If you’ve ever wandered through a bookstore wondering, “Do I already own this?” or spent twenty minutes searching your bookshelves for a novel you know is somewhere in the house, you’re not alone. For serious readers, collecting books can become almost as much of a hobby as reading them. Eventually, keeping track of everything becomes a challenge.
For years, many home librarians relied on Readerware to catalog their collections. It was one of the most powerful book cataloging programs available, allowing users to scan ISBN barcodes, automatically download book information, organize collections, and even track books that had been loaned out. Unfortunately, Readerware has now been discontinued, leaving many longtime users searching for a replacement.
After testing numerous alternatives, CLZ Books has become one of the closest modern equivalents. While it isn’t identical to Readerware, it offers nearly everything most readers need – and in several areas, it’s actually easier to use.
Whether you own fifty books or five thousand, CLZ Books can save time, eliminate duplicate purchases, and make your personal library far more enjoyable to manage.
What Is CLZ Books?
CLZ Books is library cataloging software developed by Collectorz.com. It is designed specifically for people who collect physical books, audiobooks, graphic novels, or even ebooks.
Unlike a simple spreadsheet, CLZ automatically downloads nearly all of a book’s information from online databases after you scan the ISBN barcode. Within seconds your catalog includes:
- Cover image
- Title
- Author
- Publisher
- Publication date
- ISBN
- Number of pages
- Genres
- Series information
- Book descriptions
- Formats (hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, etc.)
Instead of typing everything manually, adding most books takes less than ten seconds.
Why Former Readerware Users Will Feel at Home
Readerware users appreciated automation, speed, and detailed cataloging. CLZ Books delivers those same strengths with a much more modern interface.
Like Readerware, CLZ lets you:
- Scan ISBN barcodes
- Automatically download book information
- Organize books into collections
- Search instantly
- Sort by almost any field
- Keep notes about each book
- Track books you’ve read
- Record purchase information
- Add personal ratings
- Store multiple cover images
The biggest difference is that CLZ was designed from the beginning to synchronize across multiple devices.
Instead of maintaining separate databases on different computers, everything stays synchronized automatically.
TIP: If you are/were a Readerware user, you can easily export your Readerware database and import it into CLZ Books.
Using CLZ Books on Your Computer
Many people find the web version is where most of the serious organizing happens.
The larger screen on your computer makes it easy to:
- Import hundreds or thousands of books
- Edit multiple books at once
- Create custom fields
- Sort large collections
- Search instantly
- Print reports
- Export lists
- Rearrange collections
One of the nicest features is how customizable everything is. You decide which columns appear on screen.
For example, your main view could include:
- Cover image
- Title
- Author
- Series
- Read status
- Rating
- Format
- Shelf location
Or perhaps you’d rather see:
- Purchase price
- Purchase date
- ISBN
- Publisher
- Genre
Almost everything can be customized.
The Mobile App Is Surprisingly Powerful
The iPhone or Android app isn’t simply a companion app. It’s a fully functional catalog. Because everything syncs automatically, you always have your library in your pocket.
This becomes incredibly useful when:
Shopping at bookstores – Wondering whether you already own a book? Open CLZ. Search by title or author. Within seconds you’ll know. No more buying duplicates.
Shopping used bookstores – Used bookstores often have hundreds of books by your favorite authors. Instead of guessing which titles you already own, simply search your catalog.
Visiting library book sales – Library sales move fast. With CLZ, you can instantly determine: Do I own it? Have I already read it? Is it part of a series? That alone can save both money and frustration.
Talking books with friends – Ever had someone recommend a book? Instead of trying to remember later, simply search your catalog. If you don’t own it, add it immediately to your Wish List.
Scanning Books Is Amazingly Fast
Perhaps the biggest surprise for new users is how quickly books can be added.
- Open the app.
- Tap Add Books.
- Choose Barcode Scan.
- Point your phone’s camera at the ISBN.
- Within seconds CLZ finds the book.
- Tap Add.
- Done.
After the initial setup, adding new purchases becomes almost effortless. Many collectors catalog hundreds of books in a single afternoon.
Organizing Your Library
CLZ gives you many different ways to organize your books.
You can sort by:
- Author
- Title
- Series
- Genre
- Publisher
- Publication year
- Date added
- Rating
- Read status
- Format
Or create custom folders such as:
- Mystery
- Thrillers
- Classics
- Signed Books
- First Editions
- Favorite Authors
- To Be Read
- Book Club Picks
Many readers also organize books by physical location.
Examples include:
- Living Room Shelves
- Basement Library
- Guest Room
- Little Free Library
- Storage Boxes
- Office
- Cabin
If you have thousands of books, knowing exactly where each one lives can save enormous amounts of time.
