Understanding Book Approval
When you add a book to a library, it may need approval before other members can see it. This helps library admins keep their collections curated and organized.
Why Books Need Approval
Section titled “Why Books Need Approval”Libraries can require approval for books submitted by members. This gives admins control over what appears in the library’s collection — similar to how a traditional library decides which books to put on the shelves.
Not all libraries require approval. Your library’s settings determine what happens.
What Happens When You Add a Book
Section titled “What Happens When You Add a Book”After you scan or search for a book and add it to a library, one of three things happens:
Auto-Approved
Section titled “Auto-Approved”Your book appears in the library immediately. This happens when:
- You’re a library admin or owner
- The library is set to “Auto-approve everything”, OR
- The library is set to “Auto-approve from trusted sources” AND one of the following applies:
- You’re a trusted member (your library admin has added you to the trusted members list)
- The book’s publisher is on the library’s trusted publishers list
- One of the book’s authors is on the library’s trusted authors list
Pending Approval
Section titled “Pending Approval”Your book is submitted and waiting for a library admin to review it. You’ll see Pending approval under that book’s Sharing section.
Denied
Section titled “Denied”Occasionally a book may not fit a library’s collection guidelines. If this happens, you’ll receive a notification with the admin’s reason (when one is provided). The book stays in your personal collection either way — rejection only affects its visibility in that library.
Checking Your Pending Books
Section titled “Checking Your Pending Books”To see which books are waiting for library admin approval:
- Tap Manage sharing at the top of Collection, then use the Pending filter
- On Collection, tap a book’s library logos to open the sharing popover and check status per library
You’ll get a notification when a library admin approves or declines a submission that was pending review. Auto-approved books don’t send an approval notification — they simply show up in the library.
Note: The # pending link on Collection (if shown) is for books awaiting platform review, not library approval.
How Long Does Approval Take?
Section titled “How Long Does Approval Take?”It depends on how active your library’s admins are. Most approvals happen within a few hours to a day. If your book has been pending for a while, it’s fine to reach out to your library admin directly.
Two Levels of Approval
Section titled “Two Levels of Approval”Agathos Books has two layers of quality control:
- Platform approval — Agathos reviews books added to the platform for the first time to ensure they meet community standards. This is automatic for most books and happens instantly.
- Library approval — Individual libraries can choose to review member submissions before they appear in the library’s collection. This is the approval you’ll interact with most.
Related Articles
Section titled “Related Articles”Still Need Help?
Section titled “Still Need Help?”If you have questions about book approval, contact support.