Books, comics, games, films, music: what changes with each kind

Each thing you note down is of one kind, and depending on the kind, the details page asks for different information. A board game has players and duration; a TV series, its seasons; a book, its author and its ISBN.

Before going on, three words this guide uses a lot. They are the same ones the app uses.

Three words the app uses

• Work: each thing you note down. A book, a film, a board game. “20 works” means 20 different things.
• Details: the page of a work. You open it by tapping the work in the list. It has its data, its copies and your own notes about it.
• Copy: each copy you have of a work. If you have Dune on paper and as an e-book, it is one work with two copies. It is explained in Copies, locations and whose each thing is.

The eight kinds

The kinds are eight: Book, Comic, Board game, Film, TV series, Video game, Music and Other. The list cannot be changed or extended. For anything that does not fit any of them (model kits, puzzles, toys…) there is “Other”.

Choosing the kind

• When you add by searching for a title, you choose the kind before typing. “Book” is already selected. It is explained in Add by scanning, by ISBN or by searching for a title.
• When you add by hand, the first question is “What is it?”. If you change the kind while you fill in the details, what you have already typed stays.
• In the catalog, the row of buttons at the top (“Everything”, “Books”, “Comics”…) shows only one kind. The cover is the picture on the front. When a work has no picture, the app draws a gap in the shape of its kind: upright for a book, square for a board game or a record, and in the shape of a DVD case for a film.

What details each kind has

Every kind has a title, a year, a cover, notes, genres (what it is about) and tags (words you choose). In addition:

Kind	Its own details	Formats of its copies
Book	Authorship, subtitle, publisher, language, ISBN (the number next to the barcode)	Hardcover, Paperback, Pocket, Ebook (e-book), PDF, Audiobook
Comic	Writer, artist, publisher, issue number, barcode	Hardcover, Paperback, Single issue (a loose comic, stapled like a pamphlet), Digital
Board game	Design (who created the game), publisher, players (from how many to how many), duration, minimum age, barcode	Box, Digital
Film	Direction (who directed it), duration, barcode	DVD, Blu-ray, 4K (the highest picture quality), Digital
TV series	Seasons, barcode	DVD, Blu-ray, Digital
Video game	Studio, barcode	Physical, Digital
Music	Artist, Label (the record company), barcode	Vinyl, CD, Cassette, Digital
Other	Barcode (optional) and the notes	Other

Only the title is required. The rest can stay empty.

Three details change from one kind to another:

• Video games: the platform (Switch, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, PC, or another one you type) does not go on the game’s details, but on each copy, because the same game can be on two consoles.
• TV series: each copy says which seasons you have (“Which seasons”). If you have them all, leave it empty.
• Other: has no details of its own. Anything you want to note (the maker, the reference, which is the model number, the condition…) goes in the notes.

The details of each copy (format, owner, where it is, how many copies) are explained in Copies, locations and whose each thing is.

Digital things have no shelf

The digital formats are Ebook (e-book), PDF, Audiobook and “Digital”. A digital copy is not on a shelf: instead of a location, the app asks you where you have it, and it suggests services for the kind: Kindle and Kobo (e-books), Steam (PC video games) or Filmin (films online), for example. You can type whichever you want.

The genres of each kind

Genres are a closed list that the app comes with, and it is different for each kind. On a details page you choose one or several. Below, they are shown as the app shows them. Choose the ones you need; you do not have to use them all.

• Book: Novel, Science fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery & crime, Historical, Romance, Poetry, Theatre, Essay, Biography & memoir, Popular science, Children’s, Young adult, Roleplaying, Cooking, Art & photography, Travel, Other.
• Comic: Superheroes, Manga, Humor, Graphic novel, Crime, Historical, Children’s, Other.
• Board game: Strategy, Family, Party, Cooperative, Abstract, Card game, Tile placement, Worker placement, Deck building, Deduction, Wargame, Children’s, Roleplaying, Other.
• Film and TV series: Action, Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Drama, Musical, Thriller, War, Western, and more.
• Video game: Action, Adventure, Roleplaying, Strategy, Platformer, Puzzle, Racing, Sports, Fighting, Shooter, Simulation, and more.
• Music: Rock, Pop, Jazz, Classical, Electronic, Hip hop, Folk, Flamenco, Blues, Soul & funk, Metal, Soundtrack, and more.
• Other: has no genres.

If you need something that is not on the list, use a tag: a free word that you type yourself on a work (“for trips”, “present”). You can see them and rename them in “Library settings”, “Tags”.

A genre or a tag shows you only what matches what you choose (that is called filtering). Tap the genre or the tag on the details page, or use the “Genre” and “Tag” buttons above the list.

Changing a thing’s kind

If you made a mistake, open the details page, tap “Edit” and change the “Type”. Before you change anything, the app tells you which details pass to the new kind (for example, a book’s authorship becomes writer on a comic) and which are lost. The title, year, cover and notes do not change. If a copy had a format the new kind does not have (a “Pocket” on a comic), it asks you to choose another. Until you confirm, nothing changes. To go back, tap “Keep it as…” followed by the kind it had (for example, “Keep it as Book”).

When something needs another

An expansion (an add-on to a game) is no use without its base game. In “Edit”, the “Needs” field lets you note the other work. If it needs one and you do not have it, the details page warns you (“Needs …, which you don’t have.”), and the details page of the base game says “Needed by”. It can be used with any kind.