Community Book Donation and Exchange Portal

Millions of readable books sit idle on shelves while other readers buy new copies — a waste of money and paper. Informal giveaways on society chat groups don't scale: no catalog, no condition information, no logistics, and no incentive to keep donating. This project formalizes giving as a circular library: a searchable catalog of donated books with condition grades, volunteer pickup scheduling within 48 hours, hub-based quality checks, 30-day lending cycles with due-date reminders, and a karma system where donations and on-time returns earn priority on popular titles. Books keep moving instead of gathering dust, and donors can watch their impact grow.

1. A donor lists a book with title, author, genre, condition and pickup address.
2. The matcher assigns the nearest available volunteer, who collects the book within 48 hours.
3. The hub verifies condition and shelves the book; it appears in the catalog with its grade badge.
4. A requester browses or searches and requests the book, creating a 30-day loan with a due date.
5. Volunteers handle the delivery leg; reminders go out before the due date.
6. On-time returns re-enter the catalog; karma accrues to donor, returner and volunteer.

Tech stack:

• Python (Django/Flask) or Node.js web application
• MySQL/PostgreSQL for books, members, loans, karma ledger
• HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript mobile-friendly frontend
• Maps integration for volunteer-to-donor matching
• Email/SMS reminders for pickups, due dates and overdues

• [60-second donation listing] Title, author, genre, condition and pickup address — done in a minute.
• [Volunteer pickup matching] Nearest available volunteer assigned; pickup within 48 hours.
• [Condition grading] Hub verifies Like-new / Good / Acceptable before cataloging.
• [Searchable catalog] Filter by genre, condition and area; request in one click.
• [Lending lifecycle] 30-day loans with due-date reminders, returns and overdue handling.
• [Karma engine] Donations, on-time returns and volunteering earn points that prioritize popular-title requests.
• [Impact dashboards] Books rehomed, karma balance and community stats per member.

• Complete circulation portal (member, volunteer, hub modules)
• Lending-lifecycle logic with due-date and overdue handling
• Karma points engine with priority queues
• Volunteer matching workflow
• Project report PDF (circular-economy workflow design)
• PPT presentation for final review
• Viva Q&A preparation document (matching, lifecycle states, incentives)

• Volunteer availability in the demo is simulated; real operations need a volunteer roster.
• Maps-based matching needs a maps API key at deployment.
• The karma economy is indicative; point values are configurable, not empirically tuned.
• Rare or high-value books may need deposit handling, which is out of scope.
• Inter-city hub transfers are future scope; the build is single-hub.