What BookAtlas does
BookAtlas turns your physical shelves into a searchable library on your phone or computer. You add books by scanning (or typing), organize them by location, room, and shelf, track reading and loans, and keep control of your data with exports and backups.
How it works in practice:
Smart capture: Google Gemini helps read shelf photos, single or multiple covers, and barcodes. You spend credits per scan (shelf-style scans cost more than a single book or barcode). Manual entry is free when you prefer to type.
Your structure: Location → room → shelf keeps real-world placement clear, including multiple sites (e.g. home and office).
Your data: Sign in for cloud sync across devices. You can export lists (CSV/PDF), download a full JSON backup, restore from backup, and use Help & Support in Settings (right column, below Advanced) for feedback, legal documents, this guide, and restarting the guided tour.
Navigation: the five main areas
Use the sidebar on large screens or the bottom bar on phones. The interface stays calm on purpose so large libraries stay manageable.
| Menu Item | What it’s for | What you’ll do there |
|---|
| Library | Browse your books. | Search and filters (status, location, genre, duplicates, and more). Switch grid or list layout, and use “By Location” vs “Recent” to browse by place or by what you added last. Open any book for details, cover, quotes, notes, reading status, and lending. |
| Scan | Add books with the camera or files. | Five modes: Shelf (full row of spines), Cover (one front cover), Covers (several covers in one photo), Barcode (ISBN), and Manual (no credits). Pick location, room, and shelf before confirming a batch so imports land in the right place. After recognition you can review matches, fix titles, or discard a scan (credits can be restored when you discard). Pro Tips on the scan screen explain lighting and framing. |
| Reading Log | Reading log and stats. | Dashboard-style stats (pages, genres, re-reads, ratings). Log reading sessions, quotes with page numbers, and notes. Export reading-log PDFs and share a yearly reading card (Ex Libris branding on the image is a Pro perk on some flows). |
| Lent | Lent books. | Same library view filtered to loans: who has what, dates, and marking returns. |
| Settings | Account, data, and preferences. | Two columns: left—credit balance, account, referral when available, Ex Libris (Pro), Preferences (language, theme, reduced motion). Right—Export & Share and JSON backup; Data management (duplicates, restore, reset library); Advanced (collapsible: optional analytics & marketing email when signed in, connection test, force resync, delete account); Help & Support below that (feedback, user guide, restart tutorial, terms, privacy, credits). |
Scan modes and credits
Costs are shown on each mode button. Shelf-style work uses more credits than a single cover or barcode because the AI processes more at once. While the app works, the processing screen (“Consulting the Archives”) shows that analysis is running.
Shelf (batch spines) — 5 credits
Photograph a row of spines. Best for cataloguing many books at once. Review the detected list, set or confirm location, then save.
Cover (single) — 1 credit
One front cover in frame. Strong choice when you want rich metadata and a clean cover image for a single book.
Covers (several in one photo) — 5 credits
Put multiple front covers in one picture (a few at a time works best). The app detects each cover; you match them to existing books or add new ones in the review step.
Barcode — 1 credit
Point at the ISBN barcode for a quick lookup when the code is readable and the book is in online databases.
Manual — 0 credits
Type title, author, and other fields yourself—ideal when scanning isn’t possible or you already know the data.
Organising books in the library
Every book has a datasheet: title, author, ISBN when known, page count (for stats), genres, rating, notes, quotes, reading status, and optional extras (e.g. signed copy flags).
Placement uses Location, Room, and Shelf so filters and the location view match how books really sit. Non-Hungarian books keep original-language titles and authors in the app; location names are yours to label in any language you like.
Use Settings → Data management → Remove duplicates to clean redundant copies after big imports.
Reading log, quotes, and sharing
The Reading Log turns finished and in-progress books into trends: pages read, favourite genres, re-reads, and averages.
From a book’s detail view you can start or finish reading, attach quotes (with page numbers), and keep private notes. Lending is tracked from the book card and the Lent tab.
For a visual summary of a year, generate a shareable reading card from the log flow; on Free plans some cards show Ex Libris as text only, while Pro can include your logo on the image where supported.
Exports, backup, and sync
Under Settings → Export & Share, open the export flow to download part or all of the catalogue as CSV, PDF, or JSON, with optional filters by location and room.
Backup Data (JSON) saves the whole library (including structure you rely on) for archival or moving to another device; Restore imports that file.
Data management covers duplicates, restore, and reset library. Advanced (above Help & Support on the right) is collapsed by default—expand it to change optional product analytics and marketing email, run connection test, force resync, or delete your account. Force resync replaces local data with the cloud; use only when you intend to.
Cloud sync keeps your signed-in library aligned across devices. If something looks wrong, start with Test connection in Advanced.
Export list as PDF
In the export modal, choose PDF and optional location/room filters for a printable catalogue; Ex Libris can appear where you’ve configured it.
JSON: snapshot or full backup
The export modal can emit JSON for a filtered slice. For the entire library, use Backup Data (JSON) and Restore in Settings.
Export list as CSV
Spreadsheet-friendly rows from the export modal, with the same location/room filters as PDF/JSON.
Help inside the app
Settings → Help & Support sits directly under Advanced on the right. There you can send feedback, open this User Guide, restart the onboarding tour, and open Terms, Privacy Policy, and credits / third-party notices.
Enjoy building a library that stays yours—searchable today and exportable tomorrow.
One collection. Clear placement. Exports when you need them.
Privacy Policy
Data controller: dr. Somogyi Gréta Imola e.v., Budapest, Lágymányosi utca 16, Hungary. Full text: Settings → Legal → Privacy Policy (effective 19 April 2026).
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