An automatic shelf gathers books from your library using rules that keep its membership current. A matching book appears and leaves the shelf when its recorded information no longer fits.
Use a manual shelf for books you want to choose individually each time. An automatic shelf suits a group based on facts the app already knows.
Create a shelf and inspect its matches
Open Library, then New shelf. Choose Fill it automatically and add a rule. Look at the matching count and cover preview before saving.
Creating or editing automatic shelves requires Pro. The preview can show matching books before you upgrade. You can still use ordinary hand-picked shelves without this automatic rule.
Start with one rule you can understand, such as Status is Did Not Finish. Check a book you expect to appear and one you expect to stay out. Add another condition only when it narrows the list usefully.
Understand how conditions combine
Different conditions combine with AND. Want to Read, Owned and a maximum page count means every matching book must satisfy all those conditions.
Several genres combine with OR. Fantasy and mystery can gather books in either genre. Several personal tags combine with AND, so a book must carry every selected tag.
The four-star rating band also includes four-and-a-half-star ratings. Use the displayed matching count to check the result rather than assuming the band means exactly one score.
Some filters depend on information stored for your copy or the catalogue book. Missing page counts and unfinished ownership records can change the results.
Six shelves for choosing what to read
- Already on your shelf: Want to Read and Owned.
- A shorter next book: Want to Read and no more than 300 pages.
- A short book you own: Want to Read, Owned and no more than 175 pages.
- An older TBR: Want to Read and Added over two years ago.
- Recent additions: Want to Read and Added in the last month.
- Your next choices: Want to Read and In my reading queue.
The page limits are examples. A 300-page book is not a promise of one evening's reading. Choose a limit that fits your pace and inspect the books without length information.
Six shelves for ratings and finished books
- Five stars: Rating is five stars.
- Strong recommendations: Rating is the four-star band.
- Finished but unrated: Read and Not yet rated.
- Favourite fantasy: Five stars and Genre is fantasy.
- Recently finished: Read and Read in the last month.
- Finished and reviewed: Read and I reviewed it.
A rating shelf follows your current scores without explaining why you liked a particular book. Keep a short review or note when you want to remember that distinction.
Six shelves for the copy you have
- Borrowed and unfinished: Reading and Borrowed.
- Borrowed TBR: Want to Read and Borrowed.
- Books you lent: Ownership is Lent.
- Advance copies waiting: Want to Read and Advance copy.
- Wishlist: Ownership is Wishlist.
- Owned and finished: Owned and Read.
Record ownership for your copy and reading status for your progress through the book. Updating one does not mean you have updated the other.
An automatic borrowed shelf is only as accurate as the ownership information you recorded. It does not know when a library loan ends unless you supply the relevant information elsewhere.
Eight shelves for formats and personal interests
- Audio waiting: Want to Read and Format is audiobook.
- Ebooks waiting: Want to Read and Format is ebook.
- Paperback next: Want to Read and Format is paperback.
- Paused: Status is Paused.
- Stopped reading: Status is Did Not Finish.
- Either genre: Select fantasy and mystery together.
- Two personal labels: Select your book-club and summer tags together.
- An older publication: Set a first-publication-year range that interests you.
Use the format recorded for your copy. Choosing ebook does not automatically include every separate device-specific format label. A first-publication range refers to the work's original publication, rather than the printing you hold.
Fix an empty or surprising shelf
An empty result does not always mean you own no suitable books. Remove one condition and look again. A mistaken tag or missing format can exclude a book you expected.
If a book appears unexpectedly, inspect the facts driving the rule. Correct its status, rating or ownership if those facts are wrong. If the facts are right, adjust the shelf's condition.
For an arbitrary exception, a manual shelf may suit the task better. Rule-based membership follows the conditions instead of a separate hand-picked list.
The library organisation guide explains when to choose shelves, tags or ownership. If your old shelves came from Goodreads, check the import guide before trying to automate them.