Collections

Collections help you organize your library into custom reading lists, categories, and curated sets. Create collections for any purpose: to-read lists, favorites, genre categories, themed reading challenges, or book club selections.

What are Collections? ​

Collections are flexible, user-defined groups of books that you can customize, share, and organize however you like.

Use cases:

• Reading lists: “Summer 2024 Reading”, “Books to Read Before 30”
• Genre organization: “Science Fiction”, “Mystery & Thriller”, “Historical Fiction”
• Personal categories: “Favorites”, “Comfort Reads”, “Books I Own Physically”
• Thematic sets: “Books About AI”, “Feminist Literature”, “Climate Fiction”
• Book clubs: Share curated lists with your reading group
• Gift recommendations: “Gift Ideas for Mom”, “Best Books for Teens”

Creating a Collection ​

From the Sidebar ​

1. In the sidebar, find the Collections section
2. Click the + button next to “Collections”
3. Enter a name for your collection (e.g., “Summer Reading 2024”)
4. Optional: Choose an icon to represent the collection
5. Optional: Select a color theme
6. Optional: Add a description
7. Click Create

The new collection appears in your sidebar immediately.

From the Collections Page ​

1. Navigate to Collections in the main navigation
2. Click New Collection button
3. Fill in the details:
   • Name (required): Clear, descriptive title
   • Description (optional): What’s this collection about?
   • Icon (optional): Visual identifier (emoji or icon)
   • Color (optional): Theme color for the collection
   • Visibility (optional): Public or Private
4. Click Create Collection

Quick Collection from Work Page ​

When viewing a book:

1. Click Add to Collection button
2. If the book isn’t in any collections, you’ll see an option to Create New Collection
3. Enter collection name and click Create & Add
4. The book is immediately added to the new collection

Adding Books to Collections ​

From the Work Page ​

1. Navigate to any book’s detail page
2. Click the Add to Collection button (or the folder icon)
3. Select one or more collections from the list
4. Click Save

The book is now part of the selected collections.

Keyboard shortcut: Press C on any work page to open the collection picker.

From the Library View ​

Bulk-add multiple books to a collection:

1. Navigate to your library (Works page)
2. Select books using the checkboxes (or press Cmd/Ctrl + click)
3. Click Add to Collection in the toolbar
4. Choose your collection(s)
5. Click Add Selected

Selection shortcuts:

• Cmd/Ctrl + A: Select all visible books
• Shift + Click: Select range of books
• Cmd/Ctrl + Click: Toggle individual books

Drag and Drop ​

On desktop browsers:

1. Navigate to the Collections page
2. Open a collection
3. Drag books from your library and drop them into the collection
4. Books are added instantly

Managing Collections ​

Editing a Collection ​

Change collection properties:

1. Navigate to the collection page
2. Click the Edit button (pencil icon) in the top-right
3. Update any fields:
   • Name
   • Description
   • Icon
   • Color
   • Visibility
4. Click Save

Changes are reflected immediately across all views.

Removing Books ​

Remove individual books from a collection:

1. Open the collection page
2. Find the book you want to remove
3. Click the Remove button (× icon) on the book card
4. Confirm removal

Note: Removing a book from a collection does NOT delete it from your library. The book remains accessible elsewhere.

Keyboard shortcut: Press Delete or Backspace while hovering over a book to remove it.

Bulk Remove ​

Remove multiple books at once:

1. Open the collection page
2. Select books using checkboxes
3. Click Remove from Collection in the toolbar
4. Confirm bulk removal

Deleting a Collection ​

Permanently delete a collection:

1. Navigate to the collection page
2. Click Edit button
3. Scroll to bottom and click Delete Collection
4. Confirm deletion

Important:

• Deleting a collection does NOT delete the books in it
• Books remain in your library and other collections
• This action cannot be undone
• Collection metadata (sorting, description) is lost

Collection Visibility ​

Control who can see your collections:

Private Collections ​

• Visible only to you
• Other users on the instance cannot see them
• Perfect for personal lists and private organization
• Default setting for new collections

Use for:

• To-read lists
• Personal reading challenges
• Gift ideas
• Private favorites

Public Collections ​

• Visible to all users on the instance (if public collections are enabled)
• Appears in the Discover section
• Other users can browse but not edit
• You control what becomes public

Use for:

• Book club reading lists
• Curated recommendations
• Thematic collections to share with friends
• Genre highlights

To make a collection public:

1. Edit the collection
2. Change Visibility to Public
3. Save changes

Note: Instance administrators can disable public collections in Settings.

