Free Site Shows Library DVD and Blu-ray Holdings
Nomad Library lets users check which films their local public library owns on physical disc.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in Documentary
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A free website called Nomad Library, built by YouTuber Chris Giuseppini, displays public library DVD and Blu-ray holdings without requiring an account. The site covers library systems in the United States and Canada and went public in a video published October 31.
Why it matters
The tool lets readers check whether films on their watchlists can be borrowed for free rather than streamed on paid subscriptions. It turns scattered library catalogs into a single searchable resource for physical media.
Giuseppini found 42 of 61 titles from his watchlist at his library, with 33 of those matches available only on DVD. Roughly 1,700 Blu-ray discs sat at his branch, and 162 were checked out.
The players
Chris Giuseppini
A YouTuber who built the Nomad Library site and tested it against his own watchlist and local library holdings.
The details
Users paste their library's catalog address into the site to load that system's holdings, or export an IMDb or Letterboxd list and upload it to see which titles are owned. Libraries running BiblioCommons provide real inventory data, and users can filter titles by genre and year or sort by rating.
Timeline
- October 31, 2025: Nomad Library went public in a published video.
- January 2026: Giuseppini's county card began working at three neighboring counties.
Roadmap
The project builds on watchlist exports from IMDb and Letterboxd, which users already rely on to track films. Connecting those lists to free library holdings offers an alternative to subscription streaming for finding titles.
Readers with a library card in a supported U.S. or Canadian system can check owned DVD and Blu-ray titles for free without an account. The site lets them filter by genre and year before visiting the branch.
The takeaway
Check your watchlist against your library before paying for a subscription, since many documentaries may already be available on disc. Paste your library's catalog address into the site to get started.
Further reading
Explore more documentary films for titles that may already be on your library's shelves.
More information
Search your library's holdings at the Nomad Library free catalog search site.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Techaeris.
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