Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is this a site for ebooks?
No, this site is for people who want to share physical copies of books. You can view titles and check out books that others have made available to share with you. You can also show others what you have available to share with them by adding book information to your inventory.
How will I get a book from or give a book to another person?
A future version of this site will have an option to contact other members. Most of our survey respondents indicated that they are willing to meet at a central location, so you’d be able to arrange a date and time to meet.
How can I share my books with others?
After signing up, you can access “share books” from your dashboard. Simply search for the book you own and click “share”. This means you don’t have to take pictures or write any author or descriptions since we take care of that for you.
Where are the suggested books in “share books” from?
This site uses the Google Books API to find book information and that is where the book cover images and other information is collected from.
Why isn’t my particular edition of a book available when I search for it in share books?
The books displayed are what is returned from the Google Books API. In addition to editions some editions being missing or different, the same book published in a different country might simply have a different cover image.
Can I remove books from my inventory if I change my mind about sharing them?
Of course. You can add and remove books whenever you like.
Why can’t I find the book I am interested in your database?
If a title isn’t listed, it could be that none of our members have made it available for sharing. Check in again as new books can become available at any time.
How can I see more information about a book before deciding if I want to check it out?
Click on “learn more” to see a description of the book. If any information, like a description or authors is missing, it means that that information is not currently available in the Google Books API.
About
OpenShelf is a site for readers of all ages to share books with one another. This project was created as part of a Chingu Voyage.
We conducted a survey to find out what people think of sharing books with members of their communities. The infographic below shares some of the findings.
A central and convenient pickup / dropoff location is important. Most respondents (68%) are willing to meet in person.
84% are interested in borrowing books from others in their community,
while 79% are willing to loan their books to others.
Of those who are willing to share their books, around 60% want it returned to them. Others are happy to let it circulate more.
Most people search by title or author.
The ability to search for books they are interested in is very important to most. That's why anyone can search our database, even before signing up.
Three weeks.
The period most consider a fair amount of time for borrowing books.