MicsBook: a self-hosted ebook library and browser reader guide

MicsBook is a private browser ebook library at ebook.micstec.com. Browse EPUB and PDF books, read or download them, listen to EPUB text, keep personal lists and tags, save bookmarks and notes, and request missing titles. Managers maintain the shared catalog; administrators manage accounts, settings, requests, copyright reports and system alerts. A separate bookbrowser-cli client provides scriptable access.

Sign in, register and understand access

1. Open MicsBook and choose Sign in.
2. Enter the email/password supplied by your administrator, or use Google when offered.
3. If Register is available, enter Name, Email address, a password of at least ten characters, and Confirm password, then Create account.
4. Review Allow sharing book links, which controls whether your account exposes sharing actions.
5. Once signed in, open Books to browse the catalog.

On a fresh library the first registration becomes the administrator; later self-registrations become readers. That setup behavior is for a new installation, not a way to claim administration of an existing service. Registration is closed means an administrator must arrange access. Password recovery is handled by the administrator's reset controls; the reviewed interface does not provide an email-reset workflow.

Anonymous visitors normally cannot browse the whole catalog. Depending on the library's setting, a direct book link and its required downloads can remain available without a login. A sharing button therefore does not by itself tell you whether the recipient must sign in.

All screenshots below show a separate test library containing public-domain works by Lewis Carroll, Jane Austen and Arthur Conan Doyle, downloaded from Project Gutenberg. The only account shown is fictional. No production library or reader history was used. Server speech synthesis, external book imports and physical phone background behavior were not tested end to end.

Browse Books, Authors, Series and Random

Use the grid/list view controls to change how book results appear. A cover or title opens the book details; an author or series link opens that grouping. If a series is empty, the books may not include series metadata.

The catalog also accepts sort query values such as ?sort=title-asc, title-desc, author-asc, author-desc, series-asc, series-desc, seriesindex-asc, seriesindex-desc and modified-desc. These are URL options; the reviewed normal catalog does not show a separate sort dropdown. The administration Library page does have visible sort controls.

Search the catalog and inspect a book

1. Open Search, or enter text in Search Books....
2. Submit a title, author or series fragment.
3. Choose a result's title/cover to open it.
4. Review the cover, description, author, series/index, publication date and ISBN where supplied by the file metadata.
5. Choose Read to open the built-in reader or Download EPUB / Download PDF to retain the file.

Normal web search checks title, author and series case-insensitively. It does not search the full text of every book or expose the field-combination advanced-search UI suggested by older documentation. Search inside an open EPUB is a separate reader feature. The CLI supports explicit author/series search options.

Read EPUB chapters and navigate pages

1. Choose Read on an EPUB book page.
2. Wait for Loading the book… to finish. The reader can restore a previous location saved in this browser.
3. Use the previous/next buttons, left/right arrow keys, or the left/right portions of a page to turn pages.
4. Open the sidebar with its menu button; tapping the far-right edge also opens it.
5. Use the contents/list tab for chapters, the search tab for Search book..., the information tab for metadata, and settings for appearance.

The bottom location/progress controls help you see or change your position. The reader's location is browser-specific, so create an account bookmark before switching devices. A recent-book entry identifies what you read; it does not automatically synchronize the last visible EPUB page.

To search within the book, enter a word or phrase in Search book... and submit. Select a result to jump to its location. Book content and metadata quality depend on the ebook file; a malformed table of contents or unusual layout can affect navigation.

Set reader themes, font, spacing and fullscreen

Open the EPUB sidebar's settings tab.

Settings apply to the reading presentation, not to the original EPUB. Reset All uses local storage clearing, so it can also remove other locally saved site preferences and reading positions. Account bookmarks and notes remain server-side. It is better to adjust a specific setting first when only the font or contrast is wrong.

The MicsBook menu contains Home, Save, language, help and About. Hold and drag it if it covers content; the position is remembered. English/Chinese changes the interface rather than translating the entire book.

Translate selected text and look up a word

Select a word or passage in an EPUB. The selection actions offer Translate and Define.

1. Select a short passage and choose Translate for a Chinese translation.
2. For an English word, choose Define for an English dictionary entry.
3. Use the popup's language/target controls where offered, or close it to resume reading.

These are online lookups: the selected text goes to the configured public translation/dictionary endpoints. They do not translate an entire book offline. A missing word, network restriction or failed service response produces an error; preserve the original passage when a result is important.

