Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account or using Agathos Books, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use our service.

These Terms apply to all users of Agathos Books, including individuals, families, churches, schools, organizations, library administrators, and members.

2. Description of Service

Agathos Books is a platform that enables individuals, families, churches, schools, and organizations to manage book collections, facilitate book sharing, and discover nearby libraries. The service includes book cataloging, lending and borrowing workflows, in-app messaging tied to loan conversations, dispute resolution tools, reading activity tracking, library management tools, and community features. The service is available through our website and through our native iOS and Android apps.

We provide the technology platform and tools. We do not curate, approve, or control the content of individual libraries. Library administrators are solely responsible for managing their library's book collection, members, and policies.

The service is provided "as is" and "as available." We do not guarantee uninterrupted access, error-free operation, or compatibility with all devices or browsers.

3. User Accounts and Authentication

Account Creation

• You must provide accurate and complete information when creating your account
• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account credentials
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
• One person may not maintain more than one account
• You must provide a valid display name

Authentication Methods

We use passwordless authentication methods including email verification and phone verification via one-time codes. You are responsible for maintaining access to your verified email address and/or phone number.

Eligibility

• You must be at least 13 years old to create an account
• Users under 13 are prohibited from using our service in compliance with COPPA
• You must accurately confirm your age during account creation
• Optional parental supervision is available for users ages 13-17
• Misrepresenting your age may result in account termination

4. Library System

The platform supports both public and private libraries across various types including church libraries, school/educational libraries, home libraries, and community/organization libraries. Library administrators are responsible for managing their library's content, members, and policies.

• You are responsible for your conduct within libraries and adherence to library policies
• Library administrators may remove members who violate library rules
• You must provide accurate information when joining libraries
• Library settings and policies may change at the discretion of administrators
• Libraries may be deleted by owners, with a 90-day grace period for recovery

Member Discovery

Within libraries, members may have profiles visible to other library members based on their privacy settings. Profile visibility is controlled on a per-library basis. You control what information appears on your profile.

5. Book Lending and Borrowing

The platform facilitates book lending between users and within libraries. Loans move through a lifecycle that may include requests, queue offers, approvals, pickup, checkout, return, extensions, recalls, and disputes. You are responsible for maintaining the condition of books you borrow and returning them according to library and book-owner policies.

• You are responsible for returning borrowed books in good condition and on time
• Late fees or replacement costs may apply as determined by libraries or book owners
• You must respond promptly to loan requests, queue offers, and reminder notifications
• Book availability is not guaranteed; books may be claimed by other borrowers in a queue
• Borrowers may request loan extensions and lenders may recall books early; either party may open a formal dispute when a loan cannot be resolved through messaging
• Disputes may include proof photos and other evidence. Library administrators or our team may review disputes that occur within libraries, but we do not arbitrate disputes between users
• Your lending reliability is tracked based on your loan history and may be visible to book owners when you request books

In-App Messaging on Loans

The platform includes in-app messaging tied to active loans and loan requests. Messaging lets you coordinate pickup, return, condition issues, and other loan-related matters with the other party to a loan or, for library-owned loans, with the library's administrators. You may also start a separate escalation thread with library administrators when you need help resolving an issue.

