diff --git a/src/screens/library/LibraryScreen.tsx b/src/screens/library/LibraryScreen.tsx
index beea9ec0..89e457f9 100644
--- a/src/screens/library/LibraryScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/library/LibraryScreen.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import {
 import {
   SearchbarV2,
   Button,
+  EmptyView,
+  ErrorScreenV2,
   SafeAreaView,
   TopTabBar,
 } from '@components/index';
@@ -86,6 +88,7 @@ const LibraryScreen = ({ navigation }: LibraryScreenProps) => {
     categories,
     refetchLibrary,
     isLoading,
+    error: libraryError,
     settings: {
       showNumberOfNovels,
       downloadedOnlyMode,
@@ -258,9 +261,7 @@ const LibraryScreen = ({ navigation }: LibraryScreenProps) => {
           )
         : unfilteredNovels;
 
-      return isLoading ? (
-        <SourceScreenSkeletonLoading theme={theme} />
-      ) : (
+      return (
         <>
           {searchText ? (
             <Button
@@ -286,14 +287,12 @@ const LibraryScreen = ({ navigation }: LibraryScreenProps) => {
       );
     },
     [
-      isLoading,
       library,
       navigation,
       pickAndImport,
       searchText,
       searchLower,
       styles.globalSearchBtn,
-      theme,
     ],
   );
 
@@ -493,7 +492,20 @@ const LibraryScreen = ({ navigation }: LibraryScreenProps) => {
       ) : null}
 
       <SelectionContext.Provider value={selectionContextValue}>
-        {categories.length ? (
+        {isLoading ? (
+          <SourceScreenSkeletonLoading theme={theme} />
+        ) : libraryError ? (
+          <ErrorScreenV2
+            error={libraryError}
+            actions={[
+              {
+                iconName: 'refresh',
+                title: getString('common.retry'),
+                onPress: refetchLibrary,
+              },
+            ]}
+          />
+        ) : categories.length ? (
           <TabView
             commonOptions={{
               label: renderLabel,
@@ -506,7 +518,18 @@ const LibraryScreen = ({ navigation }: LibraryScreenProps) => {
             initialLayout={{ width: layout.width }}
           />
         ) : (
-          <SourceScreenSkeletonLoading theme={theme} />
+          <EmptyView
+            theme={theme}
+            icon="Σ(ಠ_ಠ)"
+            description={getString('libraryScreen.emptyCategory')}
+            actions={[
+              {
+                iconName: 'compass-outline',
+                title: getString('browse'),
+                onPress: () => navigation.navigate('Browse'),
+              },
+            ]}
+          />
         )}
       </SelectionContext.Provider>
 
diff --git a/src/screens/library/hooks/__tests__/useLibrary.test.ts b/src/screens/library/hooks/__tests__/useLibrary.test.ts
index 85b841fe..f7d6de47 100644
--- a/src/screens/library/hooks/__tests__/useLibrary.test.ts
+++ b/src/screens/library/hooks/__tests__/useLibrary.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
-import { act, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react-native';
+import { act, renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react-native';
+import { useFocusEffect } from '@react-navigation/native';
 
-import { getLibraryNovelsQuery } from '@database/queries/LibraryQueries';
+import {
+  getLibraryNovelsFromDb,
+  getLibraryNovelsQuery,
+} from '@database/queries/LibraryQueries';
+import { getCategoriesFromDb } from '@database/queries/CategoryQueries';
 import { NovelInfo } from '@database/types';
 import { useLiveQuery } from '@database/manager/liveQuery';
 import { useLibrary } from '../useLibrary';
@@ -49,8 +54,21 @@ const mockGetLibraryNovelsQuery = getLibraryNovelsQuery as jest.MockedFunction<
 const mockUseLiveQuery = useLiveQuery as jest.MockedFunction<
   typeof useLiveQuery
 >;
+const mockGetLibraryNovelsFromDb =
+  getLibraryNovelsFromDb as jest.MockedFunction<typeof getLibraryNovelsFromDb>;
+const mockGetCategoriesFromDb = getCategoriesFromDb as jest.MockedFunction<
+  typeof getCategoriesFromDb
+>;
+const mockUseFocusEffect = useFocusEffect as jest.MockedFunction<
+  typeof useFocusEffect
+>;
 
