Roles and Permissions
Understand OpenLib roles, what each role can do, and how users progress from community member to maintainer or team member.
OpenLib uses roles to separate everyday community features from trusted moderation and site management work.
Role ladder #
The public role ladder is:
- User
- Contributor
- Maintainer
- OpenLib Team
- Admin
Each step adds more trust and responsibility. Contributor can be earned through useful activity. Maintainer, OpenLib Team, and Admin should remain human-approved.
What each role means #
| Role | Purpose |
|---|---|
| User | Browse, review, submit, report, and suggest edits |
| Contributor | Recognized community member with useful contribution history |
| Maintainer | Trusted reviewer for content quality and moderation |
| OpenLib Team | Official team account or team member with broader site authority |
| Admin | Highest operational role for site and user management |
Permission groups #
OpenLib groups permissions by responsibility.
Content moderation can include:
- Reviewing submissions.
- Reviewing edit requests.
- Handling reports.
- Removing abusive reviews.
- Restricting unsafe listings.
Site management can include:
- Managing broader OpenLib pages.
- Accessing team operations.
- Handling trusted administrative workflows.
User management should stay limited to admins.
How role applications work #
Users can apply for higher trust roles when they have a clear contribution history. Applications should explain what the user wants to help with and show examples of previous contributions.
Maintainers reviewing role applications should check:
- Contribution history.
- Quality of edits or submissions.
- Communication style.
- Understanding of OpenLib guidelines.
- Risk if the role is granted.
Contributor role #
Contributor is a recognition role. It tells other users that someone has helped improve OpenLib.
Contributor status does not mean every future edit should skip review. Trust is earned continuously.
Maintainer role #
Maintainers protect content quality. They should be careful, evidence-driven, and willing to leave notes for future reviewers.
Maintainers should not use permissions to promote their own projects unfairly.
OpenLib Team role #
OpenLib Team represents official project stewardship. Team members can help with operations, documentation, project direction, and high-trust content decisions.
Admin role #
Admins handle sensitive operations. Admin access should be rare, logged when possible, and granted only when the person needs that level of control.
Related docs #
Contributors
- OpenLib Team