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Alejandriapp is an app for organizing (physical and digital) personal libraries, or for bookstores and secondhand bookstores
appalejandriaatgmaildotcom
🧩 tl;dr
Alejandriapp lets you digitize, classify, and organize your personal or business library using AI. From the app, you can recognize books by photo or barcode, edit them, and organize them by subject (especially using the Dewey Decimal System DDC —used in libraries, or the Library of Congress Classification LCC).
You can receive suggestions for physical arrangement based on photos of your bookshelf.
It has the option to generate printable labels with an identifier code for each book.
It also allows you to create digital bookshelves with books to rent, sell, or buy.
Later, it will become a forum where people can give reviews, and where events and giveaways are held.
🧠 Problem:
Organizing books involves not only knowing what you have, but also how to physically arrange them for easier access or to make your bookshelf look good.
Organizing a personal or commercial library remains a manual, slow, and confusing process.
Users with hundreds or thousands of books—individuals or small bookstores—don't have an easy way to:
✔ Know what they have and where it is.
✔ Classify by subject or category.
✔ Keep track of loans, sales, or duplicates.
Currently, the options (Excel, generic inventory apps, Goodreads, etc.) require manual entry and don't offer a visual representation of the physical bookshelf.
Manually cataloging books is weary. Readers, booksellers, and collectors need an automatic, fast, and simple way to register their collection, but without complex systems or spreadsheets.
There is no simple tool that combines automatic recognition, digital cataloging, and print-ready label generation.
The app blends computer vision, intelligent cataloging, and a highly visual experience. Perfect for a vast niche of readers, collectors, and even small libraries or booksellers.
The complete experience: digitize → organize → physically label.
In comparison with other apps:
In comparison with other apps:
Alejandriapp stands out if you’re looking to log readings in Spanish, use OCR features, and engage with a community focused on Latin American readers.
LibraryThing excel in advanced statistics, catalog customization, and barcode scanning.
CLZBooks has the same that Librarything and also offers cloud synchronization and multiple catalog views.
Goodreads are ideal if you prioritize community, reviews, and recommendations.
Storygraph also has community reviews and recos, plus provide a stronger reading statistics and data visualizations.
Libib allows you to create multiple personal libraries and catalog books, movies, and other media through fast scanning. It includes web–mobile synchronization, tags, and notes. Its free version supports up to 5,000 items, while the Pro version expands features for lending and institutional management.
BookScouter is ideal for buying and selling books: it identifies titles by ISBN in seconds and compares prices across more than 30 vendors.
Bookshelf y Adobe Digital Editions focus on digital reading and device-based organization, offering highlighting and annotation tools; Bookshelf additionally includes OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and reading statistics.
In summary, each app has its own specialty: Alexandriapp is more intuitive for Spanish-speaking users and quick OCR-based logging, while the others stand out for social cataloging, buying and reselling, data analysis, or cross-platform integration. The best choice depends on your priorities in book management and reading experience.
Differentiator:
Differentiator:
🧿 Visual, simple, and realistic for collectors, researchers, shops, and schools in Mexico and Latin America.
🤖 Custom AI (not just lists or metadata).
🗃️ Physical/digital experience: organization, beautiful labels, marketplace, and local or thematic community.
✔ Easy access, no steep learning curve, and no penalties for exploring the app; monetization only where there is clear value.
🫶 Social support: donations, community, and events.
No one else does this. Here you can view and manage your library as you have it at home, in your shop, or at school; sell and donate; not just read reviews or export an Excel spreadsheet.
🎯 Objectives
🎯 Objectives
User Goals:
Scan or photograph books to automatically register them.
Edit and confirm book information.
Upload a photo of the bookshelf itself and receive reorganization suggestions with the registered books.
Generate and print labels with a unique code for each book.
Business Goals:
Offer a complete digital + physical cataloging workflow.
Validate interest in semi-professional features (bookstores, libraries).
Build a technological foundation for future integrations (loans, inventory management).
📸 Scan book → 🤖 AI recognizes → 📝 Edit if you want
📚 Add to catalog → 📷 Upload bookshelf photo → 🔄 Organization suggestions→🏷️ Generate PDF file with labels → 🖨️ Print labels
📖 User Stories
📖 User Stories
As a user, I want to take a photo of my bookshelf so the app can automatically detect shelves and books.
As a user, I want the app to recognize book covers and titles from photos.
As a user, I want the app to assign a Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC), with alternative options such as Universal Decimal Classification (UDC), Library of Congress Classification (LCC), or alphabetical order by author.
As a user, I want to see a digital version of my library with filters by category, author, or shelf.
As a user, I want to edit book data (title, author, category) in case of errors.
As a user, I want to see my collection organized in a clear and easy-to-navigate list.
Hypotesis: (model by Bernardo Nuñez)
If we help people with big libraries
solve organizing selling and acquiring their books
with an app that helps you organize the books by taking pictures of them with a librarian code.
they will choose it over, doing nothing, paying some one or themselves to do it manually, using chatpgt...
because our solution is also a product that allows you to sell, loan and buy books, having the digital and physical books organized.