 describe('useLibrary', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockGetLibraryNovelsFromDb.mockResolvedValue([]);
+    mockGetCategoriesFromDb.mockResolvedValue([]);
+  });
+
   it('updates the library when the reactive Novel query changes', () => {
     let onLibraryChange: ((novels: NovelInfo[]) => void) | undefined;
     mockUseLiveQuery.mockImplementation((_query, fireOn, callback) => {
@@ -78,4 +96,26 @@ describe('useLibrary', () => {
     );
     expect(result.current.library).toEqual([updatedNovel]);
   });
+
+  it('stops loading and exposes database errors', async () => {
+    const databaseError = new Error('Failed to load categories');
+    mockGetCategoriesFromDb.mockRejectedValueOnce(databaseError);
+    mockUseFocusEffect.mockImplementationOnce(callback => {
+      callback();
+    });
+
+    const { result } = renderHook(useLibrary);
+
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isLoading).toBe(false));
+    expect(result.current.error).toBe(databaseError);
+  });
+
+  it('keeps the focus callback stable across renders', () => {
+    const { rerender } = renderHook(useLibrary);
+    const firstFocusCallback = mockUseFocusEffect.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0];
+
+    rerender(undefined);
+
+    expect(mockUseFocusEffect.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[0]).toBe(firstFocusCallback);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/screens/library/hooks/useLibrary.ts b/src/screens/library/hooks/useLibrary.ts
index 1ba0c4a4..dc88b312 100644
--- a/src/screens/library/hooks/useLibrary.ts
+++ b/src/screens/library/hooks/useLibrary.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ export type UseLibraryReturnType = {
   library: NovelInfo[];
   categories: ExtendedCategory[];
   isLoading: boolean;
+  error?: unknown;
   setCategories: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<ExtendedCategory[]>>;
   refreshCategories: () => Promise<void>;
   setLibrary: React.Dispatch<React.SetStateAction<NovelInfo[]>>;
@@ -46,7 +47,11 @@ export const useLibrary = (): UseLibraryReturnType => {
   const [library, setLibrary] = useState<NovelInfo[]>([]);
   const [categories, setCategories] = useState<ExtendedCategory[]>([]);
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
+  const [error, setError] = useState<unknown>();
   const [searchText, setSearchText] = useState('');
+  const hasLoadedRef = useRef(false);
+  const hasErrorRef = useRef(false);
+  const loadRequestIdRef = useRef(0);
 
   const libraryQuery = useMemo(
     () =>
@@ -79,17 +84,38 @@ export const useLibrary = (): UseLibraryReturnType => {
   }, []);
 
   const getLibrary = useCallback(async () => {
-    if (searchText) {
+    const requestId = ++loadRequestIdRef.current;
+    if (!hasLoadedRef.current || hasErrorRef.current || searchText) {
       setIsLoading(true);
     }
+    hasErrorRef.current = false;
+    setError(undefined);
 
-    const [, novels] = await Promise.all([
-      refreshCategories(),
-      getLibraryNovelsFromDb(sortOrder, filter, searchText, downloadedOnlyMode),
-    ]);
+    try {
+      const [, novels] = await Promise.all([
+        refreshCategories(),
+        getLibraryNovelsFromDb(
+          sortOrder,
+          filter,
+          searchText,
+          downloadedOnlyMode,
+        ),
+      ]);
 
-    setLibrary(novels);
-    setIsLoading(false);
+      if (requestId === loadRequestIdRef.current) {
+        setLibrary(novels);
+      }
+    } catch (loadError) {
+      if (requestId === loadRequestIdRef.current) {
+        hasErrorRef.current = true;
+        setError(loadError);
+      }
+    } finally {
+      if (requestId === loadRequestIdRef.current) {
+        hasLoadedRef.current = true;
+        setIsLoading(false);
+      }
+    }
   }, [downloadedOnlyMode, filter, refreshCategories, searchText, sortOrder]);
 
   const libraryLookup = useMemo(() => {
@@ -125,9 +151,11 @@ export const useLibrary = (): UseLibraryReturnType => {
     [downloadedOnlyMode, filter, refreshCategories, searchText, sortOrder],
   );
 
-  useFocusEffect(() => {
-    getLibrary();
-  });
+  useFocusEffect(
+    useCallback(() => {
+      void getLibrary();
+    }, [getLibrary]),
+  );
 
   const [taskQueue] = useMMKVObject<(BackgroundTask | QueuedBackgroundTask)[]>(
     BACKGROUND_TASKS_STORE_KEY,
@@ -186,6 +214,7 @@ export const useLibrary = (): UseLibraryReturnType => {
     library,
     categories,
     isLoading,
+    error,
     setLibrary,
     setCategories,
     refreshCategories,