BookBinder helps you catalogue every book in your home using your phone camera and Claude AI. Choose your install method below, then follow the cataloguing steps.
Download and install Docker Desktop from docker.com — it's free.
When Docker starts up, it will offer to create an account — you don't need one.
Look for the small 'Skip' link in the top right of that screen
Wait until Docker Desktop shows "Docker is running" before continuing.
Download BookBinder from the download page and unzip it into a permanent folder — somewhere like Documents/BookBinder/ rather than Downloads, as Docker needs to find it each time you start.
After installation, open Docker Desktop and you'll see your software listed with Start and Stop buttons. You can start and stop from there at any time (or just quit Docker to stop).
Linux / command line: navigate to the bookbinder folder and run:
Then open http://localhost:8585 in your browser.
phpMyAdmin is also available at http://localhost:8586 if you ever need direct database access.
Open app/config.php in any text editor and find this line:
Replace bookbinder with your chosen password. Anyone can browse your catalogue — only someone with this password can edit it.
See Cataloguing your books below — it's the same for everyone.
Log in to edit (default password is 'bookbinder' change in config as above if required), then go to Import SQL in the top menu. Paste the SQL Claude gives you, or upload it as a .sql file — check the preview, then confirm.
INSERT IGNORE — safe to re-run as many times as you like. Import runs as a single transaction, so a mistake can't leave your catalogue half-updated.These steps are the same whether you used Docker or a manual install.
For best results:
Group each bookcase's photos into a folder and zip it. Name it clearly:
bcase1_lounge_main.zipbcase2_hall_by_stairs.zipbcase3_study.zipMac: select photos → right-click → Compress.
Windows: select photos → right-click → Send to → Compressed folder.
Go to claude.ai and start a new chat. Paste this prompt:
I'm cataloguing my home library using BookBinder. I'll upload zipped photos of each bookcase and I need you to:
1. Read all the book spines in the photos
2. Generate SQL INSERT statements in this format:
INSERT IGNORE INTO books (title, author, category, sub_category, bookcase, shelf, location_name, notes) VALUES
('Title Here', 'Author Name', 'Category', 'Sub-category or NULL', BOOKCASE_NUMBER, SHELF_NUMBER, 'Room Name', 'any notes');
Rules:
- category should be one of: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Sailing, Medical, TEFL, Reference, Gardening, Cookery, Art, Music, Humour, Games, Sport, Motoring, Health, Poetry, Nature, Travel, DIY, Magazines
- sub_category for Medical: Anatomy, Osteopathy, Homeopathy, Nutrition, Physiotherapy, Orthopaedics, Clinical, Alternative Health
- shelf numbers count from top (1=top shelf)
- bookcase number is the number I give you with each upload
- Use NULL for unknown authors
- Flag unclear titles with 'Title unclear - check' in notes
After each bookcase, output the complete SQL block ready to paste into BookBinder's Import SQL page.
Ready — I'll upload bookcase 1 now.
Drag your zip files into the Claude chat. Tell Claude which bookcase number each one is and what room it's in:
These are bookcases 1, 2 and 3. Bookcase 1 = Lounge Bookcase 2 = Hall by stairs Bookcase 3 = Study
Claude reads the spines and generates the SQL for each bookcase.
Log in and go to the Bookcases page. Upload your overview shot for each bookcase — it appears on the bookcase card so you can see at a glance where a book lives.
On the Browse page you can:
ShelfMate is BookBinder's bigger sibling — same self-hosted approach, plus genre filtering, condition grading, wishlist, purchase value tracking, last read/played dates, CSV export, random pick and batch editing. £10, one-time.
uploads/bookcases/ folder from BookBinder into ShelfMate's uploads/bookcases/ folder.Ready to get started?
⬇ Download BookBinder free