How to lend books to friends, and get them back

1. 1Write down who has it. The book that never comes back is usually the one nobody remembers lending.
2. 2Agree a rough return date. Four weeks is plenty for most books. A date turns 'whenever' into a plan.
3. 3Remind them, kindly, before it's due. A friendly nudge a few days ahead is easier for both of you than chasing a late book.
4. 4Make it easy to ask. Friends borrow more, and return more, when they can see what's on your shelf.
5. 5Leave a note in it. A line for the next reader makes a lent book feel shared rather than gone.

You can do all of this with a notebook. Stacks does it for you, and makes the borrowing side easy too.

Due soon

Station Eleven is with Priya Patel · 3 days late

Gilead goes back to Maya Chen · tomorrow

Lent out

Station Eleven2

Borrowed

Gilead

The Hobbit4

Lent 6 times

Lend Klara and the Sun to Sam

4 weeksLend it

Reminder sent to Priya

1. Add your books. Search for them, scan the barcodes with your phone, or import a Goodreads or StoryGraph export.
2. Invite your friends. Send your invite link; when they join, you can see each other's shelves.
3. Lend with a due date. When a friend asks, pick how long they can keep it, or hand a book over yourself.
4. Let the reminders do the asking. Stacks nudges the borrower before the date and if it's late. Need more time? Extend it in a tap.
5. Mark it returned. Every copy keeps a history of who's had it, and what they thought.

Search once to see which friends own a book and ask to borrow it. If someone else has it, get in line and Stacks asks for you when it comes back. Keep a want-to-read list, and you'll hear when a friend adds one of those books to their shelf.

It's free and works in your phone's browser. Wondering how it compares with Goodreads? Here's an honest comparison.