---
title: How patron sign-ins work on Your Book Nest
Metadescription: How read-only patron sign-ins work in Your Book Nest - hand a patron a username and access code so they can see their loans and browse the catalogue.
Display description: Give any patron a read-only sign-in - a username and access code you hand them - so they can check their due dates and browse the catalogue from home. No email address needed, and they can't change a thing.
author: Dan Edwards
author_role: Founder
author_url: https://danedwardsdeveloper.com
author_linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-edwards-developer
published: 2026-07-04
---

Token estimate: ~840

# How patron sign-ins work on Your Book Nest

By **[Dan Edwards](https://yourbooknest.com/contact)**, Founder.

Patrons don't need accounts - a name is enough to borrow. But when a patron would like to check what they have out without ringing you, you can hand them a read-only sign-in. You create it, you hand it over, and it can't touch your data.

## What can a patron see when they sign in?

Three things:

-   ****Their own loans****
    
    what they have out and when each item is due.
    
-   ****The catalogue****
    
    what the library holds, so they can see whether a title is worth the trip.
    
-   ****Their membership details****
    
    their name and when they joined.
    

## What can't a patron do?

Everything else. A signed-in patron can't check anything out, edit the catalogue, see other patrons or their loans, or change any setting. The sign-in is strictly a window, which is why handing one out is safe.

## How do I give a patron a sign-in?

From the patron's page, provision a sign-in. You choose a username - it defaults to their name - and Your Book Nest generates an access code, such as `bounce-marvel-roam`, which works like a password but is easy to read out and remember. Hand both to the patron however suits: written on a card, read out at the desk. When the patron signs in for the first time, they're required to set a password for themselves.

No email address is involved at any point, so patrons without email are fully served.

## What if a patron forgets their access code?

Reset it from their page. Provisioning again issues a fresh username and access code and the old ones stop working.

## How do I take a sign-in away?

Remove it from the patron's page. The patron stays in your library with their name and loan history intact; they just can't sign in any more.

## How Your Book Nest handles patron sign-ins

Optional, read-only, and librarian-provisioned. You mint a username and access code from the patron's page and hand them over; reset or remove them from the same place. The patron sees their own loans, their due dates and the catalogue - nothing else.

## Q&A

**Q: Do patrons need an email address to sign in?**
A: No. A patron sign-in is a username and access code that you create and hand over in person. No email, no verification link, no self-service sign-up.

**Q: Can a signed-in patron change anything?**
A: No. The sign-in is read-only. Patrons see their own loans, due dates and the catalogue - they cannot borrow, edit or see other patrons.

**Q: What happens if I remove a patron's sign-in?**
A: The patron keeps their name, loans and history in your library. Only the ability to sign in goes away, and you can provision a new sign-in later.