Every collector has a system. Some are organized by author, some by subject, some by the order in which the books arrived and were placed on the nearest horizontal surface. Shelvd supports all of these approaches, but also offers something more structured.
Collections
A collection is a named group of books. Every account starts with two:
- Library — your main collection, the books you actually own
- Wishlist — books you want but don't have yet (a dangerous list to maintain near an internet connection)
These two are defaults and can't be deleted. But you can create as many custom collections as you like:
- "To Be Read" (the optimistic collection)
- "Signed Copies"
- "Pre-1800"
- "The Shelf of Shame" (books you bought twice)
Creating a Collection
Go to Settings → Collections. Click Add Collection. Give it a name. It appears in the navigation dropdown and on the books list filter.
Adding Books to Collections
A book can belong to multiple collections simultaneously. On the book detail page, you'll see clickable collection chips — tap one to add or remove the book from that collection. You can also set collections during add or edit via checkboxes.
Filtering by Collection
On the books list, use the collection filter in the navigation dropdown. Select a collection and only those books appear. Combine with tag filters for precision.
Moving Between Collections
The Move to Library button on book detail pages is a one-click shortcut for moving a book from Wishlist to Library — for that satisfying moment when the book finally arrives.
Tags
Tags are free-form labels with colors. They're more fluid than collections — think of them as adjectives rather than filing cabinets.
Each tag has:
- A name — whatever you like: "foxed," "needs rebinding," "gift from Uncle Hans"
- A color — pick one, it appears as a colored chip on the book detail page and in lists
Creating Tags
You can create tags in two places:
- Settings → Tags — manage all tags, edit names and colors
- On any book form — type a new tag name and press Enter or comma to create it on the fly
Using Tags
Tags appear as colored chips on book detail pages. Click a tag to filter the books list to only books with that tag. Combine tag filters with collection filters (the intersection applies — books must match both).
Tags vs. Collections
When should you use a tag vs. a collection?
- Collection = a meaningful grouping you'd browse. "Poetry," "Reference Library," "For Sale."
- Tag = a property or status. "Needs repair," "Gift," "Duplicate," "Read."
A book can be in the "Poetry" collection and tagged "Needs repair" and "Signed." The systems complement each other.
The Illusion
No organizational system is perfect. Every book resists at least one category. The Collected Poems of a philosopher — is that poetry or philosophy? The illuminated manuscript you bought as an investment — art, finance, or vanity?
Shelvd gives you the tools. The existential taxonomy is your problem.
📖 Related on the blog: Your Bookshelf Is Lying to You