Save bookmarks and notes while reading

1. Open MicsBook menu → Save. The panel is titled Bookmarks & notes.
2. Choose Bookmark here to save the current location.
3. To annotate a passage, select it first, choose Write note, then fill Title, Note and comma-separated Tags.
4. Choose Save note.
5. Under Saved in this book, use Go to return, Save after editing, or Delete to remove an item after confirmation.

A note can retain a quote from the current selection. Bookmarks and notes are account-private and persist on the server, while their locator identifies a position within that particular book file. Replacing a book with a different edition may make an old locator less useful.

Manage saved reading items across books

Open My Library → Bookmarks & notes, or Manage all bookmarks & notes in the reader.

1. Filter using Filter bookmarks, notes, books, or tags….
2. Edit an item's Title, Note where applicable, and Tags.
3. Choose Save changes.
4. Choose Open location to return to the corresponding EPUB/PDF location.
5. Delete removes only the saved item, not the book itself.

The common MicsBook tools are also loaded in the PDF viewer. EPUB-specific speech, reflow themes and page-turn gestures remain distinct from PDF controls.

Listen to EPUB text and choose a starting point

1. Open an EPUB and select its round Read aloud control.
2. Start from the current location, or choose Choose starting point… and select the paragraph where listening should begin.
3. Follow the highlighted spoken paragraph as the reader advances.
4. Use Pause / Resume to suspend/restart listening and Stop to end it.

Read-aloud uses text extracted from the EPUB; image-only pages have little or no usable text. The speech service must be available, and browser speech support can provide a fallback on some devices. The test session verified controls and settings but did not claim a working production voice service.

Playback options

Open Read-aloud options beside the playback button.

Lock-screen/media controls and background playback depend on browser and power settings. Installed-app mode does not guarantee unlimited screen-off playback. If a phone suspends audio, allow background activity or keep the reader visible. Cloud/server speech requires a network connection even if a book was cached.

Read and download PDF books

PDF opens in the built-in PDF.js viewer. The recovered test package was missing its pdf.js asset, so the document canvas did not render in this review, although account bookmarks saved successfully. If the viewer stays blank, use Download PDF and a local reader; an operator must restore the missing viewer asset before relying on the built-in renderer. Use its page number/navigation, zoom, fit, search and sidebar tools to move around a fixed-layout document. Depending on the browser, the viewer also offers download/print and fullscreen/presentation actions.

The shared MicsBook menu can provide account bookmarks/notes for PDF locations. EPUB reflow fonts, color themes and read-aloud are not equivalent PDF features. A scanned PDF may contain only images, so text search and selection can be absent. For a very large or unusual PDF, Download PDF and open it in a dedicated reader.

Organize private lists, tags and recently read books

My Library combines three kinds of personal catalog organization:

1. Recently read fills when you choose Read on a book. Select a card to reopen its details.
2. Under Named book lists, enter New list name and choose Create list.
3. On a book page, expand Lists & tags and select a list under Favorite lists. Its selected checkmark indicates membership; select it again to remove the book.
4. Under Your tags, enter a label and choose Add tag. Select a tag's remove control to detach it.
5. Return to My Library and select a list/tag to browse matching books.

List names accept up to 80 characters and individual book tags up to 40. A collection's remove action takes the book out of that list; Delete list removes the list while preserving the shared catalog. These private tags differ from a book's embedded author, series or subject metadata.

Request a missing book and follow its outcome

1. Choose Request a book in the navigation or request page.
2. Enter Title; optionally add Author and Details such as language, edition or ISBN.
3. Choose Submit request and wait for its confirmation.
4. Open My requests to follow the response.

The badge counts pending requests. Status starts Pending. When a manager links a newly available book, it becomes Added with a link and optional response; when the manager cannot supply it, the requester sees the Not found outcome and explanation. A request is a message to the library staff, not an automatic guarantee that the book will be acquired.

Share links, retain files and manage your profile

When your account allows sharing, expand Share this book. Use the native Share… action where supported, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, X, or Copy link. These share the book's address rather than copying its file to a social network. Anonymous access depends on the administrator's Allow anonymous direct-book links setting.

Download EPUB / Download PDF saves the original downloadable book file. MOBI uploaded through the supported converter is represented by its converted EPUB. A local download can be read outside MicsBook and is separate from the browser's offline cache.

Open your name/Profile to edit Display name, Location and About you, then Save profile. The page also shows role, sign-in method and activity information. This is not a password-change or role-escalation screen.

Understand Reader, Manager and Admin roles

The Admin link appears for library managers and administrators. The overview links to areas their role permits. A missing Users/Settings tab is usually a permissions difference rather than a broken page.

