Library Types and Visibility
Choose the right library type to match how your community shares books. Whichever type you pick, your library is invite-only — only the people you share a link with can find or join it.
Library Types
Section titled “Library Types”When you create a library, you’ll choose from four types:
| Type | Best For |
|---|---|
| Church | Congregations, places of worship |
| School | Schools, homeschool co-ops |
| Home | Family or personal libraries operated from home |
| Community | Everything else: Organizations, clubs, neighborhoods |
Your library type helps organize your collection and tailors your default settings.
Home Libraries
Section titled “Home Libraries”Home libraries have a streamlined experience designed for family or personal use — sharing books with family, friends, or anyone you want to share with:
- Faster setup — skip the address step during creation (you can add one later for member context and pickup coordination)
- No library-owned books — all books belong to individual members who share them; there’s no concept of “the library owns this book”
- Auto-approve by default — books shared by members are automatically approved, and loan requests are automatically accepted
- Simplified admin — the moderation and library books management sections are hidden since they don’t apply
Every Library Is Invite-Only
Section titled “Every Library Is Invite-Only”There’s no public directory of libraries and no way to search for them. Your library is visible only to its members and to the people you share a link with, and you control access with three tools:
- Your library page link (the People request to join option) — anyone who opens it sees a preview of your library (name, photo, description, member and book counts) and can send a join request. You approve or decline each one.
- Your instant-join link (the People join instantly option) — anyone who opens it becomes a member immediately, no approval step. You can reset it anytime, and the old link stops working on the spot.
- Email invitations — personal invites with an optional message. They expire after 14 days and can be resent.
Pick between the two links at the top of Manage → Promote, where you’ll also find QR codes, flyers, and website embeds — these always use your page link, so posting them publicly is safe. See Promoting your library for step-by-step instructions.
Non-members only ever see the join preview — never your catalog, member list, or activity.
Your Library’s Location
Section titled “Your Library’s Location”The address you set under Manage → Settings → Location gives members useful context about where the library is based and anchors pickup coordination. It’s never used to make your library findable — nobody can discover your library by location.
- Match the link to the audience — use your page link for bulletin boards and public spaces (you approve each request), and the instant-join link for groups you already trust.
- Keep your address current if you move — members rely on it for pickups.
Related Articles
Section titled “Related Articles”Still Need Help?
Section titled “Still Need Help?”If you have questions about library types or access, contact support.