Feature ID: FRD-001
Feature Name: Book Library Management
Related PRD Requirements: REQ-1, REQ-6, REQ-9, REQ-10
Status: Draft
Last Updated: November 11, 2025
Enable users to maintain a personal book library with two primary collections: books they've read and books they want to read (TBR). This feature provides the foundational data layer that all other features depend on.
Users can organize their reading life in one place, easily tracking what they've read and planning what to read next without relying on external platforms or manual lists.
- Users can add at least 5 books to their library within their first session
- Users can switch between Read and TBR views within 2 clicks
- Library views load in under 2 seconds for collections up to 500 books
- Zero data loss during normal operations (add, edit, remove, status change)
Description: Users must be able to add books to their personal library and categorize them as either "Read" or "To Be Read (TBR)".
Inputs:
- Book metadata (title, author, cover image, description, genre, publication date)
- Reading status (Read or TBR)
- Source: from external search results OR manual entry
Outputs:
- Book added to user's library with specified status
- Confirmation message displayed
- Library view updated to show new book
Acceptance Criteria:
- User can add a book from search results with one action (e.g., "Add to Read" or "Add to TBR" button)
- User can manually enter book details if search doesn't find the book
- System validates that required fields (at minimum: title, author) are provided
- Duplicate detection: system warns user if book with same title/author already exists
- Book appears immediately in appropriate library view after adding
Edge Cases:
- What if user adds same book twice? → Display warning, allow user to confirm or cancel
- What if network fails during add? → Save to local queue, retry when connection restored, show pending status
- What if required data is missing? → Display clear error message indicating which fields are required
Description: Users must be able to view their Read and TBR book collections with clear visual distinction between them.
Inputs:
- User library data
- Selected view (Read, TBR, or All)
- Optional: filter criteria (genre, rating)
Outputs:
- Grid or list view of books with cover images
- Book count for each collection
- Visual indicators for collection type
Acceptance Criteria:
- Library displays book covers in grid layout
- Read and TBR collections are clearly separated (tabs, sections, or navigation)
- Each book shows: cover image, title, author, and rating (if applicable)
- Empty states: clear messaging when collection is empty ("No books yet. Add your first book!")
- Loading indicator displayed while library data is being fetched
- Collections load within 2 seconds for up to 500 books
Edge Cases:
- What if no books in library? → Show empty state with call-to-action to add first book
- What if book cover image fails to load? → Display placeholder image with book title
- What if library has 500+ books? → Implement pagination or lazy loading to maintain performance
Description: Users must be able to search within their library and filter books by various criteria.
Inputs:
- Search query (text)
- Filter criteria: status (Read/TBR), genre, rating
Outputs:
- Filtered list of books matching criteria
- Count of results
- Clear indication of active filters
Acceptance Criteria:
- Search box filters books by title or author in real-time
- Filter controls for: status, genre (if available), rating (if applicable)
- Search is case-insensitive
- Results update immediately as filters change
- Clear button to reset all filters
- "No results" message when filters match nothing
Edge Cases:
- What if search returns no results? → Display "No books found matching '[query]'" with option to clear search
- What if multiple filters applied? → Show all active filters with ability to remove individual filters
- What if user searches while filters are active? → Combine search and filters (AND logic)
Description: Users must be able to view comprehensive information about any book in their library.
Inputs:
- Book ID or selection from library view
Outputs:
- Detailed book view showing:
- Cover image (larger view)
- Title, author, publication date
- Description/synopsis
- Genre(s)
- Reading status (Read/TBR)
- User's rating and notes (if available)
- Actions: edit status, rate book, add notes, remove from library
Acceptance Criteria:
- User can access detail view by clicking on book in library
- All available book metadata is displayed
- Detail view provides clear actions (edit, remove, rate)
- User can navigate back to library view easily
- Detail view loads within 1 second
Edge Cases:
- What if book metadata is incomplete? → Display only available information, show "Not available" for missing fields
- What if cover image is missing? → Show placeholder image
- What if user is viewing details while another process updates the book? → Show latest data or notify user of changes
Description: Users must be able to move books between Read and TBR collections.
Inputs:
- Book ID
- New status (Read or TBR)
Outputs:
- Book status updated in database
- Book moved to appropriate collection
- Confirmation message
Acceptance Criteria:
- User can change book status from library view or detail view
- Status change is immediate and reflected in UI
- When moving from TBR to Read, system prompts user to add rating
- Confirmation message displays: "Moved to [Read/TBR]"
- Undo option available immediately after status change
Edge Cases:
- What if user accidentally changes status? → Provide undo option for 5 seconds after action
- What if network fails during status change? → Show pending state, queue for retry, notify user
- What if book is currently being edited by another process? → Queue update or notify user of conflict
Description: Users must be able to delete books from their library permanently.
