1. About the Service

The Open Shelf Library is a community lending library that provides access to Hebrew-language books for readers in the greater Boston area and surrounding communities. The service is operated as a volunteer-run community project by Ayelet Geri, with the intention of establishing a formal non-profit organization in the future.

The service includes a web application for browsing the catalog, managing your account, and borrowing books, as well as the physical lending of books from the library's collection.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years of age (or the minimum age required to manage a Google Account in your country, whichever is higher) to create an account and use the service, because we use Google for authentication.

Children under 13 are welcome to borrow and enjoy books from our library through a parent or legal guardian's account. The parent or guardian is responsible for all activity conducted through their account, including loans made on behalf of their children.

3. Accounts

To access certain features of the service, you must sign in using a Google account. By signing in, you agree to provide accurate information and to keep your account credentials secure.

Each person should maintain only one account. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms, are used fraudulently, or are inactive for an extended period, with reasonable notice where possible.

4. Borrowing Books

When you borrow a book from The Open Shelf Library, you agree to treat it with care and return it within the loan period specified at the time of borrowing.

Books in our collection are community resources. We ask that you return borrowed books in the same condition you received them. If a book is lost or significantly damaged while in your possession, we may ask you to replace it or contribute to its replacement cost.

We reserve the right to set and adjust loan periods, borrowing limits, and other lending policies at our discretion.

Physical pickup/return: Book handoffs may happen in person (for example, at a mutually agreed public location). You are responsible for your own safety and belongings during pickup/return. We are not responsible for third-party actions, travel incidents, or events outside our control.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree to use the service respectfully and in good faith. You may not:

• Attempt to access another member's account or personal information.
• Use the service for any commercial purpose without our written permission.
• Interfere with the operation of the website or its underlying infrastructure.
• Misrepresent your identity or provide false information.

6. Intellectual Property

The content of the website, including its design, text, and graphics (but not the books themselves), is the property of The Open Shelf Library project and is provided for your personal, non-commercial use in connection with the service.

The books in our collection are the property of The Open Shelf Library or have been donated to the library. Book metadata, cover images, and descriptions may be sourced from third-party databases and are used under their respective terms.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

The Open Shelf Library is a volunteer-run community project. The service is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, either express or implied.

We do our best to maintain the service and keep our catalog accurate, but we do not guarantee that the website will be available at all times, that book availability information will always be current, or that the service will be free of errors.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, The Open Shelf Library project and its operator shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of or inability to use the service.

Our total liability for any claim arising from these terms or the service is limited to the amount, if any, you have paid to use the service.

9. Privacy

Your use of the service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your personal information, including account closure, data retention, and backups. By using the service, you agree to our collection and use of information as described in the Privacy Policy.

10. Changes to These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this document and, for significant changes, notify you through the website or by email.

Your continued use of the service after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms. If you do not agree with the changes, you should stop using the service and contact us to close your account.

11. Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

12. Dispute Resolution and Venue

If you have a concern or dispute, please contact us first and we will try to resolve it informally.

If we cannot resolve the issue informally, you and we agree that any legal action must be brought in the state or federal courts located in Massachusetts, and you consent to personal jurisdiction there. Either party may bring an eligible claim in small claims court.

13. Contact

If you have any questions about these terms, please contact us at openshelflibrary@gmail.com.