👥 Target Audience
👥 Target Audience
Avid readers and collectors
Individuals with personal libraries of 100+ physical books.Small and second-hand bookstores
Businesses that need to quickly register, organize, and manage inventory.Schools and local libraries
Institutions with mid-sized collections that require organization without expensive systems.(Future B2B)
Large bookstores and publishers interested in licenses or integrations
(e.g., Gandhi, El Sótano, Penguin Random House).
⚙️ Technical Flow
1️⃣ Image input → AI extracts and identifies book data.
2️⃣ Editable record is displayed (pre-filled fields).
3️⃣ User manually reviews and edits the information.
4️⃣ Data is saved locally (SQLite / Hive).
5️⃣ Optional corrections are flagged as “manual review.”
💡 Strategic Value
More than a reading app. A bibliographic management platform.
Transforms Alexandriapp into an end-to-end tool for organizing, managing, and scaling book collections.
Ideal for schools, collectors, and resale bookstores.
Enables future expansion into:
Loans & inventory control
Usage & collection analytics
B2B integrations with bookstores and publishers (synced inventories).
Types of users:
Types of users:
Researcher
Researcher
-Scan and catalog large book collections (by author, category, DDC/LCC).
-Generate professional physical labels from the app.
-Access other private libraries (with permission) for research and collaboration.
Premium:
-Manage multiple libraries and collections.
-Advanced analytics (gaps, overlaps, underrepresented themes).
Premium Trigger: AI-driven reorganization suggestions once collections reach scale or advanced analytics are requested.
Frecuent reader
Frecuent reader
-Quickly add books by scanning covers or barcodes.
-Get price estimates and resale suggestions for duplicate or already-read books.
Premium:
-List books in an in-app marketplace and view reviews.
-See covers and reviews within the catalog to inspire reading and purchasing decisions.
Premium Trigger: Activated when the user catalogs more than X books.
Bookstore owner
Bookstore owner
-Digitize inventory with photos, prices, and unique details (edition, condition).
-Mark titles as sold, reserved, or lost for real-time inventory control.
Premium:
-Publish the catalog online as a digital storefront.
-Generate professional physical labels by category directly from the app.
Premium Trigger: Activated when publishing the catalog online or printing professionally designed, coded labels.
School Library
School Library
-Catalog all school books and manage student loans and consultations easily.
-Access usage statistics and connect with other libraries to strengthen the educational network.
Premium:
-Advanced multi-user control
-Exports for school systems.
-Donation modules and per-student loan history.
Premium Trigger:Activated when accessing network-level reports, advanced user integrations, donation management, or bulk label generation.
Editorial
Editorial
Access aggregated trend data (what users search, buy, or sell) to design relevant promotions or giveaways.
Premium:
-Access to detailed metadata and participation in promotional experiences.
-Sponsored labels or branded reading challenges.
Premium Trigger:Activated when accessing the insights dashboard, launching campaigns, or enabling merch sales and partnerships.
Freelance librarian
Freelance librarian
-Create cataloging projects with custom fields and professional standards (DDC/LCC, author, physical condition, location, etc.).
-Efficiently digitize and organize private collections, minimizing errors and improving owner access.
Premium:
-Generate branded, print-ready reports and export coded labels.
-Enable remote client access (consultant mode) for audits, training, or handoff.
-Activate collaborative modules (multi-user, task checklists, remote follow-up).
Premium Trigger: Activated when exporting professional reports, setting up multi-user projects, enabling remote client access, or automating post-delivery audits. A professional-grade tool for librarians who catalog third-party collections and deliver structured inventories, labels, and long-term digital access.
🧠 User Experience Flow (first version):
🧠 User Experience Flow (first version):
1️⃣ Book registration
Capture or scan → recognition → metadata → editing → saving.
2️⃣ Intelligent physical organization
User uploads photo of bookshelf → AI analyzes shelves → suggests optimal order by DDC, or other.
3️⃣ Option to generate labels with the code.
From the catalog, the user selects “Generate labels.”
You can choose the format: 📏 Size: 3x3 cm, 5x2 cm, etc.
A printable PDF file will be generated with the labels organized by sheet (A4 or letter).
Examples of use:
Lucía, a secondhand bookseller with hundreds of disorganized titles. She opens Alejandriapp, takes a photo of the shelf, and in seconds sees each book recognized, with its author and category. The few that aren't detected, she corrects with two taps. At the end of the day, her collection is digitized, organized, and ready to consult. Lucía has just transformed the chaos of her bookstore into a smart inventory—thanks to Alejandriapp.
...Pedro has just scanned his 120 books with Alejandriapp. The app suggests a new physical arrangement by category. Then it generates a PDF file with labels containing the Dewey Decimal Classification codes for each book. His physical bookshelf and his digital catalog are now fully synchronized.
