📚 How to install & use ShelfMate

Route A — Docker install (fresh ShelfMate database)

Use this if you installed BookBinder with Docker.

Step 1 — Export from BookBinder

Go to BookBinder's phpMyAdmin at http://localhost:8586. Select your bookbinder database, click the Export tab and choose Custom export method. Then:

• Under Tables — check books and bookcases. For each, make sure only the Data column is checked — leave Structure unchecked. This exports your data only, without the table definitions.
• Under Data creation options — check "INSERT IGNORE statements"

Click Export at the bottom to download the .sql file.

Step 2 — Import into ShelfMate

Stop BookBinder first:

Start ShelfMate:

Go to http://localhost:8586 — this is phpMyAdmin, included with ShelfMate. Select the shelfmate database in the left panel, click the Import tab, click Choose File, select your .sql file and click Go at the bottom of the page.

Route B — Shared hosting (BookBinder tables in an existing database)

Use this if you added BookBinder's tables to an existing database such as SoleTrader or a shared hosting database.

Step 1 — Export just the books and bookcases tables

In phpMyAdmin, select your database and click the Export tab. Choose Custom export method. Then:

• Under Tables — check only books and bookcases, uncheck everything else. For each, make sure only the Data column is checked — leave Structure unchecked. This exports your data only, without the table definitions.
• Under Data creation options — check "INSERT IGNORE statements"

Click Export at the bottom to download the .sql file.

Step 2 — Import into ShelfMate

ShelfMate on shared hosting: in phpMyAdmin select its database in the left panel, click the Import tab, click Choose File, select your .sql file and click Go at the bottom.

ShelfMate on Docker locally: go to http://localhost:8586 — phpMyAdmin is included. Select the shelfmate database, click Import, choose your .sql file and click Go.

Take photos of your shelves and stacks

For best results:

• One shelf per photo — don't try to capture everything in one shot
• Straight on — stand directly in front, not at an angle
• Good light — natural daylight or overhead; avoid flash glare on spines
• Fill the frame — get close enough that spine text is readable
• One wide-angle overview shot per bookcase — useful for the bookcase card photo

Zip the photos for each location

Group each bookcase or CD/LP stack's photos into a folder and zip it. Name it clearly:

• bcase1_lounge_main.zip
• lounge_lps_classical.zip
• office_cds.zip

Mac: select photos → right-click → Compress.
Windows: select photos → right-click → Send to → Compressed folder.

Open a new chat with Claude

Go to claude.ai and start a new chat. Paste this prompt:

I'm cataloguing my home collection using ShelfMate. I'll upload zipped photos of each bookcase, LP stack or CD stack and I need you to:

1. Read all the spines in the photos (books, LPs and CDs)
2. Generate SQL INSERT statements in this format:

INSERT IGNORE INTO books (title, author, category, sub_category, genre, bookcase, shelf, location_name, notes) VALUES
('Title Here', 'Artist/Author', 'Category', 'Sub-category or NULL', 'Genre or NULL', BOOKCASE_NUMBER, SHELF_NUMBER, 'Room Name', 'any notes');

Rules:
- category: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Music, Classical, Medical, Sailing, TEFL, Reference, Gardening, Cookery, Art, Humour, Games, Sport, Health, Poetry, Nature, Travel, DIY, Magazines
- sub_category for Music: CD or LP
- genre: for music use Jazz, Classical, Blues, Folk, Rock, Soul, Country, World etc. For fiction use Literary, Crime, Historical etc.
- shelf numbers count from top (1=top shelf), 0 = stacked flat
- bookcase number is the number I give you with each upload
- Use NULL for unknown authors/artists
- Flag unclear titles with 'Title unclear - check' in notes

After each stack, output the complete SQL block ready to paste into phpMyAdmin.

Ready — I'll upload bookcase 1 now.

Upload your zip files to Claude

Drag your zip files into the Claude chat. Tell Claude which bookcase number each one is and what it contains:

These are bookcases 1, 2 and 3.
Bookcase 1 = Lounge main bookcase (books)
Bookcase 2 = Lounge LP stack by the hifi (vinyl records)
Bookcase 3 = Office CD rack (CDs)

Claude reads the spines and generates the SQL for each location.

Add location photos (optional but lovely)

Log in and go to the Bookcases page. Upload an overview shot for each bookcase or stack — it appears on the location card so you can see at a glance where something lives.

Browse, search and tidy up

On the Browse page you can:

• Search by title or author/artist
• Filter by bookcase or category using the sidebar
• Expand categories with a ▶ arrow to filter by sub-category or genre
• Sort by any column — including Genre
• Edit any item inline with the ✏️ button (log in first)
• Add items manually with the + Add Book button
• Mark items as lent out with the borrower's name
• Wishlist items you want to find
• Export your catalogue or wishlist to CSV
• 🎲 Random pick — browse by category for something to read or listen to tonight

Ask Claude to assign genres when cataloguing

The setup prompt above already includes genre. When uploading a stack of jazz LPs, tell Claude:

This is bookcase 7 — my jazz LP collection.
Please set genre = 'Jazz' for all of these unless you can identify a different genre from the spine.

Claude will set Jazz as the default and override where it recognises something different (Classical, Blues etc.).

Batch assign genres after import

Already imported without genres? Use the Batch Edit panel in the Browse page — no need to edit each item individually.

1. Filter the list — e.g. click Music in the sidebar, then LP under sub-category
2. Narrow further if needed — e.g. filter to a specific LP bookcase
3. Click ⚙ Batch edit this selection to expand the panel
4. Set field: Genre, To value: Classical (or Jazz, Blues, Folk etc.)
5. Click Apply to all N books and confirm

Browse and sort by genre

Once genres are assigned:

• Click the Genre column header to sort your whole catalogue by genre — all your Classical together, all your Jazz together
• Click the ▶ arrow next to Music in the sidebar to expand genre sub-filters
• Click a genre in the sidebar to filter to just those items
• Combine with category filter — e.g. Music → LP → Jazz for just jazz vinyl

Condition grading for vinyl

For vinyl collectors, the Condition field supports standard grades: Mint, NM, VG+, VG, Good, Fair, Poor.

You can add condition when editing any record inline (✏️ button), or set it during the Add Item form. Use the Purchase value field alongside condition for insurance records.

Wishlist

Mark any item as Wishlist status — either when adding manually or via the inline edit ✏️. Wishlist items appear in the sidebar with a count, styled differently in the browse list so they stand out.

Export your wishlist to CSV — useful to take to record fairs, second-hand bookshops or car boot sales.

Export to CSV

Go to the Export page (top nav). Filter by bookcase, category or wishlist, then download a CSV that opens in Excel, Numbers or Google Sheets.

Useful for insurance schedules, sharing your catalogue, or keeping an offline backup.

🎲 Random pick

Click 🎲 Random in the top nav. Filter by category if you want (Fiction only, Music only), then click the button — ShelfMate picks something at random from your shelves. Shows title, artist/author, location and condition. Hit it again if you're not feeling it.