For librarians

The library desk, without the extra work.

Students do the listing and requesting on their phones. At the desk, you scan the book when it's dropped off and again when it's picked up. That's it. Here's exactly what you'd see.

⏱ About 5 minutes a day📷 Works with your barcode scanner🔒 Card codes, not student names💲 First year free

Good morning, Ms. Lee

Tuesday · Here's what's happening at the desk today.

3Expected drop-offs

3On the hold shelf

1Book Drops done today

1Missed pickup

Hold shelf & expected drop-offs Sorted by deadline

Code	Book	For class	Status	Slot

Needs your attention

Missed pickupAnimal Farm (AN-6620) wasn't picked up in time. It's now on hold for the next student in line.
Late drop-offLord of the Flies (LF-1187) is due today. If it doesn't arrive, the request resets automatically.

Scan desk

Scan the book's barcode or type the pickup code. We figure out whether it's a drop-off or a pickup.

Hold slot

📷

Ready to scan

Use your USB barcode scanner, or type a pickup code and press Enter.

Try it:

Today's scans

7:41Picked upThe Hobbit (HB-0952). The owner was notified.

Reading lists

Add your teachers' lists once. Students then see which assigned books other students already own.

This term Coverage = copies students listed ÷ students who need it

Book	Class	Need	Coverage

Low coverage tells you which titles to buy, or to ask families to donate at the end of the year.

Students

Look up a pickup code to see which Baton Cards are involved. Students under 18 use card codes, so BookBaton.com never stores their names.

🔒Only librarians and school admins can see this page. Students see each other only as "Student" with a reliability score and number of books given.

Active Book Drops Match card codes to your school's own list

Pickup code	Giving	Getting	Reliability
GB-4821	SBS-4827-KM Baton Card	SBS-1093-RT Baton Card	100% / 98%
LF-1187	SBS-5512-AW Baton Card	SBS-3368-JD Baton Card	86% / 100%
AN-6620	SBS-7740-PN Baton Card	SBS-2205-LC Baton Card	95% / 71%

Baton Cards Your code list stays at your school

🪪 Print cards for students who want to join. Each card has a code like SBS-4827-KM and a barcode.
📋 Keep your own code list of which student has which card. BookBaton.com never sees it.
🔑 Reset a PIN or replace a lost card at the desk in a few seconds. The trust card moves to the new code.

Your controls

⏸ Pause a student's requests if they keep missing Book Drops. They can still give books.
📝 Add a private note to a Book Drop, like "Book had new highlighting, spoke with student."
✋ Cancel a Book Drop at any time. Both students are told it was cancelled by the library.

Reports

This school year at Green Mountain High.

312Books given away

$4,680Saved by families*

186Students taking part

97%Book Drops on time

Most-requested books

1The Great Gatsby38
2To Kill a Mockingbird31
3Of Mice and Men27
4Lord of the Flies22
5Fahrenheit 45119

Participation by grade

9Grade 941 students
10Grade 1044 students
11Grade 1158 students
12Grade 1243 students

*Estimated at $15 per book that a family didn't have to buy.

This is an interactive preview. Click around and try the scan desk. Students, codes and numbers are examples. Running a middle school? Try the librarian-run desk →

A typical day at the desk

Most of the work happens on students' phones. The library is simply the safe, trusted place where books change hands.

7:45 amDrop-offs arriveA student hands you a book. You give it a quick look for writing or damage, scan it, and put it in the hold slot shown.

AnytimeStudent is notifiedThe student getting the book gets a message that it's ready, with a pickup code. You don't send anything.

LunchPickupsThe student shows their code. You scan it, hand over the book from the slot shown, and the owner is notified. The book is theirs to keep.

Next dayNothing to returnEvery book is a give-away. The student who got it has 1 school day to report a problem, and anything reported shows up in Needs your attention.

You stay in control

Every school runs its library differently, so the settings are yours.

🕘Book Drop hoursChoose when the desk accepts drop-offs and pickups, like before school and at lunch.

🗂Hold shelf sizeSet how many slots you have. If the shelf is full, new requests wait.

⏳DeadlinesDefaults are 2 school days to drop off and 3 to pick up. Adjust them to suit your school.

🎓Which grades take partStart with one grade or one class, then expand when you're ready.

👥Extra staffAdd library aides or office staff so the desk is covered when you're out.

📅School calendarVacations and snow days pause every deadline automatically.

Librarian questions

What librarians usually ask us first.

How much time does it take?

Most of the work happens on students' phones. At the desk, each Book Drop is one scan at drop-off and one at pickup, a few seconds each. Most schools spend about 5 minutes a day.

Do I need special equipment?

No. The library desk runs in any web browser. If you already have a USB barcode scanner for your catalog, it works with BookBaton.com too. You can also type the pickup code.

Does it connect to our library catalog?

It doesn't need to. BookBaton.com tracks students' own books, not library-owned books, so it runs alongside your catalog without changing it.

What about student privacy?

Students never see each other's names, photos or contact details, and there's no messaging between students. Students under 18 sign in with a Baton Card code, so BookBaton.com never collects their name, email or phone number. You keep the list of which student has which code, and it stays at your school.

What if a book isn't in the condition promised?

Every book comes with a condition promise: the student giving it promises it has no writing, damage or anything inappropriate inside. You take a quick look when it's dropped off, and the student who gets it has 1 school day to report a problem. If something's wrong, add a private note, pause the student's requests, or remove the book. The student who gave it loses trust points (nobody pays for or replaces a book), so other students can see their track record without seeing who they are.

What does it cost?

Your first year is free. After that, schools choose a yearly plan, starting at a founding rate of $499 a year. See school pricing. Students and families always use it free.

Want to try it at your school?

We're looking for a few founding schools to help shape the library desk.

Become a founding school See the student side