Table of Contents

• What is Book Loop?
• Origin
• Features
  • User Profiles
  • Book Listings & Search
  • Exchange Mechanism
  • Community Engagement
  • Upcoming features
• How to use (the exciting part!)
• Tech Stack
• Installation for developers
• Project plan and milestone for future extensions

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Book Loop

What is Book Loop?

Book Loop is a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Book Exchange Platform. It is designed to create a seamless and community-driven solution for book enthusiasts to share and exchange physical books.

The name Book Loop reflects the idea of circulating books among readers, emphasizing the sharing and community aspects of the platform.

Origin

The idea stems from the realization that many books are often left unread on shelves, while others may be searching for the very same books. This platform aims to give books a second life, encouraging sustainability by reducing waste and fostering a community of readers.

Features

User Profiles

• You can create your personal account, with information such as your favourite genres and what kinds of books you are looking out for.

Book Listings & Search

• You can list books which you are willing to exchange. You can include details such as the title, author, genre, exchange method, and image.
• You can also browse available books by genre, title, or author.

Exchange Mechanism: A secure and straightforward system for initiating and completing book exchanges between users

• Click on the "Exchange" button to chat with the owner about the book exchange.

• Start chatting! The messaging function shows the number of unread messages too.

• Mark your book as exchanged once it's exchanged, and you can see it in the "Exchanged books" page.

  

Community Engagement

• You can look through the "Social" page for the users on the platform.

• Feel free to make a friend request too! The request will be seen as "Pending", and will be accepted if the other user accepts it.

Others

• User-friendly interface with easy navigability
• Embedded user guide to guide users along

Upcoming features:

• A more robust search function with drop-down options based on genre, ratings etc
• Leveraging AI to provide personalized book recommendations
• Forum page for like-minded users to share their knowledge, opionions, and book recommendations
• A leaderboard showing the most number of books exchanged and total number exchanged on the platform

Refer to Project plan and milestone for future extensions for a more detailed plan!

How to use (the exciting part!)

Head over to Book Loop @ https://book-loop-book-exchange.vercel.app/!

In case you need a test account:

Email address: bw@gmail.com
Password: bookworm

Otherwise, feel free to create a new account to try out the features!

Tech Stack

Frontend

• React (frontend framework)
• MaterialUI (frontend component library)
• Typescript (frontend language)

Database

• Firebase

Installation for developers

1. Clone or fork this repository. (Feel free to fork this repository and make a pull request to this main repository for suggestions on improvements!)
2. Navigate to the project directory: cd book-loop-book-exchange
3. Run npm install to install the necessary dependencies.

   npm install
   

4. Configure your environment variables in a .env file. For the database, you can create your own database using Firebase as the actual .env.local files are currently not in this public repository. A template .env.local file is provided as example.env.local in the root directory.
5. Run npm run dev to start the web application.

   npm run dev
   

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Project plan and milestone for future extensions

Milestone 1: Proof Of Concept for Core Functionality Development

• Objective: Build a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that showcases essential features.

Tasks:

1. User Authentication

   • Implement user sign-up and login functionality.
   • Set up profile creation with favorite genres and interests.

2. Book Listings

   • Allow users to list books with details (title, author, genre, exchange method).
   • Implement image upload functionality.
   • Edit and delete the listing (not done yet)

3. Search and Filter

   • Develop a basic search feature for browsing available books by title, author, or genre.

4. Exchange Mechanism

   • Create a messaging system for users to communicate about book exchanges.
   • Implement a mark-as-exchanged feature.

5. Social Features

   • Add a "Social" page to view other users and their listings.
   • Implement friend request functionality.

Milestone 2: More User Engagement and Community Features

• Objective: Further enhance user interaction and community involvement.

Tasks:

1.. User Reviews and Ratings

• Allow users to leave reviews and ratings for users and books they have exchanged.

2. Notification System

   • Implement notifications for messages, friend requests, and book exchanges.

3. Discussion Forums

   • Introduce forums for users to discuss book recommendations, share insights, and connect over mutual interests.

Milestone 3: Advanced Features and AI Integration

• Objective: Introduce innovative features to improve user experience.

Tasks:

1. AI-Powered Recommendations

   • Develop an algorithm that analyzes user reading habits, preferences, and past exchanges to provide personalized book recommendations.

2. Sentiment Analysis on Reviews

   • Use natural language processing (NLP) to analyze user reviews for sentiment, helping to highlight popular and well-received books.

3. Predictive Analytics for Book Demand

   • Implement AI models to predict which books might become popular based on trends, seasonal changes, and user interests.

4. Robust Search Functionality

   • Implement advanced search options with filters for ratings, genres, and exchange methods.

5. Leaderboard and Gamification

   • Create a leaderboard to display top users based on exchanged books and engagement.
   • Introduce achievements and badges for users to encourage participation.

6. Dynamic Book Recommendations Based on User Behavior

   • Analyze real-time data to adjust recommendations based on current trends and what similar users are exchanging or searching for.

Milestone 4: Testing and Optimization

• Objective: Ensure the platform is stable, user-friendly, and optimized for performance.

Tasks:

1. User Testing

   • Conduct user testing sessions to gather feedback on usability and functionality.
   • Make necessary adjustments based on feedback.

2. Performance Optimization

   • Optimize database queries and improve loading times.

3. Documentation and Code Quality

   • Review and refactor code for maintainability.
   • Update documentation and README files with setup instructions and features.

Milestone 5: Future Extensions and Innovations

• Objective: Explore potential partnerships and new technologies for platform enhancement.

Tasks:

1. Partnerships with Local Libraries

   • Collaborate with local libraries or bookstores to facilitate physical book exchanges and community events.

2. Mobile Application Development

   • Develop a mobile app to increase accessibility and engagement.

3. Augmented Reality (AR) Features

   • Integrate AR features to allow users to visualize book covers and their collection in their physical space.

4. Machine Learning for Content Moderation

   • Utilize machine learning to automate content moderation for reviews and user-generated content to ensure a safe environment.

5. Integration with Social Media

   • Enable users to share their book exchanges and recommendations on social media platforms to promote the community.

6. Sustainability Dashboard

   • Create a dashboard that tracks the environmental impact of book exchanges (e.g., reduction in waste, carbon footprint savings).