Find out instantly which library has the book you want.

Library Search is an iPhone app that lets you search library collections by title, author, publisher, or ISBN, then check real-time loan availability at your favorite libraries and nearby libraries in one go. Results show Available, On Loan, or Not in Collection — color-coded for a quick read. Find libraries by browsing prefectures and cities, or let GPS locate the ones closest to you. Save favorite libraries and build a wishlist of books you want to read.

Download on the App Store

Get it on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Search by Title, Author, or ISBN

Powered by the Rakuten Books database, you can search for any book using title, author name, publisher, or ISBN — individually or in combination. Even a partial title or a fuzzy author name is enough to surface the right result.

Find Libraries by Address or GPS

Browse libraries by prefecture and city, or tap the GPS option to automatically list libraries near your current location. Each library detail page shows the address, phone number, and an interactive map so you can navigate there without leaving the app.

Check Loan Status at Favorite Libraries Instantly

Save the libraries you visit most as favorites. When you check a book's availability, the app searches your favorites and nearby libraries simultaneously and displays the loan status — Available, On Loan, or Not in Collection — for every one of them.

Wishlist — Save Books to Check Later

Tap the heart icon on any book detail page to add it to your Reading Wishlist. Your saved books store the cover image, title, author, publisher, price, release date, and description. Come back anytime to review them or jump straight to checking their availability.

Favorites and nearby libraries — searched at the same time.

When you check availability, the app combines your saved favorite libraries with libraries near your current location and queries them all in a single request. Results are split into two sections: Favorite Libraries and Nearby Libraries. Favorite libraries always appear in the results — even if the book is not in their collection, they show "Not in Collection" so you have a complete picture without any guesswork.

FAVORITE
LOCATE

Two ways to find a library — address or GPS.

The Library Search screen offers two options. "Search by Address" lets you drill down from a prefecture list to a city list and browse libraries in that area. "Nearby Libraries" requests location permission and immediately fetches the libraries closest to you. Library detail pages include an embedded map, address, and phone number, and a heart icon to add the library to your favorites in one tap.

Color-coded availability — read the result at a glance.

Loan status results are color-coded: green for Available to borrow, orange for On Loan or other checked-out statuses, and gray for Not in Collection. The color makes it immediately obvious which library to head to — no squinting at text required. Favorite libraries always appear in the list regardless of availability so nothing is ever hidden.

STATUS
WISHLIST

Save books to your wishlist and check them later.

Every book in the search results has a heart icon in the detail view. Tap it to save the book to your Reading Wishlist. The wishlist stores the cover photo, title, author, publisher, price, release date, description, and ISBN locally on your device. Open the wishlist anytime from the main menu, tap a book to see its details, and go straight to checking availability. Swipe to remove a book from the list.

Search the book. Find the library.
Check if it's available.

3 Steps to Get Started

1
Search for a book and save your favorite libraries

Open the Book Search screen and enter a title, author, publisher, or ISBN. Browse the results and tap any book to see its details. At the same time, use the Library Search screen to find libraries near you by address or GPS, and save the ones you visit regularly with the heart icon.

2
Tap "Check Availability at Libraries" on the book detail page

From the book detail screen, tap the "Check Availability at Libraries" button at the bottom. The app will ask for location permission, then search your favorite libraries and nearby libraries simultaneously. Loan status results appear grouped by favorites and nearby, color-coded for quick scanning.

3
Head to a library showing Available

Any library showing "Available" in green is ready for your visit. Favorites always show in the results — even "Not in Collection" in gray — so you get a complete status report for every library you care about in one view. Add books to your wishlist with the heart icon, and remove them anytime with a swipe.

Get it on the App Store

Download on the App Store

What Users Are Saying

"I check this app before every library trip. I have three libraries near home saved as favorites, so I can see at a glance which one has the book available in green. No more wasted trips — it's genuinely changed how I use libraries."

— avid_reader_nakamura

"The ISBN search is a killer feature. I scan books at bookstores and instantly check if my local library has them. I add ones that aren't available yet to my wishlist and check back later. It's saved me a lot of money on books I would have just bought impulsively."

— budget_reader_yoshida

"I love the GPS library search. When I'm out and suddenly want a specific book, I just open the app, check availability, and get directions to the nearest library that has it. The map on the library detail page means I never have to look it up separately."

— on_the_go_reader_suzuki

Frequently Asked Questions

Find answers to common questions below.

QHow do I search for a book?
AOpen the Book Search screen from the main menu. Enter any combination of title, author name, publisher, or ISBN and tap Search. At least one field must be filled in. Results are pulled from the Rakuten Books database — partial matches work fine for title and author.
QHow do I check which libraries have a book available?
ATap a book in the search results to open its detail page, then tap the "Check Availability at Libraries" button at the bottom. The app will request location permission and then search your saved favorite libraries and nearby libraries at the same time. If you decline location permission but have favorite libraries saved, the search still runs for your favorites.
QHow do I save a library as a favorite?
AGo to Library Search, find the library you want by address or GPS, and tap it to open the detail page. Tap the heart icon in the top-right corner of the screen. The library is saved immediately. You can view and manage your favorites from the "Favorite Libraries" item in the main menu — swipe left on an entry to delete it.
QHow does the Reading Wishlist work?
ATap the heart icon on any book detail page to add the book to your Reading Wishlist. Open the Wishlist from the main menu to see all saved books. Tap any book to go back to its detail page and check availability. Swipe left on a book in the list to remove it.
QWhat happens if I deny location permission?
AIf location access is denied, the app cannot find nearby libraries automatically. However, if you have libraries saved as favorites, the availability search still works — it queries your favorites and shows results for those. If no favorites are saved and location is denied, an error message will explain what to do. You can grant location access at any time from the iOS Settings app.

Get it on the App Store

Download on the App Store
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