Setting up your library
A freshly created library works out of the box, but a few minutes of setup makes it feel polished and ready for members. This guide walks through the four items on the setup checklist — the card at the top of your admin dashboard (open your library and tap Manage). Items tick off automatically as you go, so there’s nothing to mark by hand.
If you haven’t created your library yet, start with Creating a library and come back here when you’re done. Right after creation you’ll also see a celebration on your library page with a preview of these same four items; the full interactive checklist is on the dashboard.
The checklist tracks:
- Add a cover image and logo
- Add your first book
- Invite your first member
- Review your library settings — submission, lending, and discoverability
Polish Your Library Profile
Section titled “Polish Your Library Profile”The identity settings give your library a face. Open your library, tap Manage, then go to Settings → Library identity to add:
- Cover image — a wide banner shown at the top of your library page and in share-link previews
- Logo — a small square icon shown in the sidebar, search results, and member lists
- Description — a short paragraph telling members what your library is about
The checklist item ticks off automatically once you’ve added a cover image and a logo. (Description is bonus — strongly recommended, but not required for this step.) You don’t need professional graphics or photos — a clear photo of your bookshelf or a simple text-on-color logo works perfectly. You can always swap them later.
Add Your First Book
Section titled “Add Your First Book”A library with an empty shelf is hard to get excited about, so add a handful of books before you invite anyone. From your library page, tap Add Books and either:
- Scan a barcode with your phone camera — fastest for physical books
- Search by title or author — useful for older books without barcodes
- Enter an ISBN — handy when you have the number but not the book in hand
You don’t need a complete catalog — even 10 to 20 books gives new members something to browse and a sense of what your library is about. The checklist item ticks off as soon as your first book is added. See Adding books to your collection for the full walkthrough.
Invite Your First Member
Section titled “Invite Your First Member”Once the library has a face and a few books, it’s time to share it. Open Manage → Promote for everything you need:
- Email invitations — send personal invites that arrive as a branded email
- Auto-join links — short links anyone can tap to join instantly
- Share link — your library’s page URL, perfect for group chats or social posts
- Print flyer & QR code — a one-page printable to post on a bulletin board
The checklist item completes as soon as you send your first invite or generate an auto-join link — no need to wait for someone to accept. Start small: invite one or two people you trust, see how the experience feels, then expand. Promoting your library covers each tool in detail.
Review Your Settings
Section titled “Review Your Settings”The final checklist item walks you through the three settings panels every library has — submission workflow, lending rules, and discoverability. While setup is in progress, each of these three panels shows a Review tag in your settings list so you know which ones to open; the tag clears as you visit each one, and the checklist item ticks off automatically once you’ve opened all three.
Submission workflow
Section titled “Submission workflow”Go to Manage → Settings → Submission workflow to choose:
- Manual approval (default for church, school, and community libraries) — you review each new book before it goes live
- Auto-approve (default for home libraries) — books from members appear instantly
If you trust your members and want zero friction, auto-approve is great. If you want a curated collection, keep manual approval and assign a librarian or admin to review the queue. See Understanding book approval for the reviewer’s view.
Lending rules
Section titled “Lending rules”Set how borrowing works in your library at Manage → Settings → Lending rules:
- Loan duration — how long members can keep a borrowed book before it’s due back (default is 14 days)
- Loan approval — whether loan requests are auto-accepted or need an admin’s go-ahead
For most libraries the defaults are fine. Tighten the loan duration if your collection is small and you want books to circulate quickly; loosen it if your members read slowly or live far away.
Discoverability
Section titled “Discoverability”If your library is public — or you plan to make it public — set how far away people can be and still find you in search. Go to Manage → Settings → Discoverability and adjust the discovery radius.
The default is 25 miles, which suits most city or regional libraries. Adjust it to match your community’s geography:
| Radius | Good For |
|---|---|
| 5-10 miles | Neighborhood-focused libraries |
| 25 miles | City or small region |
| 50-100 miles | Rural areas or wider reach |
New libraries start private by default while getting set up. If you want to be discoverable, switch to public in the same Discoverability settings panel. See Library types and visibility for the full breakdown.
- Polish before you promote. A library with a description, cover image, and a few books is far more inviting than a blank one. Spend ten minutes here before sharing your invite link widely.
- Promote a co-admin early. If anyone is helping you run the library, give them the Admin role from the Members tab so they can approve books, handle invites, and adjust settings. See Understanding member roles.
- You can change anything later. None of these settings are permanent — adjust them as your library grows and you learn what works.
What’s Next?
Section titled “What’s Next?”- Add more books to your collection — Build out your shelf
- Promote your library — Get the word out
- Manage members — Handle join requests and roles
- Understand member roles — Decide who can do what
Related Articles
Section titled “Related Articles”Still Need Help?
Section titled “Still Need Help?”If something in your library settings isn’t behaving the way you expect, contact support.