Bookshare’s story
From a personal project to a school library ecosystem
Where the Love for Books Began
My passion for reading started early, back in my school days. I would gather discarded bits of wood and craft a small bookshelf—just so I could organize and easily return to the stories I loved most. What began as a simple love for books slowly evolved into a deeper calling as I stepped into university, sparking questions and dreams that would shape the journey ahead.
A Frustration Born from the Library Experience
Once, a lecturer recommended a specialized book for further reading. I went to the library, only to find that it still relied on an outdated internal system, with no website for remote search. I had to sift through shelf after shelf manually. And when I finally located where the book should have been, the copy had already been checked out — only the reference version remained. After an entire afternoon of searching, I left empty-handed. From that experience, a question kept echoing in my mind:
"Why don’t libraries have an online system where students can search, check book availability, and even place a hold remotely?"
Wasted Books, Lost Opportunities
Another story: after graduation, I still had many textbooks in almost-new condition. But there was no way to connect with students from the next intake to pass them on. In the end, I had to sell them as scrap paper — such a regrettable waste.
"What if there were a platform that connects people who want to give books with those who need them — with the library acting as a trusted bridge — so that these books could continue to create value?"
A Dream of a Smarter Library Platform
From those experiences, a dream began to take shape: to build an application that empowers every library — big or small — to manage their collections, lending activities, and reader engagement in a way that is efficient, organized, and user-friendly. This platform should personalize the experience, support quick search and reservations, track borrowing history, and most importantly, connect a community of book lovers.
From Handy Library to Bookshare
In June 2018, I launched Handy Library — a personal library management tool, built as an MVP to test the idea.
To my surprise, the response from users far exceeded expectations.
- Over 1 million downloads
- Support for 25 languages
- Used in more than 170 countries
Building on that foundation, in February 2023, I joined forces with a group of passionate and talented young friends to establish Bookshare — with the mission of developing Skoolib, a dedicated technology platform for school libraries.
The Journey to Skoolib’s Launch
January 2025: Skoolib officially launched on Android.
April 2025: The web version was released, expanding its reach across the entire educational ecosystem.
The Bookshare team is made up of experienced software engineers with a strong background in building digital products — but above all, we are book lovers at heart. With Skoolib, our goal is to build a smart library platform — a place where everyone is empowered with effective access to knowledge, and where every book finds the right person, at the right time, for the right need.