Maintain the shared library

In Admin → Library:

1. Choose an EPUB, PDF or MOBI under Upload ebook, observing the maximum shown on the form, then Upload.
2. Use Rescan library after adding files outside the web upload flow.
3. Filter by title/author, choose Type, or select Sort by to review the list.
4. Use Remove on a book only when it should leave the shared catalog.

Removal is recoverable at the filesystem level: the server moves the book to its trash directory. There is no ordinary reader-facing restore button. An operator can restore the retained file and rescan. MOBI conversion requires the server's Calibre converter; a missing converter or invalid file must be resolved by the administrator.

Add books provides an external catalog/mirror search with title, author or ISBN, selectable results and Add selected books to library. Downloads and Downloads in progress depend on external mirror availability and server configuration. This source-reviewed feature was not used for the demo; its contents are public-domain files obtained directly from Project Gutenberg. Operators should add only books they are entitled to distribute.

Resolve reader requests

In Admin → Requests, review the requested title, author, requester and notes.

1. Locate or upload an authorized copy.
2. Choose the matching book in Choose the added book…, add an optional response and Mark added.
3. If unavailable, enter the reason and choose Not available.
4. The reader can see that outcome under My requests.

The page also offers Search LibGen as an external-search shortcut. It does not automatically satisfy a request or verify distribution rights. Matching the right edition and language still requires a review.

Manage users, global settings and alerts

Users

Under Admin → Users, review account information, login/activity data and reading activity. Set Reader, Manager or Admin, toggle Active, then Save. Inactive accounts cannot continue using normal authenticated features. The last active administrator is protected against demotion/disablement.

Use the password reset controls to enter New password and Confirm password, then Set password. Reset revokes the user's browser sessions and API tokens; it is not an emailed recovery link.

Settings

Admin → Settings includes Site name, PWA app name, Allow new reader registrations and Allow anonymous direct-book links. Choose Save settings. The anonymous-links setting changes what a non-member can open from a direct URL; the account's sharing permission controls the availability of its sharing UI.

Copyright claims and system alerts

About → Report a copyright concern opens a form for claimant name/organization, contact email, book reference and a detailed claim, with an authorization confirmation. Send report submits it for administrator review. The reader menu offers the same reporting route. Submitting a report does not automatically remove a book.

Administrators review Copyright claims, update the outcome, and remove content when appropriate. System alerts records operational problems such as unavailable services; use Mark as read or Mark all as read after review. Acknowledging an alert is different from fixing the underlying problem. These reporting/alert flows were reviewed in source; no production claims or notifications were submitted.

Use bookbrowser-cli

BookBrowser is the server; bookbrowser-cli is the separate remote client. Ask the administrator for the current executable. The source lists Linux/macOS installers and a Windows binary, but the listed release host failed certificate hostname validation during this review, so a working download route needs operator confirmation. It uses the server's versioned API and the signed-in user's role.

bookbrowser-cli login --url https://ebook.micstec.com
bookbrowser-cli whoami
bookbrowser-cli books list
bookbrowser-cli books search "Alice"
bookbrowser-cli books show BOOK_ID
bookbrowser-cli books download BOOK_ID --output ./downloads/

For Google-enabled libraries, login --method google-link prints a short-lived browser approval link; google-browser also opens it. Google authentication happens in the browser, not by giving the CLI a Google password.

Downloads avoid overwriting existing files unless --force is supplied. Account role checks still apply to CLI operations. logout normally revokes the saved token before removing the profile. A failed revocation preserves the profile; --local-only explicitly removes local state alone. Credentials can come from flags, environment, an explicitly selected env file or a profile; this CLI does not automatically search parent directories for .env.

The CLI options were reviewed against the current source; the screenshot session exercised the web interface rather than a complete client acceptance test. No account token is published in this guide.

Install, work offline and get help

Install through Chrome's install/Add to Home Screen action or Safari's Share → Add to Home Screen. The installed app uses PWA app name and opens without normal browser chrome.

Previously opened resources can remain in the offline cache, but this is not a guarantee that every book, chapter, voice or account operation is available offline. Open the needed book while connected and check it before a trip; use Download for a deliberate file copy. New searches, requests and account synchronization need the server.

Use the ? user guide, About build information, or download this full manual. No rendered promo video or native app-store listing was found in the reviewed repository.

Troubleshooting

Include the About build, book title/format, device/browser and exact message in a support request. Share private account reading items only with the intended support recipient.