I am trying to figure out the best way to set up a searchable library of books. I am open to using a CMS that fits the bill, or just making the site using various scripts and a MYSQL database. Please advise me of any CMS you know of that will perform the things below, or any scripts that will help me.
Here's what the site would be:
The site would be an historical repository for 5000-10000 unique book titles. Each database entry would have the usual fields associated with a book, for example: author, title, publisher, date, pages, etc. Also associated with each book would be an "image" link that would display the book covers of all known editions of that book. As I said above, this is for research and historical preservation purposes.
Here's what it would need to be able to do initially:
1. A searchable database (mySQL) based on the normal attributes associated with books (e.g. author, title, publisher). The user must be able to easily find the book(s) s/he is looking for. They would also be able to browse by Publisher, Title and Author. I envision a Browse tab with subcategories of Publisher, Title and Author.
2. Allow users, via an input form, to submit books that aren't currently in the database, or images of books that aren't currently in the database. This part is key to the site, as I am not in possession of all of the books, so the idea is to harness the collections of the users to create a complete database. I would prefer these inputs be held in a temporary location where I can validate them before they are actually placed into the database that I have created. I don't want incorrect or duplicate entries being put into the database.
3. A forum that allows users to discuss the books and other things.
4. A method for allowing users to rate books. Once a book is located by searching or browsing, there would be a link that amounts to "Rate this Book." There would be a "Top Rated Books" page that would be created from the statistics associated with these ratings given by users.
5. A login for users so they can have a "screen ID."
Eventually, if the site catches on with the target audience, I want to add an auction capability that will allow users to buy and sell books amongst themselves. I would not be charging a commission on the sales, as Ebay does. I would probably charge a flat fee for each item listed for auction, and accounts would be settled via PayPal at the end of each calendar month. There would need to be an avenue for users to give feedback on transactions and I would need to be able to track IP addresses for security reasons.
I would appreciate any suggestions. I've looked at many CMS' listed on opensourcecms, and some look close to what I need, but many are far too complicated for what I want to do. I would need something pretty simple, database driven, but with the option of adding some form of auction site at some point.
Max Fischer
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