Library and metadata
Add a book
Use Add Book to search by ISBN or title. ISBN lookup is usually the fastest way to retrieve the correct edition, while title search is useful for books that do not have an ISBN in your source data. In 2.2.0, search results without an ISBN can still be selected and added.
You can also enter a book manually or use the image/barcode scanner when it is available. Camera access requires HTTPS in the browser.
Find books
The Library page supports:
- Text search across book information
- Filters for status, category, publisher, language, location, media type, and date ranges
- A Needs Review only filter for incomplete imports
- Grid and list views
- Sorting and pagination
Use filters to narrow the collection before opening a book. The detail page is the best place to verify or edit a single record.
Shared and personal information
Book metadata is shared at the library level: title, subtitle, contributors, ISBNs, publisher, publication date, categories, series, covers, and media type. Personal metadata belongs to the user: reading status, ratings, dates, notes, reviews, tags, and personal custom fields.
This separation matters during imports. A duplicate can update your personal reading data without creating another shared book record.
Contributors and series
Contributors are stored as Person records and can be linked to books by role, including author, narrator, editor, translator, and illustrator. Series pages group books and preserve volume/order information when it is available.
If a book has the wrong contributor, edit the book or merge duplicate Person records from the People area. If a series link is missing, edit the book and add the series information.
Categories, locations, and media
- Categories organize subjects and genres.
- Locations represent where a book belongs and can be used in filters.
- Media types distinguish physical books, e-books, audiobooks, and Kindle entries.
- Quantity can represent multiple copies where supported.
Administrators can backfill missing locations and media types from Repairs.
Custom fields
Custom fields can be global or personal. Global fields are appropriate for shared catalog data; personal fields are appropriate for shelves, tags, mood, or private notes. During import, the mapping screen can create fields while mapping a source column.
Choose the field type carefully—text, number, date, boolean, rating, tags, URL, email, or long text—because it affects how the value is displayed and edited later.
Covers and metadata refresh
A book can receive a cover from metadata lookup, a direct URL, an uploaded image, or the missing-cover repair. When replacing a cover, check that it represents the edition you own. See Repairing incomplete metadata for bulk cleanup.