Privacy policy
Last updated: October 15, 2026
We built BooksBarbecue to collect as little about you as possible. This page explains in plain language what that means.
The short version
- There are no user accounts and no sign-up.
- We do not use advertising, social media trackers or analytics cookies.
- Your saved books, reading position and display choices stay in your own browser.
- If you write to us, we use your details only to answer you.
Information we collect
Server logs. Like almost every website, our web server records basic technical information when a page is requested, such as the date and time, the page requested, your IP address and your browser type. We use this to keep the site running, to find faults and to protect it against abuse. Logs are kept for a limited time and are not used to build profiles of readers.
Popularity counters. For each book we keep a running total of page views and downloads. These are plain numbers. They are not linked to you.
Messages you send us. If you use the contact form, we receive the name, email address, topic and message you type. We email it to our team and keep a private copy so that nothing is lost. To limit spam, we also keep a short-lived counter based on a scrambled form of your IP address, so that one person cannot send a large number of messages in a short time. We use your email address only to reply to you.
Cookies and local storage
We do not set cookies. To remember your preferences, the site stores a few small items in your browser's local storage: light or dark mode, text size and typeface in the reader, the books you have saved, and the page you reached in each book. This information never leaves your device. You can remove it at any time from your browser's settings, and the site will keep working.
How we use information
- To deliver the site and keep it secure and reliable.
- To understand which books readers value, through the total counts described above.
- To reply to your messages and to review copyright notices.
- To meet legal obligations.
We do not sell your information, and we do not share it with advertisers.
Sharing and third parties
We share information only with the service providers that help us run the site, such as our hosting and email providers, and only as needed to provide those services. We may also disclose information if the law requires it. Some books or pages may link to other websites. Those sites have their own privacy practices, and we are not responsible for them.
How long we keep information
Server logs are kept for a short period and then deleted or anonymised. Contact messages are kept for as long as needed to answer them and for a reasonable time afterwards, and we delete them on request.
Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to ask what personal information we hold about you, to have it corrected or deleted, to object to how we use it, or to complain to your local data protection authority. Because we hold very little information, this will usually mean a message you sent us. Write to [email protected] and we will respond as soon as we can.
Security
We use reasonable technical measures to protect the site and the information we hold, including encrypted connections where available. No system is completely secure, so we cannot promise absolute security.
Children
The library is suitable for general audiences, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle information, we will update this page and the date at the top. Please check back from time to time.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Email [email protected] or use the contact form.