ARC Bookshelf vs Reading Public Library App
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ARC Bookshelf
This eReader app provides access to award-winning books designed for young learners. It supports children in Kindergarten and first grade as they develop reading confidence and independence through teacher-vetted content.
- Access to American Reading at Home books
- Designed for Kindergarten and first-grade levels
- Gradual removal of reading support
- Builds reading confidence
- Independent learning
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This easy-to-use app gives children the ability to read books from American Reading at Home, the award-winning, school-based program that has been teacher-vetted, parent-approved, and kid-tested in thousands of schools and homes across America. PLEASE NOTE: Requires an American Reading at Home account (for individuals) or SchoolPace subscription (for schools). Our books are specially designed for children learning to read at the Kindergarten and first-grade reading levels. The books work just like training wheels on a bicycle. A child will gain confidence by using books at the “just right” level of challenge; as he/she develops new skills, the “training wheels” are gradually removed. Because so much of the reading support is provided by the actual books, children can do much of the learning on their own. This provides the child with tremendous confidence and a sense of ownership of their own learning. It also makes learning to read fun and enjoyable!
Reading Public Library App
Access your local library's digital collection, search the catalog, and manage your account. Store your digital library card, browse events, and find library locations and hours.
- Search library catalog
- Access digital collection
- Manage multiple accounts
- Store digital library card
- Browse events calendar
- Find locations and hours
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With the Reading Public Library Mobile App, you can: · Request, renew, and search for items in the Library catalog · Access our digital collection · Research with our mobile databases · Manage multiple accounts and easily switch between users · Store your digital library card in your device wallet · Browse our events calendar and manage event registrations · Find locations and hours · Connect with us on social media · Reserve rooms and manage reservations · Ask us a question
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Reading Public Library App at 4.2 against ARC Bookshelf's 3.6. Reading Public Library App also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 34%). ARC Bookshelf's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (38 vs 10). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Reading Public Library App holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 38 and 10 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 34% of ARC Bookshelf's written reviews are positive against 67% of Reading Public Library App's.
ARC Bookshelf ships an update every 2 months, Reading Public Library App every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ARC Bookshelf | Reading Public Library App |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (38 ratings) | 4.2 (10 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 34.0% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 38 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | American Reading Company | Reading Public Library |
Customer experience
ARC Bookshelf
Reading Public Library App
Bugs and requests
ARC Bookshelf
Reported bugs
14 issues- Cannot make an account
- Keeps asking to log in
- Page stuck in two-page model
- Books do not load
- App closes and goes home
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- Login problems occur frequently
- Server is always down
- Crashes after first use
- Keeps crashing
- Crashing after first use
- Cannot resize to display full pages
- Cannot log in
- Incorrect password messages
- Cannot contact servers
Requested features
6 requests- Add more books
- Add more reading levels
- Add option to zoom
- Add themes
- Add bookmarks
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- Allow resizing for full pages
Reading Public Library App
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
ARC Bookshelf
No in-app purchases
Reading Public Library App
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ARC Bookshelf free?
Is Reading Public Library App free?
Which has better reviews, ARC Bookshelf or Reading Public Library App?
Do ARC Bookshelf or Reading Public Library App have ads?
Which is updated more often, ARC Bookshelf or Reading Public Library App?
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