Coming back to a four-year- codebase is always a trip. The original Bookly did the job. The structure was holding it back. It was a single-page application that tried to do much all at once. The goal for this update wasn’t just to fix problems; it was to give the platform space to grow changing to a multi-page setup while keeping the original idea of making education easy to reach.

The biggest change in the structure was splitting the site into focused pages (Home, Library, Explore and Support). This made the site load faster. Made it easier for people to find what they need.

On the side I created a solution using localStorage to build a working “Favorites” feature. People can now make their reading lists and the browser keeps track of their choices between sessions without needing a complex backend or user login. I also added a mode toggle—something that is very important for students who study late at night.

In terms of looks the user interface was updated. The old heavy sliders were replaced with endless Swiper grids. The basic loading screen was changed to a custom animation made with CSS that flips pages like a book giving the site a feel from the very first moment.

Even though using plain JavaScript makes the site super fast the next step is to add a backend. I plan to use a database, like Firebase or Supabase to handle user accounts so favorites can stay the same on different devices. Also I want to create a PDF reader that works in the browser so students can study directly on the site of downloading files helping them save space on their phones.