[msafi04]

This is brilliant. The NFC tag integration is clever, but the mention of using the existing tags in library books is the real killer feature here. It solves the biggest friction point of needing to buy and set up your own tags.

I can imagine a magical workflow where you just tap a library book as you leave and it’s automatically added to your 'Currently Reading' list in the app, ready to be timed. That's a fantastic bridge between the physical and digital worlds.

Really clever idea, congrats on the launch!

[wjhypo]

Thanks so much! Yes, the embedded NFC chip in library books really removes the biggest friction point: you don’t need to buy your own tags (they’re only about $0.30 each, but most people simply don’t have one at hand).

In BookPace, every NFC tag, whether it’s your own or one from a library book, is treated as a black box. The app associates the book with the unique ID of the tag. Setup takes less than a minute and only needs to be done once — after that, every tap automatically recognizes the book.

I do wish we could read more structured info directly from library tags (like title, author, or ISBN) so users don't need to add the book info in the first place, but that data is usually encoded in a vendor-specific format that varies across library systems. Even so, just leveraging the existing tag IDs already creates a surprisingly smooth bridge between the physical and digital worlds.

[msafi04]

The vendor-specific data format is a tough problem for sure, but the unique ID approach sounds like a great way to deliver a smooth user experience right now. Cheers!