BookHoard Support

Shelf scanning is a Hoard+ feature. It lets you add multiple books at once by photographing a bookshelf. Tap the camera icon on the Library screen and select "Scan shelf." Point your camera at the spines of your books and take a photo.

BookHoard sends the image to an AI model which reads the titles and authors visible on the spines. You'll then see a list of recognised books to confirm before they're added to your library. The photo is not stored — it is used only for recognition and then discarded.

BookHoard analyses patterns in your library — which genres you read most, how you rate books, and what tags you use — to suggest titles you're likely to enjoy.

To generate recommendations, we send anonymised pattern data (genre breakdown, rating distributions, and tag patterns) to Anthropic's AI. For "Find Similar Books", the title of the book you are viewing is sent. We never send personal notes, your email address, or any other personally identifying information. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

Hoard+ is BookHoard's optional subscription for readers who want more. It unlocks:

• Shelf scanning — photograph a bookshelf and import multiple titles at once
• Unlimited AI-powered reading recommendations (free users get one pick per day)
• Advanced library statistics and reading insights
• Priority support

Core features — including your full library, barcode scanning, Goodreads import, the banned books shelf, Little Free Library finder, and NYT Bestseller lists — are completely free. You can view pricing and manage your subscription from Profile → Hoard+ in the app.

BookHoard tracks school book bans using data from PEN America's Index of School Book Bans, which documents every recorded ban in US schools since 2021 — over 6,000 unique titles.

If a book in your library has been banned, you'll see a 🚫 badge on its cover. Tap the badge to see how many times it's been banned, which states and school districts have banned it, and the data source.

You can also browse the full list of banned books in the Discover tab, filter by state, and see which banned titles you already own. This feature is free for all users.

The Nearby tab includes a filter for Little Free Libraries — the small community book-sharing boxes you'll find in parks, neighbourhoods, and outside homes.

BookHoard uses OpenStreetMap data to find Little Free Libraries near your current location. If none are found within the default radius, you can expand the search to 25, 50, or 100 miles. Your location is used only for the search and is never stored.

Yes — Goodreads and CSV import is free for all users. To import from Goodreads:

• On Goodreads, go to My Books → Import and Export → Export Library to download your library as a CSV file.
• In BookHoard, go to Profile → Import from Goodreads and select the file.

BookHoard will import your books, ratings, reading status, and shelves. Books on your "to-read" shelf in Goodreads will appear in your Want to Read list.

You can delete your account directly in the app. Go to Settings → Account → Delete Account. This will permanently delete your library data, account information, and all associated records from our systems.

If you're unable to access the app, email us at support@bookhoardapp.com and we will process your deletion request manually.

A few things to try if barcode scanning isn't working:

• Check your internet connection. BookHoard needs an internet connection to look up book details after scanning. Make sure you're on Wi-Fi or have mobile data.
• Improve the lighting. Scanning works best in good light. Avoid dark rooms or direct glare on the barcode. Try moving near a window.
• Hold steady and get close. Position the barcode squarely within the scan frame and hold the phone still for a moment.
• Check camera permissions. Go to your phone's Settings app, find BookHoard, and make sure camera access is enabled.

If none of these help, you can always add the book manually (see below).

To add a book without scanning, tap the + button on the Library screen and choose Search by title or author. Type the book's title or the author's name and select the correct result from the list.

If the book doesn't appear in search results, choose Add manually to enter the title, author, and other details yourself.

BookHoard supports three reading formats for each book in your library:

• Physical — a print copy you own.
• Digital — an ebook (Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, etc.).
• Audiobook — an audio edition (Audible, Libro.fm, etc.).

You can own a book in more than one format — for example, if you have both a paperback and an audiobook edition. Each format can have its own reading status and notes.

Yes. Your library is private to you. BookHoard does not sell your data, does not use your reading data for advertising, and does not share your book titles or notes with third parties.

Read our full Privacy Policy for complete details on what data is collected and how it is used.