Genealogy Library Software

[Canuk]

I have decided that I have so many books in print, on CDs and on my hard drive that I need some library software.  I'm looking for advice from other RootsChatters.  Most of my books are antiquarian, well before ISBNs were thought of, but can be found in the British Library, Internet Archive, or Open Library.  I'm looking for a kind of software (below $50 CDN) that I can use on Windows XP that will download bibliographic details from the internet.  It must also be easy to use for a non-technical person.  I have tested the following:

All My Books
Will download details by typing in partial titles, but will not search the Internet Archive, only Google Books.
Simplistic.  Does not download or show many details.

BiblioteQ
Way too technical.  Couldn't even get it to install properly

BookCAT
It would search Internet Archive and the British Library as well as many others all at once
The date function was UK and not US (Hooray!)
I loved the flexibility, BUT
I could only figure out how to make it download from the internet with an ISBN.  If it could only search for books on the internet by title, it would be perfect.  Does anybody know how to make it do that?  (Not too technical, please.)

I'm considering downloading and testing Book Collector.  Any advice on that one?  Will it do what I need it to do?

Downloading bibliographic details from the internet, and/or the British Library automatically is the deal-breaker, because these hundreds of 18th and 19th century books have huge titles, etc. that I don't want to have to input manually.

[Billyblue]

Hi Canuk
Assuming you are going to catalogue your books etc., not just download information?
Don't forget when you are doing all this, to differentiate between books (print), CDs, and ebooks.
This is especially vital when you have one publication in two different formats.  But if you just put CD against those, it will help whenever you are browsing your digital collection.

Are you going to number everything?
There are various ways but in our FH library (QFHS) as in many others, we don't use Dewey as that would mean half the collection would be under one or two numbers.  And people don't remember who wrote it, they are interested in WHERE it's about.  So things are sorted by regions of the world first, then by types of records - history, vital records, biographies, directories, etc.

Just a few thoughts.  If you want more info feel free to PM me  (I catalogue our CDs)
Dawn M

[KGarrad]

I have nearly 600 fiction books, and have been using Book Collectorz for a number of years now.

I can thoroughly recommend it!

www.collectorz.com

P.S. I have no links with the company! I just like their software!
I use Book Collector, Music Collector and Movie Collector.
Also available as an Iphone App.

There is a free trial available! Try it!!

[SherlockBones]

Try Book Label - 14 free trial

http://www.codeaero.com/book-label/

I changed from the one that was recommended by the above post.
I liked it so much I got the program for music and the one for movies.

Cheers

Jon