Keeping Track of Books You’ve Read
One of CLZ’s most useful features is tracking your reading history.
For each book you can record:
- Read or unread
- Date finished
- Personal rating
- Notes
- Review
- Condition
- Purchase information
Over time your catalog becomes more than an inventory. It becomes a reading journal. Years later you can easily answer questions like:
“When did I read that?”
“Did I enjoy it?”
“Would I recommend it?”
Managing a Wish List
CLZ also works beautifully for books you don’t own yet. Create a Wish List collection and begin adding titles as you discover them.
The next time you visit:
- Barnes & Noble
- A used bookstore
- A library sale
- An estate sale
…you’ll already have your shopping list with you.
Cloud Synchronization
One of the biggest improvements over older cataloging software is cloud syncing. Add a book on your computer. Seconds later it appears on your iPhone.
Add a book while shopping. When you return home, it’s already waiting in the desktop program.
There’s no exporting, importing, or manually copying databases. Everything stays synchronized automatically.
Is It Good for Ebook Readers?
Absolutely. Many readers today own physical books, Kindle books, Kobo books, and audiobooks. CLZ allows you to record different formats, making it easy to know exactly which version you own. This is especially helpful if you’ve accumulated ebooks over many years and can no longer remember which titles are already in your digital library.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of CLZ Books
Once your collection is imported, a few habits will keep your catalog accurate:
- Scan every new book the day you buy it.
- Record where each book is stored.
- Use the Wish List for future purchases.
- Rate books immediately after finishing them.
- Add personal notes while the story is still fresh.
- Back up your database regularly, even though it syncs to the cloud.
A few seconds after each purchase can save hours later.
Additional Notes and Tips
Here are some additional notes and tips to help you use CLZ Books:
- CLZ Books Getting Started Manual – Using CLZ Books is very intuitive. But for times when you need additional information, make sure to check out their extensive help manual. I recommend reading the Getting Started page.
- Multiple Collections – CLZ Books allows you to create multiple collections. This can be especially helpful for organizing physical books in one collection and ebooks in a separate collection. You could create separate collections for things such as: physical books; Kindle books; Kobo books; Audiobooks; Reference Library; or Books for Sale. NOTE: While you can have multiple collections, just know that a book can only be in ONE collection at a time. TIP: You’re best off keeping most of your books in one collection, then use Folders, Tags, and Filters to organize and view that collection. Multiple collections are best for truly separate libraries (for example, Physical Books vs eBooks.
- Record Purchase Information – Whenever you buy a book, record information such as the Purchase Date, Purchase Price, Store, and Condition. This is a very helpful list to have for insurance purposes, especially if you have a large collection.
- Rate Books Immediately After Reading Them – Don’t trust your memory. As soon as you finish reading a book, add a star rating, write two or three sentences about what you liked (or didn’t like) about the book, and record the date you finished reading. Five years later, you’ll thank yourself. 😉
- Use Tags for Custom Organization – Many people overlook Tags. Instead of only organizing by genre, create tags such as: Book Club; Summer Reading; Signed Copy; First Edition; Cozy Cabin Reads; Beach Reads; Favorite Covers; Re-Read; Halloween, Christmas, or other holidays. A book can have multiple Tags, making it much easier to find later.
- Scan Books While You’re Shopping – This is one of the easiest tips! When you’re in a bookstore, scan the barcode of a book. If it’s already in your library, you’ll know immediately. No more accidentally buying duplicates.
- Use Barcode Search – Many users know you can scan books to add them, but fewer realize you can also use the barcode scanner to search your existing collection. Just pull a book off your shelf, scan it, and instantly open its record to edit it or to verify details. Easy peasy!
- Create a Wish List – Every time someone recommends a book, add it to CLZ Books immediately. Then when you’re browsing thrift stores, library sales, garage sales, or used bookstores, your shopping list is already with you.
- Add Your Own Photos – If you own signed books, limited editions, books with unique dust jackets, or books containing inscriptions, add your own photos to each book entry in addition to the standard cover. Your future-you will appreciate having this visual record. TIP: You can add multiple images for each book.
- Keep Track of Loaned Books – One of the easiest ways to lose books is by lending them. With CLZ Books, you can keep track of the books you lend to others by using the Loan Manager menu choice. This allows you to record who borrowed the book, the loan date, the due date (if any), the return date, and additional notes. The Loan Manager also keeps a history of loans. TIP: Make sure to use consistent names when using the Loan Manager, such as first and last name for people (for example, Mom, Mother, and My Mom might refer to your Mom, but if listed these different ways, CLZ Books treats each entry as a separate person. Better to use first name/last name).
- Organize By Series – Make sure to use the Series information when adding details to books that are part of a series. This makes it easy to view every title in order by the authors you choose.
