/curate-a-team-library

name: curate-a-team-library
description: Use when building a managed team skills library for a real stack. Map work to shelves, browse before curating, write meaningful `whyHere` notes, and create a starter pack once the first pass is solid.
category: workflow
version: 4.1.0

Curate A Team Library

Goal

Build a managed skills library that another teammate or agent can actually browse, trust, and install.

Do not hand-edit `skills.json`, `README.md`, or `WORK_AREAS.md` when the CLI already has the mutation you need.

First Move

Start with a managed workspace.

npx ai-agent-skills init-library <name>
cd <name>

Ask at most 3 short questions before acting:

• what kinds of work the library needs to support
• whether the first pass should stay small and opinionated or aim broader
• whether the output should stay local or end as a shareable GitHub repo

Shelf System

Use these 5 work areas as the shelf system:

• `frontend`: web UI, browser work, design systems, visual polish
• `backend`: APIs, data, security, infrastructure, runtime systems
• `mobile`: iOS, Android, React Native, Expo, device testing, app delivery
• `workflow`: docs, testing, release work, files, research, planning
• `agent-engineering`: prompts, evals, tools, orchestration, agent runtime design

Map the user's stack to shelves before adding anything.

• Example: `React Native + Node backend` maps to `mobile` + `backend`.
• Add `workflow` only when testing, release, docs, or research are real parts of the job.
• Add `agent-engineering` only when the team is doing AI features, prompts, evals, or tooling.
• Make sure the first pass covers every primary shelf the user explicitly named.

Discovery Loop

Browse before curating.

npx ai-agent-skills list --area <work-area>
npx ai-agent-skills search <query>
npx ai-agent-skills collections

If the user named multiple primary shelves, inspect each one before choosing skills.

Mutation Rules

Keep the first pass small: around 3 to 8 skills.

• Use `add` first for bundled picks and simple GitHub imports.
• Use `catalog` when you want an upstream entry without copying files into `skills/`.
• Use `vendor` only for true house copies the team wants to edit or own locally.

Every mutation must include explicit curator metadata like `--area`, `--branch`, and `--why`.

Good branch names:

• `React Native / UI`
• `React Native / QA`
• `Node / APIs`
• `Node / Data`
• `Docs / Release`

Bad branch names:

• `stuff`
• `misc`
• `notes`

Writing Good `whyHere`

`whyHere` is curator judgment, not filler.

• Mention the stack or workflow it supports.
• Mention the gap it fills in this library.
• Be honest about why it belongs here.

Good:

`Covers React Native testing so the mobile shelf has a real device-validation option.`

Bad:

`I want this on my shelf.`

Featured Picks

Use `--featured` sparingly.

• keep it to about 2 to 3 featured skills per shelf
• reserve it for skills you would tell a new teammate to install first

Collections

After the library has about 5 to 8 solid picks, create a `starter-pack` collection.

• Use `--collection starter-pack` while adding new skills.
• Or use `npx ai-agent-skills curate <skill> --collection starter-pack` for existing entries.
• Keep the collection small and onboarding-friendly.

Sanity Check

Before finishing:

npx ai-agent-skills list --area <work-area>
npx ai-agent-skills collections
npx ai-agent-skills build-docs

• Run `list --area` for each primary shelf you touched.
• If you created `starter-pack`, confirm the install command looks right.
• Make sure the final shelf mix still matches the user's actual stack.

Finish

Return:

• what you added
• which shelves you used and why
• which skills are featured
• what `starter-pack` contains, if you created one
• whether the library is local-only or ready to share