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Getting Started with Jinbocho

Welcome to Jinbocho, your home library management system. This guide will help you set up your library and start cataloging your books in minutes.

What is Jinbocho?

Jinbocho is a digital home library management system. It allows you to:

  • Catalog your physical books across multiple rooms and bookcases
  • Search and filter your library instantly
  • Track reading progress, ratings, and personalised AI recommendations for books you own
  • Organize locations (rooms → bookcases → shelves)
  • Share with other people and invite them to collaborate on the same library
  • Export and backup your library data anytime

Whether you have 10 books or 10,000, Jinbocho helps you organize, find, and manage your collection.

System Requirements

Browser Requirements

Jinbocho works on any modern web browser: - Chrome (v90+) - Firefox (v88+) - Safari (v14+) - Edge (v90+)

Recommended: Latest version of any of the above for best performance.

Mobile Support

Jinbocho is fully responsive and works on: - iPhone/iPad (iOS 12+, Safari) - Android phones/tablets (Chrome, Firefox)

Best experience: Use the latest version of your browser and a stable internet connection.

Internet Connection

Jinbocho requires an active internet connection. There is currently no offline mode.

Accessing Jinbocho

Visit the App

Open your browser and navigate to your Jinbocho instance's URL (for example https://jinbocho.onrender.com, or a custom domain if you self-host).

First Visit: Create a Library

When you visit Jinbocho for the first time, you'll see the login screen. Click "Don't have an account? Register" to create your library.

Creating Your Library

Step 1: Fill in Account Details

You'll see a registration form with:

Field Example Notes
Library name "The Smith Library" Name of your book collection (visible to everyone you invite)
Your Name "Alice" Your personal name in the library
Email "alice@example.com" Used for login and password reset
Password (hidden) Minimum 8 characters, case-sensitive
Privacy Policy & Terms (checkbox) You must accept the current Privacy Policy and Terms of Service to register

Step 2: Create Your Library

Click "Register". The library is created instantly.

What happens next: - You become the Admin of your new library (full access) - You can now invite other people to join it - Your library is empty (ready to add books)

Step 3: Log In

After registration, you may be asked to log in again: 1. Enter your email 2. Enter your password 3. Click "Login"

Success! You're now in your Jinbocho dashboard.

Already a member of another library?

If the email you registered also belongs to a library someone else invited you to, you'll see a library picker after login instead of going straight to the dashboard. See Authentication → Belonging to Multiple Libraries.

Your First Look Around

After logging in, you'll see the main dashboard with:

On desktop: - Logo/Home — click to return to dashboard - Search — find books by title, author, ISBN - Locations — manage rooms and bookcases - Settings — user preferences and library management

On mobile (bottom tab bar): - 🏠 Dashboard - 🔍 Search - 📍 Locations - ➕ Add Book - ⚙️ Settings

Dashboard Overview

Your empty library showing: - Books total: 0 (will increase as you add) - Rooms: 0 (create your first room in Settings) - Quick action: "Add Book" button

Adding Your First Book

Option 1: Scan ISBN (Fastest)

  1. Click "Add Book" → "Scan ISBN"
  2. Allow camera permission when prompted
  3. Point your phone/camera at a book's barcode
  4. The app automatically recognizes it and looks up metadata
  5. Review title, author, cover image
  6. Select where in your library the book goes (room → bookcase → shelf)
  7. Click "Save"

Option 2: Manual Entry

If a barcode doesn't scan:

  1. Click "Add Book" → "Enter Details Manually"
  2. Type title, author, ISBN (optional), publisher, year
  3. Upload a cover image if you like
  4. Select location in your library
  5. Click "Save"

Option 3: Photograph a Whole Shelf

If you already have several books arranged on a shelf and want to add them all at once, take a single photo instead of scanning book by book — Jinbocho's AI reads every visible spine and proposes each title for you to confirm. See ISBN Scanning → Shelf Scan for the full walkthrough (requires AI to be enabled on your instance).

Option 4: From a Backup or Goodreads

If you have a previous Jinbocho backup, or an export from Goodreads:

  1. Go to Settings → "Backup & restore" (Jinbocho backup) or "Library data" (Goodreads import) — admin/editor only
  2. Upload your file
  3. Review and confirm the import
  4. Your books appear instantly

See Export & Import for details on both.

Organizing Your Library (First Setup)

Before you add many books, set up your locations:

Step 1: Create a Room

  1. Go to Locations (or Settings → "Manage Locations")
  2. Click "New Room"
  3. Name it: "Living Room", "Bedroom", "Study", etc.
  4. Click "Create"

Step 2: Create a Bookcase

  1. Click on your new room
  2. Click "New Bookcase"
  3. Name it: "Main shelf", "Tall bookcase", etc.
  4. Choose how many columns (sections) and rows (shelves)
  5. Example: 2 columns × 5 shelves for a standard bookshelf
  6. Click "Create"

Step 3: Start Adding Books

Now you can: 1. Add books using scan, manual entry, or a whole-shelf photo 2. Assign each to a specific shelf 3. See your library fill up!

Inviting Other Members (Optional)

Only Admins can invite new members.

To Invite Someone

  1. Go to Settings → Users
  2. Click "Invite User"
  3. Start typing the person's name or email — if they already have a Jinbocho account, they'll appear in a suggestion list (pick them directly); otherwise, enter their email address as free text
  4. Choose their role:
  5. Admin: Full access (manage users, locations, settings)
  6. Editor: Can add/edit books and locations
  7. Viewer: Read-only (browse books)
  8. Click "Send Invitation"

If they don't already have a Jinbocho account, an email with a registration link is sent to them. If they do, the invitation appears in their library picker next time they log in, where they can accept or decline it — see Authentication → Belonging to Multiple Libraries.

Tips for Success

📱 Mobile Barcode Scanning

  • Hold the book at eye level
  • Ensure good lighting
  • Keep the barcode centered in the frame
  • The scan happens automatically—no button to tap
  • Search by book title, author, ISBN, or notes
  • Use filters to narrow down (room, reading status, language)

👥 Sharing a Library

  • Every member sees the same library
  • You can see who added each book
  • Notes and reading status are personal (not shared by default)
  • Each member can hold a different role in different libraries they belong to

📤 Backup Your Data

  • Go to Settings → "Backup & restore"
  • Download a full backup anytime
  • Your data is yours—keep a backup offline

Common Questions

Q: Is my data safe?
A: All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS). Data is stored on secure cloud servers. See FAQ for more details.

Q: Can I use Jinbocho offline?
A: Not yet.

Q: Can I share my library with people outside my household?
A: Yes — a library isn't limited to family. Invite anyone by email or username, and assign them a role.

Q: How do I change my password?
A: Go to your profile (click your name/avatar) → "Change Password".

Q: How do I leave a library?
A: Ask an Admin of that library to remove you as a member, or suspend/reassign yourself if you are the sole Admin.

Next Steps

  1. ✅ You've created your library
  2. 📚 Next: Read Authentication & Accounts to understand login, passwords, sessions, and multi-library membership
  3. 🎯 Then: Learn how to Manage Your Library

Happy cataloging! 📖

Need help? Visit Troubleshooting or check the FAQ.