Terms of Service

Last updated: April 5, 2026

Please read these Terms of Service ("Terms") carefully before using Libraco. By creating an account or using the Libraco platform, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the service.

1. The Service

Libraco is a free community platform that allows users to catalogue their physical book collections and connect with nearby users to borrow, lend, and exchange books. Libraco does not sell books, act as a party to any lending or exchange arrangement, handle financial transactions, or take possession of any physical item.

Libraco is currently free to use. We may introduce optional paid features or venue partnership tiers in the future; any such changes will be communicated to users in advance.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 16 years old to create an account or use Libraco. By using the service, you confirm that you meet this requirement. This age limit reflects the minimum age for consent to personal data processing under German and EU data protection law (BDSG §8 / GDPR Art. 8). If we learn that a user is under 16, we will terminate their account and delete their data.

3. Your Account

You may sign in to Libraco using Google (OAuth) or with an email address and password. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account and for keeping your credentials secure. Contact us immediately at hello@libraco.app if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

You may only hold one account per person. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent platform limits or a previous ban is a violation of these Terms.

4. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

5. User Content

You retain ownership of content you submit (book entries, reviews, uploaded photos, direct messages, etc.). By submitting content, you grant Libraco a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to store, display, and use that content solely to operate the service. This licence ends when you delete the content or your account.

You are solely responsible for ensuring your content does not infringe third-party rights, violate applicable law, or breach these Terms or our Community Guidelines.

Public visibility: Your book shelf (titles, authors, availability status, and your city and country) is visible to the public — including unauthenticated visitors — as part of Libraco's book discovery feature. Your precise location (street address, coordinates, or postal code) is never stored or shared with anyone. Your name and profile photo are only visible to logged-in users. Direct messages are private between you and the recipient.

6. AI Shelf Scan

Libraco offers an optional "Shelf Scan" feature that uses artificial intelligence (powered by OpenAI) to read book spines from a photo you upload and suggest matching titles for your shelf. By using this feature, you consent to your image being transmitted to OpenAI's API for processing.

The AI scan is provided as a convenience tool and may produce inaccurate, incomplete, or incorrect results. You are responsible for reviewing and confirming any books added to your shelf via this feature. Libraco accepts no liability for errors or omissions in AI-generated output.

Please do not upload images that contain identifiable personal information about other people (e.g., faces or other personal details beyond book spines).

7. Direct Messaging

Libraco provides a direct messaging feature that allows users to communicate privately about book exchanges. Messages are stored on Libraco's servers and are visible only to the sender and recipient.

You may block another user at any time from within the messaging interface. Blocking is immediate and permanent unless you contact us to request reversal. When you block a user:

You may also delete a conversation from your inbox. This removes the conversation from your view only; the other party's copy is unaffected. A deleted conversation re-appears in your inbox if the other user sends you a new message.

8. Book Transactions Between Users

All borrowing, lending, and exchange arrangements are made directly between users. Libraco is not a party to these arrangements, does not guarantee that any user will fulfil their commitments, and accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, theft, or dispute arising from them.

We do not verify the identity of users, the ownership of books listed, or the accuracy of book condition descriptions. Users interact at their own risk and are encouraged to exercise good judgement.

9. Offline Meetups

Libraco may suggest public venues (such as cafés, libraries, or bookstores) as convenient meetup spots. These suggestions are provided for convenience only. Libraco does not vet, endorse, or take responsibility for the safety of any specific location or any individual user.

For your safety, we recommend:

Libraco is not liable for any harm, theft, loss, or injury arising from in-person meetups between users.

10. Venue Partner Programme

Businesses such as bookstores, cafés, and libraries may apply to become a listed venue partner on Libraco. Submitting an application does not guarantee approval. Approved venues are listed in the app as suggested meetup locations. Libraco reserves the right to approve, reject, suspend, or remove any venue at its sole discretion.

11. Intellectual Property

The Libraco name, logo, and all original software and design are the intellectual property of their respective owners. You may not copy, modify, or distribute them without prior written permission.

12. Disclaimers

Libraco is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not guarantee that the service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from content posted by other users that you may find objectionable.

13. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, Libraco and its operators shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising from your use of the service or from transactions and interactions between users. This exclusion does not apply to damages caused by wilful misconduct or gross negligence, or to claims arising from personal injury — none of which can be excluded under German law.

Our total liability for any other claim arising from these Terms or your use of the service shall not exceed €50, except where mandatory consumer protection law provides otherwise.

14. Moderation and Termination

We reserve the right to remove content or suspend and terminate accounts that violate these Terms or our Community Guidelines, or that we reasonably believe pose a risk to other users or the platform. We will aim to act proportionately and, where feasible, notify you of the action taken and the reason for it.

You may deactivate or permanently delete your account at any time from your profile settings. Deactivation hides your profile and books from discovery. Permanent deletion removes your account, shelf, and personal data; historical exchange records and reviews are anonymised rather than deleted.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may revise these Terms at any time. We will post the updated Terms on this page with a new "Last updated" date and notify you of material changes through the app. Continued use of Libraco after being notified of material changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not accept the updated Terms, you should stop using Libraco and may close your account.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. Disputes shall be subject to the jurisdiction of German courts, unless mandatory consumer protection law in your country of residence provides otherwise.

17. Contact

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at hello@libraco.app.