---
title: How patrons work on Your Book Nest
Metadescription: How patrons work in Your Book Nest - add a patron with just a name, keep private contact notes, and lend without membership forms, cards or patron emails.
Display description: A patron is just a name. Add someone in seconds, check items out to them, and keep whatever contact details help you reach them - all private to your team.
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: ~870

# How patrons work on Your Book Nest

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

A patron is someone you lend to, and in Your Book Nest that starts as nothing more than a name. No membership form, no email address, no card to issue. You know your borrowers by name; the software works the same way.

## How do I add a patron?

Type their name. That's the whole requirement - a new patron is ready to borrow immediately. Everything else is optional and can be added whenever it becomes useful.

## What details can I keep on a patron?

Each patron has space for a contact email, a phone number, an address and a free-text note. Think of it as a Rolodex card: it is there so a volunteer can ring about an overdue book or drop a returned reservation round, and it is visible only to your team.

The note field is for whatever helps - access needs, "prefers large print", "knock loudly". A patron never sees their own note.

## Does Your Book Nest email my patrons?

No. The contact email on a patron's card is reference data for you, not a send channel - the software does not send patrons overdue reminders, newsletters or notifications of any kind. If someone needs chasing, you decide how, using the details on the card.

## How do I see what a patron has out?

Open the patron. Their page shows what they currently have on loan, the due dates, and anything overdue. Checking items out and back in works from the same place.

## How do I remove a patron?

Delete them from their page. A patron with items still out can't be deleted - check the items back in first, so nothing on loan loses its borrower.

## How many patrons can I have?

The free tier includes 50 patrons - enough for most volunteer-run libraries - and upgrading raises the limit to 500. The usage section in Settings shows your current count.

## Can a patron sign in?

Optionally, yes. You can give any patron a read-only sign-in so they can check their own due dates and browse the catalogue from home. It is off by default and covered in the patron sign-ins guide.

## How Your Book Nest handles patrons

A patron starts as a name and borrows immediately. Contact details are a private Rolodex for your team, not a mailing list. Their page shows loans and due dates at a glance, and a read-only sign-in is there if a patron wants one.

## Q&A

**Q: Do patrons need accounts or email addresses?**
A: No. A patron is just a name you add. You can optionally give a patron a read-only sign-in later, and it works with a username and access code - no email address involved.

**Q: Does Your Book Nest send emails to patrons?**
A: No. Any email address you record on a patron is private reference data for your volunteers. The software does not email patrons.

**Q: Can I delete a patron who still has books out?**
A: No - check their items back in first. This keeps every loan attached to a real borrower.