Book Buddy
Book Buddy digitizes the traditional library experience. Users can explore a vast collection of books, filter by categories, and borrow books digitally — eliminating the friction of physical library checkout entirely.
Main Technology Stack
The Problem
Traditional library systems are slow, opaque, and geographically limited. Borrowers have no visibility into availability, and the checkout process requires a physical visit, a form, and a librarian.
The Approach
Built a full-stack web app with a clean browse/filter UX, a real-time borrowing state machine using MongoDB transactions, and a secure auth system via Better-Auth. Designed the borrow flow to be self-evident — zero learning curve.
The Result
A fully functional digital library platform with book browsing, category filtering, user authentication, and a digital borrow/return system with due date tracking.
Challenges Faced
The trickiest part was building an atomic borrow system — preventing two users from borrowing the same last copy simultaneously. I solved it with MongoDB transactions and an optimistic locking pattern on the book status field.
Future Plans
Add real-time availability notifications via WebSockets, a recommendation engine based on borrow history, and a mobile app using React Native.