Loans¶
Keep track of books you've lent out — to another library member or to anyone outside your library — so nothing gets forgotten on someone else's shelf.
What a Loan Tracks¶
A loan records these things about a physical copy:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Borrower name | Required — either a name you type freely (a friend, a colleague, anyone outside your library), or an existing library member picked from search |
| Linked member (optional) | If you picked a library member from search instead of typing a name, the loan is linked to their profile |
| Loaned on | Recorded automatically when you lend the book |
| Due date | Optional — set it if you want a reminder of when the book should come back |
A book can only be on loan to one borrower at a time. You can't lend out a copy that's already on loan until it's marked as returned.
Who can lend and return books
Lending and returning books requires the Admin or Editor role. Viewers can see who currently has a book, but can't lend it out or mark it returned.
Lending a Book¶
- Open the book's detail page
- Scroll to the Loans section
- Start typing the borrower's name in the borrower field:
- If it matches a current library member, pick them from the suggestions — the loan is linked to their profile and their name becomes clickable everywhere the loan is shown
- Otherwise, just keep typing — it's saved as free text (for someone outside your library)
- Optionally pick a due date
- Click Lend
The book immediately shows an amber "on loan to …" badge at the top of its detail page, and a 📤 icon next to the borrower's name wherever the loan is shown.
Marking a Book as Returned¶
From the same Loans section on the book's detail page — or from the dedicated On Loan page (see below) — click Mark Returned.
The loan is closed (return date recorded automatically) and the book becomes available to lend out again.
The "On Loan" Page¶
The On Loan page lists every book currently lent out across your entire library, regardless of who lent it or which room it normally lives in.
On Loan — 3 books currently out
🔴 1 overdue
📤 The Name of the Wind → Marco since 2026-05-02 due 2026-05-20 · OVERDUE
📤 Il barone rampante → Grandma Lucia since 2026-06-10 due 2026-06-25
📤 Sapiens → A colleague since 2026-06-15 (no due date)
If a borrower is a linked library member, their name is shown as a link — click it to open their profile. Names typed as free text (people outside your library) are plain text.
Use this page when you want a single overview of "what's out there" instead of checking each book individually.
Searching and Filtering¶
- Search box — filter by borrower name or book title
- Status filter — show only loans that are:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 🔴 Overdue | Past the due date |
| 🟠 Due soon | Due within the next 7 days |
| ⚪ Normal | Due date more than 7 days away, or no due date set |
Loans with no due date are never flagged as overdue or due soon — they only show up under Normal.
Loan History¶
Each book's detail page also keeps a history of past loans (who borrowed it and when it was returned), below the active loan section. This is separate from the reading history — a loan tracks where the physical copy is, not who has read it or when.
Loans vs. Reads
Lending a book to someone doesn't automatically mark it as read by them. If you also want to track who has actually read that copy, see Reading Progress.