# Managing Multiple RelayBooks Most members end up with more than one book. A personal one, a work one, maybe one for a side project. Each book is its own separate contact collection, shared with different people, with its own labels and permissions. > [!quote] Separate by purpose, not by app > Different parts of your life need different contact books. RelayBook keeps them all in one place -- without mixing them together. ## How Books Appear in the Sidebar Every book you own or belong to appears in the **book rail** -- the vertical sidebar on the left side of the app. - Click any book to switch to it instantly - Each book shows its colour and icon so you can tell them apart at a glance - Use `Cmd + 1–9` (Mac) or `Ctrl + 1–9` (Windows) to jump between books by position - Books you own appear separately from team books (team books are grouped under their team name) The sidebar also shows how many contacts are in each book, so you always know what you're looking at. ## Creating a New Book Click the **+** button at the top of the book rail and give the book a name. You can choose a colour and icon to make it visually distinct. There's no limit on the number of books you can create on Pro and Team plans. The Free plan includes one book. ## Keeping Books Separate Each book is completely independent: - **Contacts don't cross over.** A contact in your Work book doesn't appear in your Family book unless you add them to both. - **Labels are per-book.** A "VIP" label in one book has nothing to do with a "VIP" label in another. - **Members are per-book.** Sharing one book doesn't give anyone access to your other books. - **Custom fields are per-book.** Fields you create for a client book won't appear in your personal book. > [!tip] When to create a new book > A good rule: if you'd share a group of contacts with different people than your other contacts, they belong in their own book. Your family contacts and your work contacts rarely need the be shared with the same people. ## Practical Setups **Personal + work** A personal book for family, friends, and household contacts -- shared with your partner. A separate work book for clients and colleagues -- shared with your business partner or team. Each book has its own labels, and neither bleeds into the other. **Multiple client books** Some people keep a separate book for each client or project. This works well when each client has a distinct set of contacts and you want clear separation. Labels work better when the contacts all have something in common; books work better when they're fundamentally different groups. **Home services** A dedicated book for tradespeople, local businesses, and service providers -- separate from your personal contacts. Shared with your household so anyone can call the right person when something breaks. ## Switching Between Books Click any book in the sidebar to switch to it. Your current view (contact list, labels, search) resets to that book's state. Each book remembers where you left off. > [!note] Searching across books > Standard search is scoped to the current book. To find a contact across all your books, use global search (keyboard shortcut `Cmd/Ctrl + K`). ## Reordering and Organising Books Drag books in the sidebar to reorder them. Put the ones you use most at the top. The order is personal -- it doesn't affect what other members see. > [!success] The Key Idea > Books give you clean separation between different parts of your life. Create one for each distinct group of contacts, share it with the right people, and keep everything else in its own place. The sidebar makes switching between them instant. --- **Related:** [[Books]] · [[Labels & Categorization]] · [[Team Collaboration/Inviting Members|Inviting Members]] · [[Core Concepts/Roles & Permissions|Roles & Permissions]]