Sorting Within Collections ​

Organize books within a collection using different sort orders.

Available Sort Options ​

Changing Sort Order ​

1. Navigate to the collection page
2. Click the Sort dropdown in the toolbar
3. Select your preferred sorting method
4. The collection reorders immediately

Per-collection sorting: Each collection remembers its own sort preference.

Custom Ordering ​

Create a specific sequence by dragging books:

1. Set sort to Custom Order
2. Click and hold a book card
3. Drag it to the desired position
4. Drop to place
5. Order is saved automatically

Use cases:

• Reading order for series or connected books
• Ranked favorites (1st favorite, 2nd favorite, etc.)
• Chronological sequence of historical books
• Progression from beginner to advanced

Smart Organization Strategies ​

By Genre ​

Create collections for each genre you read:

• Science Fiction: All your sci-fi books
• Mystery & Thriller: Detective novels and suspense
• Fantasy: Epic fantasy, urban fantasy, magical realism
• Literary Fiction: Character-driven, contemporary fiction
• Non-Fiction: Split into subcategories (History, Science, Biography)

By Status ​

Track reading progress with status-based collections:

• To Read: Books you plan to read
• Currently Reading: Active books
• Completed: Finished books
• DNF (Did Not Finish): Books you started but stopped

Tip: Move books between these collections as you read them.

By Year ​

Create annual reading logs:

• Read in 2024
• Read in 2023
• Read in 2022

Automatically populated using filters or manual curation.

By Reading Challenge ​

Track progress on reading challenges:

• Around the World in 80 Books: Books from different countries
• Read Harder 2024: Specific challenge categories
• Classics I Haven’t Read: Cultural touchstone books
• Diversify My Shelf: Underrepresented voices

By Mood ​

Organize books by reading mood:

• Comfort Reads: Books to revisit when stressed
• Brain Candy: Light, fun, easy reads
• Deep Thinkers: Philosophy, dense literary fiction
• Page Turners: Can’t-put-down suspense
• Mood Lifters: Uplifting, positive stories

By Format or Source ​

Track where books came from:

• Library Books: Borrowed from public library
• Kindle Books: Digital purchases
• Physical Books I Own: Your personal shelf
• Audiobooks: Listened to rather than read
• ARCs: Advanced review copies

By Relationship ​

Social and collaborative collections:

• Book Club Picks: Shared reading with your group
• Friend Recommendations: Books suggested by specific people
• Partner’s Favorites: Your spouse/partner’s top picks
• Kids’ Books: Family reading
• Gift Ideas for [Person]: Curated gift recommendations

Sharing Collections ​

Share your curated lists with others on your instance.

Making a Collection Shareable ​

1. Edit the collection
2. Set visibility to Public
3. Optional: Add a detailed description explaining the collection’s theme
4. Optional: Write notes about why you chose each book
5. Save changes

The collection now appears in:

• Your public profile (if enabled)
• The instance’s Discover section (under Collections)
• Search results when users search for collection names

Collection URLs ​

Every public collection has a permanent URL:

https://your-instance.com/collections/[collection-id]/[collection-name]

Share this URL with anyone on your instance to give them direct access.

Collaborative Collections ​

Note: Direct collaboration (multiple editors) is not currently supported. However, you can:

1. Create a collection and make it public
2. Share the URL with collaborators
3. Collaborators can create their own copy by:
   • Viewing your collection
   • Creating a new collection
   • Adding the same books manually

Coming soon: True collaborative collections with multiple editors.

Importing and Exporting Collections ​

Export a Collection ​

Download collection data for backup or sharing:

1. Open the collection
2. Click More Options (⋮) menu
3. Select Export Collection
4. Choose format:
   • JSON: Machine-readable, preserves all metadata
   • CSV: Spreadsheet-compatible, basic book info
   • Markdown: Human-readable list
5. Save the file

Export includes:

• Book titles and authors
• Collection metadata (name, description)
• Custom sorting order
• Date added to collection

Import a Collection ​

Via Web Interface: Currently not supported in the UI. Use the CLI for imports.

