Book Sharing for
Book Clubs & Groups
For Christian book clubs and study groups: everyone shares from their own shelves, everyone borrows from the shared collection. Free to start.
Book Sharing for Your Group
Agathos Books is a Christian platform for sharing physical books within your Christian book club, Bible study, or study group. Every member contributes from their own shelves, so your group's catalog grows as people join—no one person has to supply all the books. Borrow with one tap, see what others are reading, and keep the conversation going between meetings.
Everyone Contributes, Everyone Borrows
Book clubs shouldn't depend on one person owning every title. Agathos Books lets each member share their personal books from home—when someone finishes a great read, they add it to the group catalog for others to borrow. The library grows as your group grows.
- Each member scans and shares their books
- The group library grows as people join
- Book owners approve who borrows
- Works for book clubs, Bible studies, and ministries
How Agathos Books Works
Set up your group library once. After that, members borrow, read, and return on their own—the reminders and tracking run in the background.
Create your group library
For the organizer — a few minutes, just once.
- 1
Create your group library
A quick setup wizard walks you through it. Most libraries are ready in minutes.
- 2
Add your books
Point your phone camera at a barcode—title, author, and cover fill in automatically. Every member adds books from their own shelf.
- 3
Invite your members
Share a link or QR code in your group chat. Pick how people join: they ask and you approve, or they join instantly.
Borrow, read, return
For members — what borrowing a book looks like.
- 1
Ask
Tap Borrow on any book to ask for it.
- 2
Approved
Instant for library books on the open shelf. For a member’s book, the owner says yes—their book, their call.
- 3
Pick it up
From the library’s shelf, from the owner in person, or at a pickup spot.
- 4
Read & return
Gentle reminders before the due date, easy renewals, and the book goes back to its owner.
The logistics are handled for you—so your group can spend time discussing books, not chasing returns.
Built for Community Book Sharing
Simple, free, and designed for Christian groups of every size
Everyone Contributes
Every member shares books from their own shelf. Your library grows as each person contributes—no single person has to provide all the books.
Self-Service Checkout
Members borrow books with a single tap—no library cards, no checkout desk. Group-owned books on the open shelf can be borrowed right away.
Shared Management
Start with one admin. Growth adds up to 3 admin seats, and Plus and Pro are unlimited, so leadership can rotate across your group.
Collections
Group your books into collections like Book Club picks or a Bible study series. Members can keep personal tags too, like 'Want to Discuss'.
Activity Feeds
See what other members are reading and finishing, and celebrate reading milestones together between meetings.
Free for Small Groups
The free tier is generous enough for most book clubs and study groups. No credit card required to get started.
Reading Is Social
Share what you're reading. Find your next book-club pick through members you trust.
See What Members Read
Discover books your group is reading. See progress, finished titles, and find your next book-club pick through trusted members.
See Who Recommends This Book
Every book shows who in your group recommends it and who's reading it now—great for finding your next discussion title.
Start Conversations
"What are you reading?" fuels book club discussions, Bible studies, and friendships around shared stories.
Sharing Is Your Choice
Your library is invite-only—you decide who joins. And a single switch shows or hides each member’s profile and reading activity for the group—anytime.
Lisa is reading
The Great Divorce
Tom finished
Orthodoxy
Karen recommends
The Screwtape Letters
Lisa Harmon
31 books read this year
The Great Divorce
C.S. Lewis
Books You Can Trust
Every book on Agathos Books passes two gates before anyone borrows it.
Gate 1 · Our standard
Good books that point to truth
- Sound
- Faithful to Scripture. Does not promote sin or contradict core biblical doctrine, and is not contrary to God's design and purpose.
- Pure
- Content that is edifying. Does not promote, glorify, or normalize sin. Protects communities from content that would lead readers away from the way of life presented in God's word.
- True
- Reflects reality honestly. A business book teaching integrity reflects God's design. Classic literature exploring the human condition can illuminate our need for redemption.
- Beneficial
- Equips readers with wisdom for godly living. Books that shape minds, change hearts, and build communities—whether through theology, fiction, history, or practical skills.
Gate 2 · Your library
You decide what fits your group
- Choose whether the books members add need a library leader’s approval before they appear in your catalog.
- Trust specific members, authors, or publishers so their books skip the queue (Growth plan and up).
- Good books across many genres: theology, fiction, history, biography, parenting, and practical skills. Not merely the genre, but its alignment with truth.
This is not a general book platform, by design. We hold to the truths in the Bible because we love people as God loves people—pointing them to truth and protecting them from error.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from book clubs, Bible studies, and group leaders
How much does it cost?
Free to start, no credit card required. The free tier is generous enough for most book clubs and study groups. Paid plans add more books and members when you outgrow it.
Is the free tier really free?
Yes. The free tier includes generous limits with all core features. No credit card required, no time limit.
How do member contributions work?
Each member scans their personal books and adds them to the group library. When someone wants to borrow, the owner gets a notification and can approve or decline.
Who can see or join our library?
Every library is invite-only—only people you share a link with can find or join it. Share your instant-join link with groups you already trust, or share your library page link so people request to join and you approve each member.
What happens when a member leaves?
Their contributed books are automatically removed from the group library (they keep ownership). Outstanding loans go through the normal return process. The library continues with books from remaining members.
Can our Bible study or ministry use this?
Yes. Bible studies, small groups, campus and parachurch ministries, and Christian book clubs are all a good fit for Community libraries. Share an invite link or QR code, and members add books from their own shelves. Every book passes our curation standards.
Just my family?
Yes — create a Community library and invite relatives; everyone shares from their own shelves. If your family belongs to a church, ask the church to start one instead.
Do we need technical expertise?
No. Create your library, invite members with a link, scan books with your phone. Most groups are running in minutes.
Can multiple people manage the library?
Yes. The Free plan has one admin (the library owner). Growth adds up to 3 admin seats, and Plus and Pro have unlimited seats, so leadership can rotate across the group.
Which countries is Agathos Books available in?
Agathos Books is available in most countries worldwide. A small number of countries are unavailable due to payment-processing and international sanctions restrictions. See the full list.
Who can see what I'm reading?
Your profile and reading activity have a single on/off switch in Settings → Privacy. When it’s on, members of the libraries you’ve joined can see your profile and reading milestones—like starting or finishing a book—while your email and phone number stay private. When it’s off, your profile and activity are hidden from other members (you can hide past activity too). Library admins can still see reading and lending activity within their own library, and teens 13–17 start hidden by default. Learn more in Privacy and your data.
Is there a mobile app?
Yes. Download Agathos Books free on the App Store (iPhone and iPad) or Google Play (Android). You can also use your browser on any device—the same account works everywhere. Learn more about the mobile app.
Is there advertising?
Agathos Books has no banner ads and no ad networks, and we never sell your data. We're a mission-driven company focused on a clean, distraction-free reading experience.
Ready to Start?
Whether you're a book club, Bible study, or ministry—everyone contributes, everyone borrows. Make great books easy to share.
Join us in connecting your group to good books worth discussing.
Free for most groups. No credit card required.