Frequently asked questions
Short answers to what people ask most about BooksIve, the free web app for sharing and lending books with friends and book clubs.
What is BooksIve?
BooksIve is a free web app for sharing and lending books with your friends and your book clubs. You catalogue the books you own, browse your friends' shelves, ask to borrow a copy and always know who has which book. It works in the browser, with nothing to install.
Is it free?
Yes. The free plan includes every social feature (friends, circles, loans and the activity feed) and up to 100 books in your library. A paid plan, Plus, is planned for people who need an unlimited library; it can't be purchased yet.
What is a circle?
A circle is a library shared by a group: a book club, a class, an office or a group of friends. Each member adds the books they own, anyone can ask to borrow a copy from another member, and everybody can see who has which copy. People join with an invite link.
How do I invite my book club or my friends?
Create a circle from the "Circles" section and copy its invite link; anyone who opens it can join. You can also search for a person by name or email and send a friend request, so you can browse each other's shelves.
Do I need to install an app?
No. BooksIve works in any browser, on desktop and mobile. There is no native iPhone or Android app; just open booksive.com.
How does book lending work?
Open a friend's library or a circle and press "Borrow" on the book you want. The owner accepts or declines the request, and while a book is on loan nobody else can request it. When it comes back, you mark it as returned. You can also record a loan to someone who doesn't use BooksIve, with an optional due date.
Can I import my Goodreads library?
Yes. Export your library from Goodreads as a CSV file and upload it in "My library → Import". CSV files exported from BooksIve and spreadsheets with a title column work too. Before anything is saved, BooksIve shows you a summary, and nothing is imported until you confirm. You can export your library to CSV at any time.
How do I add a book?
Search for the book by title or ISBN and pick your edition, or add it manually if it isn't found. You say whether it is physical, digital or an audiobook, your reading status, where you keep it, and whether your friends can see it or it stays private. A barcode scanner is planned for the Plus plan.
Who can see my books?
Only you and the people you give access to: your accepted friends and the members of your circles. Each copy can be marked as private, and nobody else ever sees your private notes. The administrator only sees how many books each account has, not which ones.
Do you sell my data, or show ads?
No. BooksIve has no ads, doesn't sell data to anyone and uses no tracking cookies: to know how many people visit it uses a counter that doesn't identify anyone. The privacy page explains what is stored and with which services.
Which languages are available?
Spanish, English, French and German. The site picks your browser's language, and you can change it from your user menu.
Can I use it for a class, a classroom library or an office?
Yes. A circle works for any group that shares books: a class lending from its classroom library, a team with a shared shelf, or an association with its copies. Whoever creates a circle is its admin and manages its invite link.
How do I delete my account?
From "My account", in the delete account section. For safety you have to type DELETE ACCOUNT to confirm. Your account and your content are deleted; loans you took part in are kept but no longer linked to you, because they also belong to the other person.
Who is behind BooksIve and how can I get in touch?
BooksIve is an independent project, not a big company. You can write to hello@booksive.com and a person will answer.