Equipment Loan Log
For anyone who lends things out and does not always get them back: a sports club with match kit and nets, a school department with laptops, cameras and instruments, a tool library, a church with tables and chairs, a film society with projectors, an office with spare laptops and door keys. One row per loan: the item and its asset tag or serial, who borrowed it and how to reach them, what they are using it for, the date it went out, the date it is due back, who handed it over, its condition on the way out and its condition on the way back, whether a deposit was taken and whether that deposit went back, the date it actually returned, and the status now. The column almost everyone skips is the one that settles arguments: write down the condition when it goes out, not only when it comes back. Without the "before", every disagreement about damage is one person's memory against another's, and the person who runs the club loses that every time, because they cannot show the scratch is new. Thirty seconds of description, and a note of where the handover photos are filed, is the whole difference. Be clear about what this is: a record, not a contract. It creates and proves no obligation of any kind, sets no deposit, decides no damage charge, and says nothing about what to do when an item never comes back — those follow from your own rules and your own circumstances. It stores what you type, watches no due date, and does nothing while the tab is closed.
Your database
Fields
| Field | Type |
|---|---|
| Item lent | text |
| Asset tag / serial number | text |
| Borrower's name | text |
| How to reach them (phone / email) | text |
| Team, class, department or membership | text |
| What it is being used for | text |
| Date out | date |
| Date due back | date |
| Handed over / authorised by | text |
| Condition when it went out | text |
| Where the handover photos are filed | text |
| Deposit taken? | bool |
| Deposit amount held | number |
| Deposit returned? | bool |
| Date actually returned | date |
| Condition when it came back | text |
| Received back by | text |
| Status | select |
| Other notes | text |
Frequently asked
Where is my data stored?
Only on this device, in your browser. Nothing is ever uploaded — a lending register holds members' names, phone numbers and home addresses alongside a list of what is worth taking, and that is not a combination to hand to anyone else's server. Export to CSV to back it up, to print it for a committee meeting, or to move it to another device.
Does it follow anything up or work anything out for me?
No. It stores exactly what you type and nothing else. It watches no date, sends no message and no email, contacts no borrower on your behalf, works out no charge, and does nothing while the tab is closed. Silence from this tool never means an item came back — it means nobody has looked. Put the due date in whatever calendar actually interrupts you, and use this to hold the detail behind it: what went out, to whom, and in what state.
What should I actually write in the condition columns?
Something specific enough that a stranger could check it. "Fine" and "good condition" are worth nothing three months later, because they describe an opinion rather than an object. "Two deep scratches on the lid, left hinge stiff, charger and case both present, 68 on the counter" is worth a great deal, and it takes one line. Note what is included as well as what is damaged — the argument about a missing charger or a missing tent peg is far more common than the argument about a broken item. If you photograph the handover, keep the photos wherever your group keeps files and put the location in the photos column, so the row and the picture can be matched later in one step rather than by scrolling a phone.