Loans

Lending is the heart of Space Works, and it is built around one idea: every handover leaves evidence. A tool cannot leave the shelf without a QR scan and a photo, and it cannot come back without a photo and a written remark. Everything is written to the audit log.

There are three ways a tool goes out:

Route	Who starts it	Needs staff review first?
Reviewed request	A member asks on the public site	Yes
QR self-checkout	A checked-in member scans a tool	No
Direct handout	Staff at the counter	No

All three are recorded through the same request workflow, so reports and history treat them alike.

The reviewed request lifecycle

draft → pending approval → accepted → issued → returned
                         ↘ rejected            ↘ partially returned
                                               ↘ closed with issue

Staff work through these stages in Operate → Requests, which groups requests into Pending review, Ready for handover and Active loans, with search by requester name, email, phone or purpose.

1. A member submits a request

On the public catalogue, a member opens an item and asks to borrow it, choosing quantities and giving a purpose. They can follow its status from their member area.

Who may submit is a makerspace setting:

Situation	Who can submit
Membership module installed	Active members of the makerspace only
Membership module off (default)	Anyone signed in with an account
Membership module off, account-less requests allowed	Anyone, giving a name, email and phone

Choose between the last two under Settings → Borrow request access. Installing the Membership module switches account-less requests off again. Restricted or suspended accounts cannot borrow, and if Lapsed members cannot borrow is on, neither can members whose plan term has ended.

2. Review: accept or reject

You need accept_request or reject_request.

To review a request:

1. Open it from Pending review.
2. To accept, choose how many units of each item to accept (you can accept fewer than asked) and confirm. Accepting reserves the stock.
3. To reject, give a reason. The member is told.

Requests are reviewed one at a time; there is no bulk accept. Decisions are only ever made in the staff console or the control plane. Telegram and chat alerts tell staff a request is waiting but carry no buttons.

You can also Set due to change the return date on an accepted or active request.

3. Issue: box scan and issue photo

You need issue_request and upload_evidence (plus assign_box to assign the box).

To issue an accepted request:

1. Open it from Ready for handover and choose Guided issue (or the assign-and-issue dialog).
2. Scan the box QR the items are going out in. A box QR is required.
3. For individually tracked items, scan each asset QR.
4. Check every unit. If one is broken, use Reject as broken and send it to the To-be-fixed shelf or remove it from inventory; the rest still go out.
5. Upload an issue photo showing what is being handed over.
6. If the box has a kit checklist, count the components.
7. Add a remark if useful and confirm.

The request becomes issued, the due date is set from the loan policy, and the member gets their loan. If you require deposits to be paid before issue, an unpaid deposit blocks this step until it is settled.

4. Return: return photo and remark

You need return_request and upload_evidence.

To process a return:

1. Open the loan from Active loans and choose Guided return.
2. Scan the box QR. It must match the box the loan went out in.
3. For each item, record how many came back Returned, Damaged or Missing, or leave some as Not returned now.
4. Upload a return photo. The issue photo is shown beside it for comparison.
5. Write a return remark. It is required.
6. Submit.

What happens next depends on the outcomes:

Outcome	Request status
Some units still out	Partially returned. Process the rest later the same way
Everything back in good order	Returned
Everything resolved, but something was damaged or missing	Closed with issue

A return is never blocked by unpaid fees or a lapsed membership.

Damage, loss and accountability

When a return records damaged or missing units, Space Works writes an accountability record against the borrower, linked to the return photo. These records cannot be edited or deleted.

Insights → Accountability (needs view_audit) shows overdue loans, problems reported on public returns, repeat offenders and restricted requesters. Restricting a borrower is a separate decision: a superadmin can use Restrict requester there, with a reason. Nothing is restricted automatically. See Roles and permissions.

Space Works does not raise an automatic charge for damage or loss. If you took a deposit, it stays on the ledger for staff to refund or keep, as your policy says.

QR self-checkout

With the Self checkout feature on, a member can borrow a tool without waiting for staff:

1. They check in at the makerspace from their member area (they must be an active member with a current presence session).
2. On /m/<slug>/checkout they scan the tool’s QR code.
3. They upload a photo of the tool and confirm.

Only products and asset units marked Enabled for public self-checkout can be taken this way, and a QR that is already checked out is refused. Borrow limits and loan periods still apply, and the loan appears in Active loans like any other. Returning works the same way in reverse, with a return photo.

Direct handouts

A direct handout lets staff lend something on the spot, with no prior request. It needs the Self checkout feature and the issue_direct_loan action.

To make a direct handout:

1. Open Operate → Direct handout and choose Guided handout.
2. Choose the borrower: select an active member, or scan their member card. If the person is not a member yet, use Add a walk-in to create a person record with a name and optional contact details.
3. Scan or select the tools: scan tool or asset QRs, or pick products and quantities. You can also attach a container.
4. Upload an issue photo, add a remark and confirm.
5. Print the receipt if the borrower wants one.

Returns of direct handouts are processed from the same tab, again with a return photo and remark.

Loan length, renewals and limits

The loan period comes from the most specific setting available: the product’s own loan days, then its category’s, then the makerspace’s loan policy (default 7 days). An issue covering several items uses the shortest period.

Renewals need the Loan renewals feature and the loan policy’s renewal mode set to Automatic within policy. Each renewal extends the due date by the renewal length, up to the maximum renewals (products and categories can lower that cap). Members renew their own loans from the member area when the Membership module is on; staff renew from Active loans. A renewal is refused if the borrower is restricted, their membership has lapsed, the renewal count is used up, or someone else is waiting for the item.

Borrow limits need the Borrow limits feature. The loan policy’s maximum active loans and maximum outstanding items (0 means unlimited) are checked when a request is submitted and again at handover. A membership plan can set its own limits.

All of these are set as described in Set up your makerspace.

Overdue loans and reminders

Once a loan policy is saved, borrowers get reminder emails at the offsets you set (in hours relative to the due time; the default is one reminder at the due time). Set Escalate to staff after days overdue to alert staff about long-overdue loans.

Reminders go only to the borrower’s own verified address and need the email module and a working mail setup. Overdue loans are also listed in Insights → Accountability and Operate → Ledger.

Deposits and late fees

With Track loan charges on (it is by default), you can record:

• Deposits: none, a fixed amount per loan, or a per-product amount. Optionally, require the deposit to be paid before the items can be issued.
• Late fees: an amount per day late, an optional cap, and grace days before fees start.

Set these with the payment settings in Admin → Settings. The late fee is calculated once, when the loan comes back. A deposit that was never paid is cancelled when the loan closes.

Charges are recorded whether or not you take online payments. Staff with record_payment settle them in person; with the payments module and the Loan deposits and late fees feature, members can pay online. See Payments.

Related

• Inventory and QR codes
• Kiosk and front desk
• Roles and permissions
• Membership