Reading journals
Notion book tracker template
By BiblioFiend · Last updated
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Import the Notion book tracker template
Book title and author: __________________________________
Reading status or reflection: __________________________________
Known dates: __________________________________
Optional personal note: __________________________________
Notion's import guide describes CSV import into a database. Start in a new page so an import does not mix with an existing personal collection by accident. Choose the CSV route in your workspace's import controls and inspect the column names before adding real records.
The downloaded file has no sample book rows. If you see an empty database after import, that is expected: it is ready for your first title. If an application requires a temporary row to finish setup, use an invented test entry, then remove it. Do not confuse a demonstration row with a book you have read.
This Notion book tracker template starts with a CSV and a guide to the setup. Download the headings and import them into a private page. Then create the views below. A CSV moves data, not Notion views or formulas. You do not need to sign up to BiblioFiend.
Create one database for your books. Give each row a title and a reading state. Make the To read, Reading and Finished views from that same set of rows. A view changes what you see. It does not decide who can access the records. Check sharing before adding private notes.
Notion book tracker template properties
- Title: use the database title property for the book name.
- Author: a text property for the credited author.
- ISBN or edition: text, so identifiers keep their formatting.
- Status: a select or status property with the values below.
- Started: a date property, left empty if unknown.
- Finished: a separate date property for a known completion date.
- Format: a select property or plain text, according to your needs.
- Personal rating: an optional number, with your scale written in the page notes.
- Notes: brief text; longer reflections can live inside the book's page.
After import, check each field's type. CSV is text data. It may not create a date or status field as you want it. Set the types before adding a long history. An edition field can stay empty if it does not help you.
Use To read, Reading, Finished, Paused and DNF as separate choices. The default views below need exact status values to filter reliably. Do not make Finished and DNF look like the same completed state if you plan to count finished books. You can choose your own colors; color is a visual aid, not the meaning of the state.
Build three views around one database
To read
Create a table or list view named To read. Filter Status to To read. Include the title and a reason or note, then hide fields that do not help you choose a next book. A start date is usually unnecessary here because the reading attempt has not begun. A missing title should be fixed before a row enters a personal queue.
Reading
Create another view and filter Status to Reading. Show Started, Format and any location note you use to return to the text. You can have several active titles. Changing a status in this view changes the same database row shown elsewhere; it does not create an independent copy of the book.
Finished
Make a Finished view with Status equal to Finished. Show Finished and your optional response fields. Sort by the finish date if that helps, but keep undated finished entries visible until you decide what to do with them. An empty finish date should not be replaced with the day you imported the record.
Notion's guide to views and filters shows how they use the same source data. Keep an All books view too. It lets you find Paused and DNF rows. A filter does not delete a book. Check the active view before importing a missing row again.
What CSV does and does not preserve
The CSV carries the input headings and any data you later export into those columns. It does not contain saved view filters, color choices, property types, page templates or formulas. Those settings are the manual setup above. There is no native Duplicate button attached to this download, so the import route is the real starting point.
When you export, use Notion's export guide to choose a format. Open the file and check it before calling it a full backup. A CSV may hold row values but miss a view or page detail you need. Keep a separate copy of long notes if they matter to you.
Privacy, sharing and a clean first row
Check the parent page's sharing controls and any inherited workspace access. Hiding Notes in a view is not a promise that someone with database access cannot see it elsewhere. If you want to share only a reading list, create a copy that contains only the details you intend to share.
A fictional first row might be A Road in Pencil by B. Example, To read, Format undecided, with the note "an invented entry for checking the view." Move it to Reading and see whether it leaves To read. Then move it to Finished and check that view. Delete the fictional row after the setup check so the real database begins honestly.
FAQ
Does importing create all views automatically?
No. The CSV supplies data fields, while the view settings belong to Notion. Build the three filters described above after checking property types. This small manual step is why the download is labelled as an import starter rather than a published native template with a promised duplicate route.
Do I need a paid workspace for these records?
The setup uses ordinary database properties and views; it does not depend on a paid-only feature or claim a plan allowance. Check Notion's current account terms for your own workspace needs. BiblioFiend does not sell a Notion plan or require you to use one for the paper and CSV alternatives.
Notion book tracker template verdict
Use the Notion book tracker template when a book row with a longer note page suits your habits. Keep one source database, declare its states clearly and treat filters separately from privacy.