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The My Books section provides a complete view of your borrowing activity, including currently checked out books and your full borrowing history.

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Viewing Active Loans

Access your currently borrowed books to track due dates and manage returns.
1

Open My Books

Click the “MY BOOKS” button in the navigation bar. The system automatically loads your loan records when the page opens.
2

Review currently checked out books

The “Currently Checked Out” section displays all active loans with:
  • Book cover thumbnail (48px × 64px)
  • Title (bold white text)
  • Author name (gray text)
  • Due date or overdue status
  • Renew button
The section header shows: “Total Books Checked Out: X” where X is the count of active loans.
3

Check due dates

Each book displays its due date in one of two formats:
  • On-time: Blue text showing “Due: March 18, 2026”
  • Overdue: Red text showing “OVERDUE: March 18, 2026”
If you have no active loans, you’ll see a green checkmark icon with the message: “No books currently checked out”

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Due Date Detection

The system automatically calculates and displays due date status:

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On-Time Books

  • Text color: Blue (text-blue-400)
  • Format: “Due: [Date]”
  • Condition: due_date >= datetime.now()
  • Date format: “Month DD, YYYY” (e.g., “March 18, 2026”)

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Overdue Books

  • Text color: Red (text-red-400)
  • Format: “OVERDUE: [Date]”
  • Condition: due_date < datetime.now()
  • Visual indicator: Red text with bold font weight
Overdue detection happens in real-time. A book becomes overdue immediately after midnight on the due date.

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Book Renewal

Extend your loan period by renewing books directly from the My Books page.
1

Locate the book to renew

Find the book in your “Currently Checked Out” list. Each book card has a “RENEW” button on the right side.
2

Click Renew

Click the blue “RENEW” button. The system will:
  • Calculate a new due date (14 days from today)
  • Update the loan record in the database
  • Refresh the My Books display
  • Show a success notification
3

Confirmation

Upon successful renewal, you’ll see:
  • Notification: “Book renewed successfully for 14 more days!”
  • Updated due date displayed on the book card
  • The renewal is immediate and reflected in real-time
The renewal extends the due date by 14 days from the current date, not from the original due date.

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Renewal Restrictions

The Renew button has specific availability rules: Enabled (Blue)
  • Book is not overdue
  • Styling: bg-blue-600/20 text-blue-400 hover:bg-blue-500/30
  • Fully clickable and functional
Disabled (Gray)
  • Book is overdue
  • Styling: bg-slate-800 text-slate-500
  • Button is not clickable
  • Overdue books cannot be renewed
Overdue books cannot be renewedIf a book is past its due date, the Renew button will be disabled (grayed out). You must return the book first, then check it out again if you need it longer.

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Borrowing History

View your complete library activity with returned books and return dates.

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History Display

The “Borrowing History” section shows all previously returned books:
  • Book cover (40px × 56px, smaller than active loans)
  • Title and author
  • Return date formatted as “Returned: Month DD, YYYY”
  • Reduced opacity (70%) to visually distinguish from active loans
  • Lighter background (bg-white/[0.03]) for subtle appearance
History items are sorted by checkout date in descending order, showing most recent activity first.

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Empty History State

If you’ve never returned a book, you’ll see:
  • History icon (clock/history symbol)
  • Message: “No borrowing history yet”
  • Gray styling with 40% opacity

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Data Display Format

The My Books page pulls data from the loans table joined with book metadata: 
SELECT
    l.id, l.returned, l.due_date, l.returned_date,
    b.title, b.author, b.cover
FROM loans l
JOIN books b ON l.isbn = b.isbn
WHERE l.user_id = ?
ORDER BY l.checked_out DESC
Loan records are fetched in real-time when you open the My Books page, ensuring you always see current data.

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Renewal Policy Details

When you renew a book:
  • Extension period: 14 days
  • Calculation: new_due_date = datetime.now() + timedelta(days=14)
  • Database update: UPDATE loans SET due_date = ? WHERE id = ?
  • Validation: System checks that the loan is active (not returned)
Renewals can be performed multiple times on the same book as long as it’s not overdue.

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Auto-Refresh Behavior

The My Books display automatically refreshes after:
  • Renewing a book
  • Returning a book (updates history)
  • Navigating to the My Books tab
The page does not auto-refresh while you’re viewing it. Click “MY BOOKS” again to manually refresh if needed.

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Visual Organization

The page uses clear visual hierarchy:
  1. Section header: “MY BORROWED BOOKS” in blue tracking-wide text
  2. Active loans section:
    • Title: “Currently Checked Out”
    • Count indicator
    • List of active loans with renewal buttons
  3. Divider line: Horizontal gray separator
  4. History section:
    • Title: “Borrowing History”
    • List of returned books with return dates

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Troubleshooting

“Could not renew book” error
  • The book may have been returned already
  • Check that the book is still in your active loans
  • Refresh the My Books page and try again
Due dates not updating after renewal
  • The page auto-refreshes after renewal
  • If the date doesn’t change, manually refresh by clicking “MY BOOKS” again
Overdue book shows wrong status
  • Due dates are compared against the current server time
  • Verify your system clock is correct
  • Overdue status updates in real-time on page load
Renewal button disabled
  • This is intentional for overdue books
  • Return the book, then check it out again if still needed
  • Only on-time books can be renewed

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