- Use Filters Instead of Searching – Many users always use Search. Filters are often a better way to find what you’re looking for. For example, you can use a Filter to show only: unread thrillers; hardcover books; books on Shelf A (or whatever you use for Location); five-star reads; books published before 1960, etc. You’ll quickly narrow thousands of books down to exactly what you want when using Filters.
- Build Your Reading History – When you enter the finish date for every book, you’ll eventually be able to answer questions like: How many books did I read last year? Which month do I read the most? Which author have I read most often? How many books did I finish this Summer? Your catalog becomes a personal reading diary!
- Use the Web Version on Your Desktop for Big Jobs – The mobile app is fantastic for scanning, shopping, and quick edits. But for larger tasks – such as reorganizing hundreds of books, batch editing, customizing columns, or importing a collection – the desktop/web interface is much faster and more efficient. Many experienced users use this combination as their primary workflow.
- Create a “Books to Sell” Collection – If you regularly thin out your shelves, move books into a separate Collection called: For Sale, Donate, Little Free Library, or Garage Sale. That way, you never accidentally buy them again.
- Use Dynamic Folders – One of the most overlooked features in CLZ Books is the Folders feature. Folders in this app are dynamic – you don’t manually move books into Folders. Instead, the app automatically groups your books into Folders based on information you’ve entered, such as author, genre, location, or read status. Think of Folders as “views”, not storage. Instead of asking “which folder should I put this book in”, ask yourself “how do I want to browse my library?”. For example, the same book can instantly appear in: Stephen King folder; horror folder; read folder; hardcover folder; Basement Library folder; 1980s publication folder. You’re never duplicating books – the folder view simply changes based on the field you’ve selected. TIP: Use the Location field to browse by storage location – Bin 1, Bin 2, or Shelf A, Shelf B, or Office Closet. When you click on those folders, you’ll instantly see every book in that location. You could also use a Read Status / Genre Folder view. If you choose Unread – Thriller, all the unread thrillers will be shown. You can even create Folders based on Tags. For example, a Folder for Halloween, or Summer Reads.
- Back Up Your Library – Although CLZ Cloud keeps your devices synchronized and serves as an online backup, it’s still wise to periodically export your collection for extra piece of mind – especially if you’ve spent years building your catalog.
- Use Statistics – The Statistics screen is one of the most enjoyable features in CLZ Books. It displays much more than just the number of books you own. It includes totals for books and authors, your most recent additions, charts for formats, authors, publishers, genres, subjects, read versus unread, publication years, page totals, purchase price, collection value, reading history and books read per year. Make sure to check it out frequently! TIP: Clicking on a chart expands the chart to show you even more details.
- A Pro Workflow for Serious Book Collectors – One workflow that many power users adopt looks like this: 1. Buy a book. 2. Scan it into CLZ immediately with your phone. 3. Add the purchase price, date, and store. 4. Assign its shelf or storage location. 5. Mark it as Unread. 6. After finishing it, add your rating, review, and finish date. 7. If you later donate or sell it, move it to a separate collection or update its status instead of deleting the record. Following this routine means your library becomes more than just a list of books – it becomes the complete history of your reading life.
- Goodreads or The Story Graph – CLZ Books does not sync with apps such as Goodreads or The Story Graph. They each use their own databases, so there is no direct link available.
Is CLZ Books Worth the Subscription?
Some people hesitate because CLZ uses a subscription model instead of a one-time purchase. However, when you consider what it replaces, the value becomes easier to appreciate.
For the cost of only a few books each year, you receive:
- Automatic cloud syncing
- Constant database updates
- Barcode scanning
- Mobile access
- Regular feature improvements
- Modern support for current operating systems
For readers with only a few dozen books, it may be more than they need. But for anyone with hundreds – or especially thousands – of books, it quickly becomes one of those tools you wonder how you ever lived without.
TIP: I highly recommend using the CLZ Books Mobile plus Web bundle. This bundle is typically priced at $49.90 per year. That’s just over $4.00 per month for having both desktop and smartphone apps.
Final Thoughts
Readerware set the standard for home library cataloging for many years, and its disappearance left a noticeable gap. CLZ Books doesn’t copy every Readerware feature exactly, but it captures the same philosophy: make organizing a personal library fast, accurate, and enjoyable. In many respects – especially cloud syncing, the polished mobile app, and effortless barcode scanning – it feels like the natural evolution of what Readerware users were hoping for.
Whether you’re cataloging a lifetime collection of treasured hardcovers, keeping tabs on an ever-growing ebook library, or simply trying to avoid buying the same novel twice, CLZ Books turns a scattered bookshelf into a searchable, organized library. It’s one of those rare pieces of software that quietly saves time every week while making the hobby of collecting books even more rewarding.
