Start or open a library
Create a new library file, open one you already have, or import your catalog from Codexia. You choose where the file lives.
Libafile
Your library, in a file you own.
Library checkout for any small library: classrooms, churches, clubs and other institutions. Open your file, lend your books, and Libafile keeps the record in that file.
Works best on a computer. Use it in your browser, or install it as a desktop app.
- No account
- Works offline
- No analytics in the app
- Imports Codexia exports
How it works
Open the file. Lend the books.
Check books in and out
At the desk, scan or type a book, tap a borrower, and it's done. A Bluetooth scanner works too, since it types the ISBN for you.
Your file stays current
In Chrome and Edge on a computer, and on Chromebooks, every change saves to your file about two seconds later. In Safari and Firefox, you download an updated copy by pressing Save file.
Inside the app
A quiet desk for a small library.
Swipe for more screens.
What it does
What a small library needs at the desk.
Fast checkout and return
Scan a book to see who has it, or tap a borrower and then scan. Returns are one tap.
Due dates and overdue lists
Set the loan length and the most books one person can hold. Libafile tracks what's late and prints the list.
Books by ISBN or by hand
Look up a book on Open Library, which receives the ISBN only, or type the details in yourself. Several copies of a title are fine.
Names, nothing more
A borrower is a display name and an optional group. Entries that look like email addresses or ID numbers are refused.
Reports you can keep
See your most borrowed books, then print the report or download it as a CSV.
Offline after the first visit
Libafile opens with no connection once you've visited it, and you can install it on your computer to get its own icon and window.
Who it's for
Any shelf that lends.
Classrooms
Know who has which book, without putting names on someone else's server.
Churches
Run the lending shelf from one file that a volunteer can pick up next week.
Clubs
Lend among members and sort them into groups, with no system to set up.
Other Institutions
Keep a checkout record with no account and nothing held on an outside server.
Works with Codexia
Scan the shelf, then lend it out.
Libafile imports Codexia exports.
Codexia is AnchorKite's book-scanning phone app. Export your catalog from it as JSON or CSV, choose the file under Import in Libafile, and your books are ready to lend.
Importing again later updates the books you already have and adds new ones. Nothing is ever deleted. You don't need Codexia to use Libafile.
Saving
How your browser saves.
Chrome and Edge on a computer, and Chromebooks
Libafile saves to your file by itself, about two seconds after each change. It can also keep a dated copy in a backup folder you choose.
Safari and Firefox
These can't write back to a file. Your changes stay in the browser until you press Save file, which downloads an updated copy. Keep the newest one somewhere safe.
Every browser keeps a working copy and recent backups on your device. If your file changed since you opened it, Libafile stops and asks before writing to it. See what can be recovered.
Private by design
No server receives your library.
Your books, borrowers and loans stay in your file and in your browser. AnchorKite never sees them, so it holds no record of who borrowed what.
That also means AnchorKite can't recover a lost library. Keep your file in a synced folder such as Google Drive or OneDrive, and you get backups and version history from that provider. Read the Libafile privacy policy for the details.
Accountnone
Library data on our serversnone
Ads and trackers in the appnone
Analytics in the appnone
Book lookupsISBN to Open Library
Borrower recordname, optional group
Questions
Before you open a library.
Do I need an account?
No. There is no Libafile account. Open libafile.com, then start a new library or open your file.
Can I bring my books over from Codexia?
Yes. Libafile imports Codexia exports, both JSON and CSV. Export your library in Codexia, then choose the file under Import in Libafile. Importing again later updates the books you already have and adds new ones. Nothing is ever deleted. The CSV carries no cover links, so use JSON if you want covers. You don't need Codexia to use Libafile.
Do I have to install it?
No. Libafile works in a browser tab. You can install it on your computer to get its own icon and window, and the help page has the steps for each browser. After the first visit it opens with no connection.
Where should I keep my library file?
In a folder that syncs to the cloud, such as Google Drive, OneDrive or iCloud Drive. You get backups and version history from that provider, and AnchorKite still holds nothing.
Can AnchorKite recover my library if I lose it?
No. AnchorKite holds no copy, so there is nothing to restore. That is the trade for keeping your library private, and it makes where you keep your file important.
What does Libafile keep about borrowers?
A display name and an optional group, nothing else. Libafile suggests first name and last initial, and it refuses entries that look like email addresses or ID numbers.
Can I use it on several devices?
One at a time. Open the same file on another device, from a synced folder or a copy. If the file changed since you opened it, Libafile stops and asks instead of overwriting it. Libafile does not sync between devices by itself.
Open your library.
Works best on a computer. Use it in your browser at libafile.com, or install it as a desktop app.
Questions or a bug? Email support@anchorkite.com.