How to use the online alarm clock
While you are getting the borrowed tool ready for its return to the Library of Things, a 4:40 pm alarm can mark the point when preparation should be finished. That leaves a useful stretch before 5:00 pm for checking every attachment, wiping the item down and finding your membership card, without turning the handover into a last-minute rush.
The return may be happening in a quiet room or while everyone is moving around, so match the alarm tone to those surroundings. A gentle sound suits a calm afternoon when the phone is nearby; a more persistent tone makes sense if packing materials or household noise could mask the first alert. Check the volume with a brief test before relying on it. If the browser page is closed or the computer falls asleep, the tool alarm will not sound, which could leave the library return unfinished; keep the page running and the computer awake until 4:40 pm.
Anyone else at home may hear an afternoon alarm just as they are finishing work, studying or settling a child. Keep the phone close enough that a softer alert is sufficient, then silence it promptly once the return task has your attention. At this hour, placing the packed item by the front door also reduces noisy searching around the house as 5:00 pm approaches.
Common questions
Can I change the sound?
Yes, there is a short list of tones to pick from before you press Start. Softer sounds are easy to sleep through, so a firmer bell tends to be the safer choice for anything early in the morning.
Will it still be right when the clocks change?
Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.
Can I use this on a phone?
It works in a mobile browser, but phones lock the screen and suspend background tabs far more readily than a laptop does, which can stop the alarm sounding. For anything important, a desktop or a plugged-in laptop is the steadier option.
Does the alarm still work if I close the tab?
No. Everything runs inside this page, so closing the tab — or quitting the browser altogether — ends the countdown there and then. Leaving it open in the background is all it asks, and switching to another tab makes no difference.
Cookie policy