Understanding Member Roles
Every library has three roles: Owner, Admin, and Member. Each role has different permissions for managing the library and its books.
Role Comparison
Section titled “Role Comparison”| Permission | Owner | Admin | Member |
|---|---|---|---|
| Browse and borrow books | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Share personal books with library | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Join reading plans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Approve/reject join requests | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Approve/reject book submissions | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Add library-owned books | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Create reading plans | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Feature books | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Promote/demote admins | ✓ | — | — |
| Change library settings | ✓ | — | — |
| Delete library | ✓ | — | — |
The owner is the person who created the library. Every library has exactly one owner.
Owner capabilities:
- Full control over all library settings (name, visibility, address)
- Promote members to admin or demote admins back to member
- Delete the library entirely
- Everything admins and members can do
Important: The owner cannot be changed or removed. If you need to transfer ownership, you’ll need to create a new library.
Admins help manage the day-to-day operations of a library. Large libraries often have multiple admins to share the workload.
Admin capabilities:
- Approve or decline join requests
- Review and approve book submissions from members
- Add books directly to the library collection
- Remove books from the library
- Create and manage reading plans
- Feature books for the community
- Everything members can do
Admins cannot:
- Change library settings (name, visibility, privacy)
- Promote or demote other admins
- Remove the library owner
- Delete the library
Member
Section titled “Member”Members are the standard participants in a library.
Member capabilities:
- Browse all books in the library
- Request to borrow books
- Share their personal books with the library (subject to approval)
- Join reading plans and challenges
- Favorite books
Book sharing note: When a member shares a book with the library, it may need admin approval before appearing in the library. Admins’ and owners’ books are automatically approved.
How Roles Work with Book Ownership
Section titled “How Roles Work with Book Ownership”There are two types of books in a library:
Library-owned books:
- Belong to the library itself (like a traditional library)
- Only owners and admins can add these
- Loans are automatically approved when available
Member-owned books:
- Personal books that members choose to share
- Any member can share their books
- The book owner must approve each loan request
Your role determines whether your shared books are automatically approved or need review—not how the lending process works.
- Start with just a few admins—You can always add more as your library grows
- Admins should be active members—Choose people who will respond to requests promptly
Related Articles
Section titled “Related Articles”Still Need Help?
Section titled “Still Need Help?”If you have questions about roles and permissions, contact support.