Via CLI:

# Import from JSON
colibri collections import ./collection.json

# Import from CSV
colibri collections import ./books.csv --name "Imported Collection"

# Import from Goodreads export
colibri collections import ./goodreads_export.csv --source goodreads

See the CLI documentation for import details.

Collection Metadata ​

Each collection tracks additional metadata:

View detailed metadata on the collection page or in the Edit modal.

Best Practices ​

Naming Collections ​

Good names:

• Clear and descriptive: “Science Fiction Classics”
• Specific to purpose: “Book Club 2024”
• Actionable: “To Read This Summer”

Avoid:

• Generic names: “Books”, “Collection 1”
• Overlapping names: “Favorites” and “Best Books” (merge them)
• Too specific: “Books I Read on Tuesday in March” (use tags instead)

Organization Tips ​

1. Start broad, then narrow: Begin with major categories (Fiction, Non-Fiction), then create subcollections as your library grows

2. Limit active collections: Too many collections create decision fatigue. Aim for 5-10 actively used collections

3. Archive completed collections: Move old reading challenge collections to Private once completed

4. Use consistent icons: Pick an icon system and stick with it (e.g., 📕 for fiction, 📘 for non-fiction)

5. Regular maintenance: Review collections monthly, remove books you’re not interested in anymore

Collection Hygiene ​

• Remove duplicates: Books should be in collections where they truly belong
• Update descriptions: Keep collection descriptions current
• Prune inactive collections: Delete collections you no longer use
• Merge similar collections: Combine “Want to Read” and “To Read” into one

Keyboard Shortcuts ​

Speed up collection management with shortcuts:

Troubleshooting ​

Book Not Appearing in Collection ​

Problem: Added a book to a collection, but it doesn’t show up

Solutions:

1. Refresh the page (F5)
2. Check the collection’s sort order (custom order might place it out of view)
3. Verify the book was actually added (check confirmation message)
4. Check filters if any are applied to the collection view

Cannot Delete Collection ​

Problem: Delete button is disabled or missing

Causes:

• You’re not the collection owner (can’t delete others’ collections)
• Collection is marked as system-generated (protected)

Solutions:

• Verify you created the collection
• Contact instance administrator if it’s a system collection

Collection Not Visible to Others ​

Problem: Made collection public, but others can’t see it

Causes:

• Instance has public collections disabled
• You’re testing with your own account (you always see your collections)
• Collection is actually still set to Private

Solutions:

• Verify Visibility is set to Public in Edit menu
• Check instance settings for public collection support
• Ask another user to verify they can see it

Books Disappeared from Collection ​

Problem: Books missing from a collection unexpectedly

Causes:

• Books were removed (check collection history)
• Sort order changed and books are out of view
• Filters applied that hide certain books

Solutions:

• Scroll through entire collection to verify books are gone
• Check sort order and filters
• Check collection activity log for removal events

Advanced Features ​

Collection Templates ​

Coming soon: Pre-made collection templates for common use cases:

• Reading challenges (e.g., “Read Around the World”)
• Genre-based collections
• Status trackers (To Read, Currently Reading, Completed)

Collection Analytics ​

View collection statistics on the collection page:

• Total books: Number of works in collection
• Pages: Total page count across all books
• Average rating: Mean rating of books you’ve rated
• Completion rate: For “To Read” style collections
• Most common genre: Tag analysis
• Publication year range: Oldest to newest book

Access analytics: Click Analytics button on collection page (if available).

Collection Activity Feed ​

Track changes to collections:

Collection Page > Activity Tab

Shows:

• Books added
• Books removed
• Description changes
• Visibility changes
• Sort order changes
• Timestamp and user for each action

Related Documentation ​

• Uploading Books
• Library Management
• Reviews and Ratings

Next Steps ​

• Rate and Review Books: Share your opinions on books in your collections
• Search Your Library: Find books to add to your collections