• Visibility. Peer-to-peer messages on member-owned loans are visible to the borrower, the lender, and our staff (for safety and moderation); they are not visible to library administrators unless you start an escalation thread. Library-owned loan conversations are visible to administrators of the relevant library. Escalation threads are visible only to the escalating user and the library's administrators
• Conduct. You agree not to send harassing, abusive, deceptive, spammy, unlawful, or threatening messages, or content that violates these Terms or any library's policies
• Moderation. An automated moderation system may flag, hold, or block messages it judges to be unsafe. You may not attempt to evade moderation, message reports, or user blocks
• Reporting. You may report messages that violate these Terms. Reports are reviewed by library administrators or our team, who may take action including deleting the message or restricting the sender's ability to message
• Blocking. You may block other users. A block applies in both directions and across the platform: while it is in place, neither party may send new messages to threads you share, request or be offered loans from each other, or see the other's reading activity in their community feed. The blocked user's public profile is reduced to name and avatar from the blocker's perspective. Existing loans that are already in progress complete normally. You can unblock someone from their profile page or in Settings → Blocked Users
• Deletion and retention. You may delete your own messages. Deleted messages are removed from the conversation, but the content may be retained in our systems for a reasonable period for moderation, safety review, and dispute resolution. Messages associated with active disputes or moderation reviews may be retained until the matter is resolved
• Minor safety. For users ages 13–17, direct loan messaging is off by default for new accounts. The minor (when unsupervised) or their supervisor (when one is added) can turn it on or off at any time in Settings. When direct messaging is off, the composer is hidden on borrower-to-lender and borrower-to-library conversations, but existing message history stays readable and an escalation thread with library administrators remains available so the user can always reach a human for help. Conversations that involve a user under 18 are always screened by our automated moderation system regardless of other settings

6. Acceptable Use

Prohibited Activities

You agree to use Agathos Books only for lawful purposes. You agree NOT to:

• Use the service for any unlawful purpose
• Post or share content that is offensive, harmful, or inappropriate
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the service or other users' accounts
• Interfere with or disrupt the service, servers, or networks
• Use automated systems to access the service without permission
• Share your account credentials with others
• Misrepresent your identity or library membership
• Abuse the notification system
• Manipulate reliability scores or game the lending system
• Upload or share copyrighted material without permission
• Circumvent subscription limits or payment requirements
• Harass, threaten, or abuse other users through messages or any other feature of the service
• Send spam, phishing, scam content, or unsolicited solicitations through in-app messaging
• Attempt to evade automated message moderation, message reports, or user blocks
• Impersonate library administrators, other users, or our staff

Account Suspension

We reserve the right to suspend accounts that violate these Terms. Suspended accounts cannot log in and their content is hidden from other users. Account data is preserved pending review or reinstatement.

7. User Content

• You retain ownership of content you submit (notes, tags, reading activity)
• You grant us a license to use, display, and distribute your content on our platform
• You are responsible for ensuring your content is accurate and does not violate these Terms
• We reserve the right to remove content that violates these Terms

8. Communications

We send notifications about loan requests, library updates, due dates, and service announcements. You can customize notification preferences, but some essential communications cannot be disabled.

• SMS notifications require your explicit consent and may incur carrier charges
• You can opt out of SMS by replying STOP to any message
• We implement quiet hours (10 PM – 8 AM local time) for non-urgent notifications
• You are responsible for keeping your contact information current

9. Intellectual Property

• Agathos Books and its features are protected by copyright and intellectual property laws
• Book information and cover images are used under fair use or with proper licensing from third-party APIs
• You may not copy, distribute, or create derivative works from our platform without permission
• User-generated content remains the property of the user who created it

10. Minor Safety

Age Verification

• All users must confirm they are at least 13 years old during signup
• We do not collect birthdates or specific age information
• Users self-declare their age bracket (13-17 or 18+)

Parental Supervision

• Users ages 13-17 may optionally add a parent or guardian as their account supervisor
• Supervision is controlled by the minor and can be removed at any time
• Supervisors can view supervised accounts' basic information and library participation, and can toggle the minor's profile visibility and direct loan messaging settings from the Supervised Accounts dashboard
• Some institutions may require supervision as a condition of participation

Privacy Protections for Minors

• Users ages 13-17 receive private activity settings by default
• For users ages 13-17, direct loan messaging is off by default for new accounts; the minor (or their supervisor, if any) controls the setting. Escalation threads with library administrators remain available either way
• Contact information (email, phone) is protected for all users

No Guarantee of Minor Safety

While we provide age-appropriate privacy controls and optional supervision features, we do not guarantee the safety of minors using our platform. Parents and guardians are responsible for monitoring their children's online activities. Libraries and organizations using our platform for youth programs are solely responsible for their own supervision, safety protocols, and compliance with applicable laws. We are a technology platform and do not supervise minors or ensure age-appropriate content within user-created libraries.

11. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection and use of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

12. Subscriptions and Payments

Subscription Tiers

We offer free and paid subscription tiers for libraries. Paid subscriptions are processed through our payment processor, Paddle (as merchant of record). Current pricing is available on our website and is subject to change.

Billing

• Subscriptions are billed monthly or annually in advance
• You authorize recurring charges to your payment method
• Paddle handles all payment processing, receipts, and tax compliance
• You can manage your subscription through our customer portal

Cancellation

• You can cancel your subscription at any time
• Access continues until the end of the current billing period
• Upon expiration, your library is downgraded to free tier limits
• Your data is preserved but growth may be restricted by free tier limits

13. Service Availability

• We strive to provide reliable service but do not guarantee 100% uptime
• We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the service at any time
• These Terms may be updated; continued use constitutes acceptance
• Maintenance and updates may cause temporary service interruptions
• We use third-party services that may affect availability

14. Limitation of Liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, AGATHOS BOOKS AND JADE SYSTEMS LLC SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR:

• Indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
• Loss of profits, data, or business opportunities
• Damages resulting from your use or inability to use the service
• Actions or omissions of library administrators or other users
• Loss or damage to books during the lending process
• Disputes between users regarding book lending
• Any damages arising from third-party services or integrations
• Data loss, corruption, or unauthorized access
• Interactions between minors and other users on the platform
• Content created or shared by library administrators or members
• Content, accuracy, or harm of messages sent by other users through in-app messaging
• Failures, delays, errors, or outcomes of our automated message moderation system
• Decisions by library administrators or our staff to remove, hold, allow, or retain a message or report
• Supervision or monitoring of minor users' activities
• Age verification accuracy or misrepresentation by users
• Library policy enforcement or disputes

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF $100 OR THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE CLAIM.

15. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Agathos Books, Jade Systems LLC, and their officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from: (a) your use of the service; (b) your violation of these Terms; (c) your violation of any third-party rights; (d) your violation of any applicable laws; or (e) content you submit or share. This indemnification obligation survives termination of these Terms.

16. Account Deletion

Self-Service Account Deletion

You may delete your account at any time from your profile settings. Before deletion is permitted:

• You must return all borrowed books and resolve any active loans
• You must transfer ownership of any libraries you own or delete them
• You must type "DELETE" to confirm the deletion

Effect of Deletion

• Your profile, reading history, book collection, and personal data are permanently deleted
• Your library memberships are removed
• If you supervise any minor accounts, they will lose their supervisor connection
• This action is permanent and cannot be undone
• We may retain a limited subset of records — including the content of messages you sent, moderation actions taken on your account, and dispute records — in a form sufficient to support safety, moderation, dispute resolution, and legal compliance after your account is deleted

Account Termination by Us

• We may terminate or suspend accounts that violate these Terms
• We may retain certain information as required by law
• Inactive accounts may be deleted after 2 years of inactivity

Effect of Termination

Termination does not affect outstanding obligations or liabilities. Sections that by their nature should survive termination will remain in effect.

17. Refund Policy

You may request a full refund within 14 days of your initial subscription purchase, no reason required. After 14 days, subscription fees are non-refundable except in cases of billing errors or extended service outages. Refunds trigger immediate downgrade to free tier. For details, see our Refund Policy.

18. Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes by:

• Posting the updated Terms on our platform
• Updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• For material changes, notifying users via email or in-app notification

Your continued use of the service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

19. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any legal action arising under these Terms will be brought exclusively in the courts of Texas.

For disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the service, you agree to first attempt resolution through good-faith negotiation. If negotiation fails, disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association. The arbitration will be conducted in Texas, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. You waive any right to participate in class action lawsuits or class-wide arbitration.

20. Contact Information

For questions about these Terms of Service:

We will respond within 5 business days.