User Manual

ShelfConnect User Manual

A practical guide for readers and library owners using ShelfConnect, operated by the Institute of Archaeology and Heritage Studies (IAHS).

1. Account and sign-in

  1. Open Register, enter your name, email, and mobile number, choose a password, and accept the Terms and Privacy Policy.
  2. Complete email verification if the site asks you to confirm your address.
  3. Use Login with your email and password. Remember me keeps you signed in on that browser.
  4. Switch English / Sinhala from the language control in the navigation when available.

Your account email and mobile number are not shown on public pages unless you later expose separate contact fields as a library owner.

2. Search books

  1. Open Search books or start from Home.
  2. Enter keywords (title, ISBN, author, etc.) and click Search.
  3. Open Advanced options to filter by publication year, type, language, keywords, or library city.
  4. Browse results with pagination; open a title for the full public record.

Contributor names show as By by default, or Edited by when the owner catalogued an edited volume that way. Listings are indicative—verify important details if needed.

3. Search libraries and map

  1. Open Search libraries and enter name, city, or description keywords.
  2. Use Advanced options for city, district, or country filters.
  3. Click More on a result for public contact and map links when the owner has shared them.
  4. Open Library map to browse libraries with shared GPS coordinates.

Each library may also have a public page showing its description and listed books, depending on the owner’s visibility settings.

4. Inquiries and notifications

  • From a book page, logged-in and verified users can send an inquiry to the library owner.
  • Track conversations under Inquiries. Owners reply and close threads from the same area.
  • Check Notifications for inquiry and system updates.
  • Keep messages polite, relevant, and on-topic. See Community guidelines in the footer.

5. For library owners — library setup

  1. After login, open the Owner dashboard from Dashboard.
  2. Register library (first time) or Library profile (edit): name, description, contact, logo, and map location.
  3. Enable public visibility checkboxes only for fields you are willing to share publicly.
  4. Submit for review if approval is required before the library goes live.

The platform may warn you before turning sensitive contact or location fields public.

6. For library owners — catalogue

  • Add book quickly — Scan or lookup an ISBN, confirm in the preview, and Save book without opening advanced fields.
  • Full catalogue entry — Opens the add form with optional cataloguing fields already visible.
  • Import books — Upload a spreadsheet, map columns (Title required), preview, then import.
  • Export to Excel — Download your catalogue from the book list.
  • Print QR — Labels for one book or a library-wide QR sheet linking to public book pages.
  • Enrich metadata — Fill missing fields from lookup for selected books or in bulk.
  • Content pages — Optional extra pages (text or images) per book, for material you have rights to share.
  • For edited volumes, use the book form checkbox to show contributor names as Editors on the public site instead of authors.

Always review imported or looked-up metadata before publishing.

7. Good practices

  • Keep listings accurate and up to date.
  • Share contact and location data only when you intend it to be public.
  • Use respectful inquiry messages; avoid sensitive personal or financial details.
  • Report misuse through Contact in the footer.