Inputs:
- Book ID
- Confirmation from user
Outputs:
- Book removed from library
- Book no longer appears in any views
- Confirmation message
Acceptance Criteria:
- User can delete book from detail view or library view
- System displays confirmation dialog: "Are you sure you want to remove '[Book Title]'?"
- User must explicitly confirm deletion
- After deletion, confirmation message displays: "'[Book Title]' removed from library"
- Deleted book immediately disappears from library view
- Option to undo deletion for 10 seconds after action
Edge Cases:
- What if user accidentally confirms deletion? → Provide undo option with 10-second window
- What if book has rating and notes? → Include warning in confirmation: "This will also remove your rating and notes"
- What if network fails during deletion? → Queue deletion, show pending state, sync when connection restored
Book Entity:
id(unique identifier)title(required)author(required)coverImageUrl(optional)description(optional)genres(optional, array)publicationDate(optional)status(required: "Read" or "TBR")addedDate(required, timestamp)userId(required, links to user account)rating(optional, see User Preferences & Ratings FRD)notes(optional, see User Preferences & Ratings FRD)source(optional: "google-books", "open-library", "manual")
Requirements:
- All library data must persist between sessions
- Data must be stored securely and associated with user account
- Changes must be saved immediately (no manual "save" required)
- System must handle concurrent operations safely (no race conditions)
Acceptance Criteria:
- User can close browser and return to find library unchanged
- Multiple simultaneous edits are handled correctly
- Failed saves display error message and allow retry
- No data loss during normal operations
Requirements:
- Grid layout showing book covers (responsive: 2-6 columns based on screen width)
- Navigation to switch between Read, TBR, and All Books views
- Search box prominently placed
- Filter controls easily accessible
- Add Book button always visible
- Book count displayed for each collection
Minimum Screen Size: 1280x720 pixels
Requirements:
- Clear indication of which collection is being viewed (Read vs TBR)
- Different visual treatment for Read vs TBR in combined views (e.g., badges, icons)
- Empty states with helpful guidance
- Loading states for all async operations
Requirements:
- Primary actions accessible within 3 clicks from library view
- Hover states on books to show quick actions
- Click on book opens detail view
- Quick action buttons: change status, rate, remove
- Library view must load within 2 seconds for collections up to 500 books
- Search/filter operations must feel instant (<300ms)
- Book detail view must load within 1 second
- Status changes must update UI within 500ms
Scenario: Failed to save book to library
Behavior:
- Display error message: "Unable to save book. Please try again."
- Provide retry button
- If persistent failure, suggest checking internet connection
- Queue operation for retry when connection restored
Scenario: Failed to load library data
Behavior:
- Display error message: "Unable to load your library. Please try again."
- Provide retry button
- If persistent failure, offer option to reload page
Scenario: User tries to add book without required fields
Behavior:
- Highlight missing fields in red
- Display message: "Please provide [field name]"
- Prevent submission until valid
- User Authentication (FRD-005): Requires user to be logged in to access personal library
- Data Persistence Layer (FRD-005): Requires reliable storage mechanism
- User Preferences & Ratings (FRD-003): Extends library with rating/notes functionality
- AI Recommendations (FRD-004): Uses library data as input for recommendations
- Book Search & Discovery (FRD-002): Integrates with library to add books
- Should books be sortable (by title, author, date added, rating)? → Defer to v2 for simplicity
- How many books can a user have before performance degrades? → Target 500 books initially
- Should there be bulk operations (delete multiple, move multiple)? → Defer to v2
- Should users be able to create custom lists beyond Read/TBR? → Out of scope for v1
- How should duplicate books be handled across Read and TBR? → Prevent duplicates, warn user
- Should status changes be reversible beyond undo window? → No, keeps implementation simple
- Keyboard navigation support for all actions
- Screen reader compatible
- Sufficient color contrast for text
- Library must handle up to 500 books without performance degradation
- Pagination or lazy loading for larger collections
- User library data must only be accessible to the authenticated user
- All data operations must be authorized
Traceability Matrix:
| PRD Requirement | FRD Section |
|---|---|
| REQ-1: Book Library Management | 2.1 - 2.6 (all functional requirements) |
| REQ-6: Data Persistence | 3.2, 6.1, 6.2 |
| REQ-9: User Interface Requirements | 4.1 - 4.3, 5 |
| REQ-10: Basic Error Handling | 6.1 - 6.3 |
Document Version: 1.0
Status: Ready for Technical Review