How Guardian Works

The Guardian Book System is an easy to use web based computer system for managing your used rare and out-of-print business.

Getting started is easy:
All you need to do is fill out an application form, send us your book database in any text based format and we'll have your web site set up within 3 business days. Help is only a click, email or phone call away.

Your Database:
Your database is stored in a computer hosting facility using state of the art technology. A constant (online) backup of your database is also made to a second (off-site) computer hosting facility.

Your Web Site within Guardian:
Once you have an account on Guardian all of your bookstore operations are performed on a web site within the Guardian umbrella web site.

Your Web Site address:
The web address (or URL) of your hosted web site with be YourSiteName.guardbsys.net. The first part of this address (YourWebSiteName) can be any name you want. For example we named the web site where you can take a tour of Guardian, The Phoenix Bookshop. We chose the word phoenix to be the first part of its web address as follows:

  • phoenix.guardbsys.net

Data protection:
All non-public pages in your site are protected by User IDs and passwords. You (or your staff) must sign on to the site in order to manage any of your store's information. User IDs are simply the email address of the user. There are two levels of security within a bookstore, management and staff. The management level has privileges to some tools that staff do not. For example: financial reporting.

You database is not at risk:
No information is required to be stored on your computer. If your computer crashes, your basement is flooded or your laptop falls off a window ledge (heaven forbid) your bookstore information is safe. For your own piece of mind you can periodically create a HomeBase (tm) backup of all of your current bookstore information.

Guardian does not require anything special to run:
The only requirement we have is that you must use web browsers that support both cookies and JavaScript. We recommend the latest versions of Microsoft IE or Mozilla Firefox.