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
Waiting for Admin
Section titled “Waiting for Admin”Your book is submitted and waiting for a library admin to review it. You’ll see Waiting for admin under that book’s Sharing section. Tap the status for a short explanation of who reviews it and what happens next.
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 Sharing below the search bar on My Books, then use the Pending filter
- In My Books, 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 catalog review / not approved link on My Books is for books in catalog review — Agathos Books reviewing new books for the platform-wide catalog (or books recently not approved). It is separate from library submission approval — use Sharing and the Pending filter there for library submissions.
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:
- Catalog review (platform approval) — Agathos Books reviews books added to the platform for the first time to ensure they meet curation standards. Most books are auto-approved; others enter a review queue and show a Catalog review status on the book. Tap the status for an explanation of the process — including when a book will be submitted to your libraries after approval. You’ll be notified either way: when the book is approved, or with a “Catalog review complete” notification if it wasn’t added — the review notes live in Catalog Submissions (open My Books and tap the catalog review link).
- Library approval — Individual libraries can choose to review member submissions before they appear in the library’s collection. These show as Waiting for admin on the book’s Sharing section, and you’ll receive a notification when a library admin approves or declines your submission.
Related Articles
Section titled “Related Articles”Still Need Help?
Section titled “Still Need Help?”If you have questions about book approval, contact support.