Functional Requirements:
Functional Requirements:
Book Management & Catalog (High Priority):
-Scan to register (ISBN, barcode, photo) or manual entry
-Advanced search (title, author, publisher, topic, physical location)
-List and grid views with multi-filters
-Edit, delete, add personalized notes
-Attach original photos and log physical/digital location
-AI suggests optimal organization (premium, triggered after X books)
Marketplace & Book Transactions (Medium Priority)
-Register internal/external loans, sales, and rentals
-List books for sale/resale within the app (premium or with commission)
-History of transactions, return alerts, and loan voucher control
-Simple dashboard showing recent activity
Labels, Export, & Reports (Medium Priority)
-Generate and print unique labels (premium, first 10 free)
-Export catalogs and inventories to PDF/Excel, visual summaries
Collaboration & Network Tools (Medium Priority)
-Request/visit other private libraries with permission
-Booking for in-person visits and consultation management
-System for donating/exchanging school books
-Users & Permissions (High for libraries/stores)
-Multi-user access (premium/pro/professional), roles & permissions
-Manage profile, profile photo, reviews, banking info for transactions
Community & Engagement (Medium Priority)
-Reviews, ratings, follows, and giveaways
-Merch and special events, library/publisher integrations
-Institutional dashboard for partners with anonymized analytics (premium)
Security & Privacy (High Priority)
-Cloud backups, easy recovery
-Regulatory compliance, transparent user consent
Support & UX (Low Priority)
-In-app help, feedback, digital cataloging education
Note: All premium features are only offered after demonstrating real free value upfront.
Technical Needs:
Technical Needs:
Mobile Front-End (iOS/Android)
Native or cross-platform mobile app with barcode scanning and camera capabilities.
Backend
Secure backend for storing catalogs, users, logs, and reports.
RESTful API for searching and auto-completing book information (e.g., integration with Google Books or Open Library).
Services for file generation and export (Excel / PDF).
Integration Points
Public book database APIs (Google Books or Open Library) for automatic data completion.
Secure cloud storage platform for data backup.
Future option: integration with other catalog or inventory apps via import/export (CSV, etc.).
Data Storage & Privacy
Encrypted data storage in the cloud.
Clear policies for handling personal data (name, email, usage statistics only).
Basic compliance with GDPR or local data protection regulations.
Automatic backups and on-demand data restoration.
Scalability & Performance
Architecture designed to support up to 10,000 concurrent users.
Synchronous responses for core features (under 1 second for scanning and search).
Modular scalability using a microservices-based backend.
Potential Challenges
Barcode scanning issues with old or worn books (low image quality, damaged codes).
User data privacy and cloud storage compliance requirements.
Robust handling of imports (corrupted files or inconsistent formats).
State synchronization during local or internet connection failures
Success Metrics
Success Metrics
Key User & Engagement Metrics
Percentage of users who complete the digitization of their library (ratio of scanned books vs. manually added books).
Weekly / monthly usage frequency per user.
Percentage of users who generate at least one lending or sales transaction.
Average response time for key operations (scanning, search).
System Reliability Metrics
Monthly uptime percentage (target: >99%).
Critical error rate reported (target: <0.1% of actions).
Tracked Events
Book scan event (ISBN / barcode read).
Manual book entry event.
Search performed event.
Report generation / export event.
Transaction recorded event (loan, sale, return).
Onboarding started and completed events.
User login / logout events.
Business & Growth Metrics
Revenue generated from premium versions and/or ads (if applicable in future stages).
Conversion rate to recurring user (% of users managing more than 80 books in their catalog).
Share of registered bookstores vs. individual users.
Interesting links:
Interesting links:
Reddit about free book cataloguing:
https://www.reddit.com/r/books/comments/wf2r8h/the_best_free_book_cataloguing_app/
Bookshelf wealth: In defence of buying books:
https://www.vogue.in/content/in-defence-of-buying-books-you-may-never-read
Pricing
Pricing
Our pricing is designed to deliver immediate value to individuals while remaining clear, predictable, and scalable for institutions. It’s competitive with global apps, tailored to the Mexican market, and built for growth and partnerships.
Individuals
Free: Up to 50 books, core cataloging features, no ads.
One-time payment (USD $20–30): Up to 1,000 books, AI organization, advanced labels and exports.
Booklover Pro (USD $45–65/year): Unlimited books, multiple libraries, AI insights, early feature access, marketplace tools, priority support.
Institutions
Small libraries/bookstores (USD $150–250/year): Multi-user access, loans, donations, shared catalogs, reports.
Pro institutions (USD $500–750/year): Unlimited users, system integrations, advanced analytics, API access.
Partners & Marketplace
Custom partnerships with publishers and institutions (subscription, revenue share, or sponsorship).
Optional marketplace fee (3–5%) once traction and community are proven.
This model is ethical, scalable, and built to drive adoption, retention, and long-term growth.
Merch inspo:
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