Adding Books to Your Bookshelf

iChatbook offers two ways to add books to your personal bookshelf: upload your own PDFs or add books from our Universal Library.

Uploading Your Own PDFs

Quick Upload Method

1. Click the "+ Add Book" button in your library
2. Drag and drop your PDF file or click to browse
3. The system automatically extracts book information
4. Review and confirm the details
5. Click "Upload" to add to your bookshelf

Detailed Upload Process

For better organization and searchability:

1. Navigate to My Library from the dashboard
2. Click "Upload New Book"
3. Fill in the book details:

• Title (required)
• Author(s) (required)
• ISBN (helps with metadata)
• Publication Year
• Category/Genre
• Description
• Cover Image (optional)

4. Select your PDF file (max 50MB)
5. Choose processing options:

• Standard Processing: Balanced speed and quality
• Deep Processing: Better for complex layouts

6. Click "Upload and Process"

Processing Status

Your uploaded book goes through several stages:

• 📤 Uploading - File transfer in progress
• ⚙️ Processing - Extracting and analyzing text
• 🔍 Indexing - Creating searchable content
• ✅ Ready - Available for chat

Processing typically takes 1-10 minutes depending on book size.

Adding from Universal Library

Browse and Add

1. Navigate to the Universal Library
2. Browse categories or use search
3. Click on any book cover
4. Select "Add to My Library"
5. The book is instantly available for chat

Quick Search Add

1. Use the search bar at the top
2. Type book title, author, or ISBN
3. Click "Add" next to search results
4. Book appears in your bookshelf immediately

Organizing Your Books

Using Collections

Create themed collections to organize your books:

1. Select books using checkboxes
2. Click "Add to Collection"
3. Create new collection or add to existing
4. Name your collection (e.g., "Business Strategy", "Personal Development")

Adding Tags

Make books easier to find with tags:

1. Click on a book to open details
2. Select "Edit Details"
3. Add relevant tags separated by commas
4. Save changes

Categories

Assign books to categories for better organization:

• Fiction
• Non-Fiction
• Business
• Technology
• Self-Help
• Science
• Biography
• History
• Philosophy
• Psychology

Managing Book Details

Editing Book Information

1. Click on a book in your library
2. Select "Edit" button
3. Update any field:

• Title and author
• Description
• Category
• Tags
• Cover image

4. Click "Save Changes"

Adding Book Covers

Enhance your library's visual appeal:

1. Click "Change Cover" on any book
2. Choose method:

• Upload custom image
• Search online covers
• Generate with AI (Pro feature)

3. Adjust and crop if needed
4. Click "Apply"

Bulk Operations

Multiple Book Upload

Pro users can upload multiple books at once:

1. Click "Bulk Upload"
2. Select multiple PDF files
3. Review extracted information
4. Edit details if needed
5. Click "Upload All"

Importing Reading Lists

Import your existing book lists:

1. Click "Import" in your library
2. Choose format:

• CSV file
• Goodreads export
• Text list

3. Map fields to iChatbook format
4. Review and confirm
5. Books are added to your wishlist

Best Practices

For Optimal Processing

• ✅ Use text-based PDFs (not scanned images)
• ✅ Remove unnecessary pages before uploading
• ✅ Use descriptive filenames
• ✅ Verify book details after upload
• ✅ Add tags and categories immediately

Organization Tips

• Create collections for different topics or projects
• Use consistent tagging conventions
• Regularly review and clean up your library
• Archive finished books to save space
• Keep original PDFs as backups

Troubleshooting

Upload Issues

Problem: "File too large"

• Compress PDF using online tools
• Split into multiple volumes
• Remove unnecessary images

Problem: "Processing failed"

• Ensure PDF contains actual text
• Try Deep Processing mode
• Check PDF isn't password protected

Problem: "Book not found in Universal Library"

• Try alternate spellings or editions
• Search by author name
• Request book addition via feedback

Storage Limits

• Free: Unlimited books
• Pro: Unlimited books with priority processing
• Enterprise: Unlimited shared books with admin controls

Next Steps

Now that you've added books to your bookshelf:

• Start chatting with your books
• Create and manage collections
• Search and discover books