You own it. You cataloged it. You know it's there. You just can't find it. This is what search is for.
Global Search
The search bar at the top of the books list searches across your entire library. Type anything — a title, an author, an ISBN, a publisher — and results appear instantly.
Global search is client-side: Shelvd loads your complete book list (yes, all 5,000+ if that's what you have) and filters in the browser. This means search is fast — no waiting for server round-trips.
Advanced Search
For more precise queries, click the Advanced Search toggle. This opens 14 searchable fields:
- Title, Subtitle, Author, Publisher
- Publication Year (from/to range)
- ISBN-13, ISBN-10, OCLC, LCCN
- Series, Edition, Condition
- Storage Location, Topic
Each field supports partial matching — type "Shak" in the author field and you'll find Shakespeare (and anyone else whose name contains "Shak").
AND / OR Logic
Advanced search supports two modes:
- AND (default) — all criteria must match. Title "Hamlet" AND Author "Shakespeare" returns only Hamlet by Shakespeare.
- OR — any criterion can match. Title "Hamlet" OR Author "Marlowe" returns Hamlet (any author) and anything by Marlowe.
Sorting
The books list can be sorted by:
- Title (A–Z / Z–A)
- Author (A–Z / Z–A)
- Year (newest/oldest first)
- Date added (most recent first)
- Condition
- Value
Click any column header to sort. Click again to reverse.
Filters
Beyond search, you can filter the books list by:
- Collection — show only books in a specific collection (Library, Wishlist, custom)
- Tag — show only books with a specific tag
- Both — collection + tag filters stack (intersection: books must match both)
Filters appear as indicators in the UI. Click the X to clear them.
Tips for Large Libraries
If you have thousands of books:
- Use Advanced Search with multiple fields to narrow results quickly
- Combine collection and tag filters before searching
- Use the Storage Location field to record physical locations — then search by location when you need to find the actual book on the actual shelf
- Keep author names consistent ("Shakespeare, William" not "W. Shakespeare") — consistent data makes search reliable