diff --git a/.github/workflows/backend_lint.yml b/.github/workflows/backend_lint.yml
index 1e19574..628960a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/backend_lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/backend_lint.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   lint:
-    name: Flake8 Lint
+    name: Run Flake8 Lint
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
diff --git a/backend/BookShelf/settings.py b/backend/BookShelf/settings.py
index 311898a..1ff94ac 100644
--- a/backend/BookShelf/settings.py
+++ b/backend/BookShelf/settings.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
     'django.contrib.sessions',
     'django.contrib.messages',
     'django.contrib.staticfiles',
+    'user_api',
 ]
 
 MIDDLEWARE = [
@@ -121,3 +122,4 @@
 # https://docs.djangoproject.com/en/5.1/ref/settings/#default-auto-field
 
 DEFAULT_AUTO_FIELD = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField'
+AUTH_USER_MODEL = 'user_api.User'
diff --git a/backend/db.sqlite3 b/backend/db.sqlite3
index f4563ed..e42db9e 100644
Binary files a/backend/db.sqlite3 and b/backend/db.sqlite3 differ
diff --git a/backend/requirements.txt b/backend/requirements.txt
index eec1cf1..e4134c9 100644
--- a/backend/requirements.txt
+++ b/backend/requirements.txt
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
-Django
\ No newline at end of file
+Django==5.1.1
+djangorestframework==3.15.2
+
diff --git a/backend/user_api/__init__.py b/backend/user_api/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/backend/user_api/admin.py b/backend/user_api/admin.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e44c6d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/user_api/admin.py
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+from django.contrib import admin
+
+from user_api.models import User
+
+
+@admin.register(User)
+class UserAdmin(admin.ModelAdmin):
+    list_display = (
+        'id', 'username', 'email', 'role', 'is_active',
+        'is_staff', 'is_superuser',
+    )
+    list_display_links = ('id', 'username', 'email')
+    list_filter = ('role', 'is_active', 'is_staff')
+    search_fields = ('username', 'email')
+    readonly_fields = ('id',)
diff --git a/backend/user_api/apps.py b/backend/user_api/apps.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..80d2487
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/user_api/apps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+from django.apps import AppConfig
+
+
+class UserApiConfig(AppConfig):
+    default_auto_field = 'django.db.models.BigAutoField'
+    name = 'user_api'
diff --git a/backend/user_api/migrations/0001_initial.py b/backend/user_api/migrations/0001_initial.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28e3dcb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/user_api/migrations/0001_initial.py
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.1.1 on 2024-09-06 09:40
+
+import django.utils.timezone
+from django.db import migrations, models
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    initial = True
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('auth', '0012_alter_user_first_name_max_length'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.CreateModel(
+            name='User',
+            fields=[
+                ('id', models.BigAutoField(auto_created=True, primary_key=True, serialize=False, verbose_name='ID')),
+                ('password', models.CharField(max_length=128, verbose_name='password')),
+                ('last_login', models.DateTimeField(blank=True, null=True, verbose_name='last login')),
+                ('is_superuser', models.BooleanField(default=False, help_text='Designates that this user has all permissions without explicitly assigning them.', verbose_name='superuser status')),
+                ('first_name', models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=150, verbose_name='first name')),
+                ('last_name', models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=150, verbose_name='last name')),
+                ('is_staff', models.BooleanField(default=False, help_text='Designates whether the user can log into this admin site.', verbose_name='staff status')),
+                ('is_active', models.BooleanField(default=True, help_text='Designates whether this user should be treated as active. Unselect this instead of deleting accounts.', verbose_name='active')),
+                ('date_joined', models.DateTimeField(default=django.utils.timezone.now, verbose_name='date joined')),
+                ('email', models.EmailField(max_length=254, unique=True)),
+                ('username', models.CharField(blank=True, max_length=50, null=True, unique=True)),
+                ('role', models.PositiveIntegerField(choices=[(1, 'Admin'), (2, 'Moderator'), (3, 'Reader')], default=3)),
+                ('added_date_time', models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)),
+                ('updated_date_time', models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)),
+                ('is_private', models.BooleanField(default=False)),
+                ('groups', models.ManyToManyField(blank=True, help_text='The groups this user belongs to. A user will get all permissions granted to each of their groups.', related_name='user_set', related_query_name='user', to='auth.group', verbose_name='groups')),
+                ('user_permissions', models.ManyToManyField(blank=True, help_text='Specific permissions for this user.', related_name='user_set', related_query_name='user', to='auth.permission', verbose_name='user permissions')),
+            ],
+            options={
+                'verbose_name': 'user',
+                'verbose_name_plural': 'users',
+                'abstract': False,
+            },
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/backend/user_api/migrations/0002_remove_user_is_private.py b/backend/user_api/migrations/0002_remove_user_is_private.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba707bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/user_api/migrations/0002_remove_user_is_private.py
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# Generated by Django 5.1.1 on 2024-09-06 09:45
+
+from django.db import migrations
+
+
+class Migration(migrations.Migration):
+
+    dependencies = [
+        ('user_api', '0001_initial'),
+    ]
+
+    operations = [
+        migrations.RemoveField(
+            model_name='user',
+            name='is_private',
+        ),
+    ]
diff --git a/backend/user_api/migrations/__init__.py b/backend/user_api/migrations/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/backend/user_api/models.py b/backend/user_api/models.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1f8d113
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/user_api/models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+from django.db import models
+from django.contrib.auth.models import AbstractUser, BaseUserManager
+
+
+class UserManager(BaseUserManager):
+    def create_user(self, email, password=None, **extra_fields):
+        if not email:
+            raise ValueError('The Email field must be set')
+        email = self.normalize_email(email)
+        user = self.model(email=email, **extra_fields)
+        user.set_password(password)
+        user.save(using=self._db)
+        return user
+
+    def create_superuser(self, email, password=None, **extra_fields):
+        extra_fields.setdefault('is_staff', True)
+        extra_fields.setdefault('is_superuser', True)
+        extra_fields.setdefault('is_active', True)
+
+        if extra_fields.get('is_staff') is not True:
+            raise ValueError('Superuser must have is_staff=True.')
+        if extra_fields.get('is_superuser') is not True:
+            raise ValueError('Superuser must have is_superuser=True.')
+
+        return self.create_user(email, password, **extra_fields)
+
+
+class User(AbstractUser):
+    ROLE_CHOICES = (
+        (1, 'Admin'),
+        (2, 'Moderator'),
+        (3, 'Reader'),
+    )
+
+    email = models.EmailField(unique=True)
+    username = models.CharField(
+        max_length=50,
+        unique=True,
+        blank=True,
+        null=True)  # Optional username
+    role = models.PositiveIntegerField(choices=ROLE_CHOICES, default=3)
+    added_date_time = models.DateTimeField(auto_now_add=True)
+    updated_date_time = models.DateTimeField(auto_now=True)
+
+    objects = UserManager()
+
+    USERNAME_FIELD = 'email'
+    REQUIRED_FIELDS = ['username', 'role']
+
+    def __str__(self):
+        return self.email
diff --git a/backend/user_api/tests.py b/backend/user_api/tests.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ce503c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/user_api/tests.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+from django.test import TestCase
+
+# Create your tests here.
diff --git a/backend/user_api/views.py b/backend/user_api/views.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91ea44a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/backend/user_api/views.py
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+from django.shortcuts import render
+
+# Create your views here.