complete one.

## What is a copy?

A copy is one physical object. Every copy gets its own three-word copy code, like `oak-hawk-fox`, generated for you - it is what tells two identical paperbacks apart at the check-in desk, and it is what prints on a label if you use them.

Each copy also has an optional barcode field. If a copy already carries a sticker from an old system or a vendor pre-print, record it there and a scanner will find the copy by it. Copies can carry their own notes too - "water damaged", "donated by Margaret".

## How do I add something to the catalogue?

Open the catalogue, add an item, type the title and anything else you know, and say how many copies you have. The copies are created with their codes in the same step. Adding a copy of a title you already hold is a one-field job on the existing item.

## What are item kinds and tags?

Kinds and tags are two ways to organise the catalogue, and you control both vocabularies from Settings.

-   A **kind** is the item's one classification - Book, DVD, Equipment, or whatever fits your collection. Each item has at most one kind, and the catalogue filters by it.
-   **Tags** are freeform and an item can have several - "children", "large print", "Lent". Use them for anything that cuts across kinds.

An item with no kind and no tags is fine.

## What happens when a copy wears out?

Retire it. A retired copy stops being lendable but keeps its history, so past loans still make sense. If it turns up again or gets repaired, reactivate it. Deleting an item removes it from the catalogue entirely.

## How many items can I add?

The free tier includes 100 items; upgrading raises the limit to 5,000. Patrons and loan records have their own limits - the usage section in Settings shows where you stand on each.

## How Your Book Nest handles the catalogue

Add an item by typing its title. Say how many copies you have and each gets its own three-word code. Classify with kinds and tags if it helps, skip them if it doesn't. Retire copies that wear out, and check your usage in Settings.

## Q&A

**Q: Do I need MARC records or a cataloguing standard?**
A: No. An item is a title, an author and whatever else you choose to record. There is nothing to import, validate or get wrong.

**Q: Can I track two copies of the same book?**
A: Yes. Copies are separate from items - each copy has its own code, its own loan history and its own status, so you know exactly which copy is out and which is on the shelf.

**Q: Do my books need ISBNs or barcodes?**
A: No. ISBN and barcode are optional fields. Many community-library books predate ISBNs entirely, and copies are identified by their generated three-word code.