Wikibooks helpWelcome to Wikibooks! This page is your first step in gettinghelp to use Wikibooks, whether you want to read books or contribute in some way.
See alsoShelf:Help for books on Wikibooks and other MediaWiki help.
Welcome gives a general Wikibooks overview.What is Wikibooks? explains the scope of content, but essentially Wikibooks is a collection offree contenttextbooks hosted by theWikimedia Foundation.What is Wikijunior? is an overview of theWikijunior subproject, of non-fiction books for children; for theCookbook subproject seeCookbook FAQ. Make sure to check out thegeneral disclaimer.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) may help with queries about Wikibooks. Theglossary should be consulted for Wikibooks terminology. The bookUsing Wikibooks is a general guide to using Wikibooks. For an index of all project pages, see theWikibooks category.
If you are familiar with otherWikimedia projects such as Wikipedia,Wikibooks for Wikimedians is a helpful page; the experience will be similar as all projects use the sameMediawiki software. SeeWikimedia for the differences between the various Wikimedia projects. This project is in the English language, but see theWikibooks portal for Wikibooks projects in other languages.
For general help, seereaders' FAQ, andnavigating to learn how to navigate Wikibooks. You cansearch for books using the box below, or the box in the top right corner of every page; click on
to enter asearch dialog.
Content is first divided intodepartments, which are broad subject areas that are further subdivided intoshelves. Shelves are narrow subject areas containingbooks; click on a shelf to list its books. Shelves may containsubsection shelves. Books usually consist of multiplechapters onpages that can be edited.
A full breakdown of departments into top-level shelves can be found at theCard Catalog Office. The books believed to be the best can also be found atfeatured books. TheCookbook subproject is sorted separately.
For printing books and offline use, seeprint versions,PDF versions, andcollections. Formobile access, press themobile view link at the very bottom of everydesktop view page.
If you want to contribute,be bold and go for it using the "Edit" link at the top of a page. Make sure to include an edit summary, and please edit constructively—if you want to practise editing, try thesandbox. For substantial editing, it is recommended that you create and manage anaccount. If you are wondering how to help out,maintenance has many suggestions.
Contributing help,contributing FAQ, andediting FAQ contain basic information on contributing. Before doing so, please be aware of the policies oncopyrights,media, andneutral point of view.
The booksUsing Wikibooks andEditing Wikitext are highly recommended for contributors. Other help pages for editing include the following:
For additional help pages, see thehelp category.
Wikibooks is governed by a series of rules, calledpolicies and guidelines which apply to all contributors. They include the following:
Pages inWikibooks draft policies and guidelines category, anduseful Wikibooks pages category, may also be helpful.
If you are starting anew book, check it will be withinscope andpolicy, as otherwise it could bedeleted. To determine whether a book is within Wikibooks' scope for content, seewhat is Wikibooks? for the general policy,what is Wikijunior? for Wikijunior books, andCookbook FAQ for the Cookbook. If you are still unsure, ask atprojects reading room.
Special consideration should be given to adhering to thecopyrights,media, andneutral point of view policies, and new pages should adhere to thenaming policy.
Also see the "Editing Wikibooks" section above, especiallycontributing help,contributing FAQ, and the bookUsing Wikibooks. Also of interest isWikibooks as an aid to teaching, andrequested books for new book suggestions.
When starting a new book, consideration should be given as to whether it is better to expand or update an existing book, to avoid redundancy; check the relevant shelves for existing books on the subject.
Newly created books are automatically sorted by theWikibooks Stacks mechanism, provided thebook is added by completing theCCO Resources. Newly created pages, and page edits, can be subject topending changes review.
Queries are answered, andassistance is given, at the variousreading room forums. But first check whether your query is answered inFAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), such asproblems FAQ andadministration FAQ. Also seecontact us.
To search forhelp and project pages, use this box:
To search forbooks, use this box:
You canbrowse for books by shelves, categories, alphabetical listings, completion status, or reading level: