How to make an app for a self-study library

A self-study library sells the same desk two or three times a day, one shift each, and every student's month starts on a different date. An app shows which seat is taken in which shift, whose fee is due this week and who has which locker.

Updated 2026-11-09

Who uses the app

Usually the owner and the desk staff. If a partner or a second branch uses it on another phone, or students log in to see their seat and fee date, connect your own Supabase database.

The screens a self-study library app needs

Seat chart: A grid of all seats; tap a shift to see which are taken, reserved or empty
Students: Name, phone, exam they are preparing for, seat, shift, joining date and ID noted
Fees due: Students whose month ends this week, with amount and a WhatsApp reminder
New admission: Pick an empty seat in a shift, the fee, the locker and the start date
Lockers: Each locker with the student, key given, and monthly charge
Income: Fees collected this month by shift, and seats empty in each shift

Features worth asking for

A seat chart that shows one seat across morning, evening and night shifts
Fee due dates counted from each student's own joining date
Reserved seat and locker charges added to the monthly fee
An empty-seats list by shift to send to enquiries on WhatsApp
A fee receipt as a PDF
A left-students list, so their seats open up the next day

Where the data lives

If only the desk phone uses the app, the data can stay on it. For a second phone, another branch or student logins, connect your own Supabase database; to take monthly fees online, connect your Razorpay account as well.

How to make it with AppCub, step by step

Decide what the app does. List the screens you need, for example: Seat chart, Students, Fees due, New admission, Lockers.
Describe it to AppCub. Paste the request below, changed to your own business and details.
Check the plan. AppCub shows the screens and features it will build. Change them in the chat until they are right; seeing the plan is free.
Try it on your phone. The app runs live next to the chat. Scan the QR code to install it, and ask for changes.
Share it. Share it as a web link, an APK file, or publish it on Google Play from your own developer account.

Copy this request, change the details to match your self-study library, and paste it into AppCub:

Make an app for my self-study library, Ekagra Library in Delhi. Screens: seat chart, students, fees due, new admission, lockers and income. 60 seats numbered 1 to 60, four shifts: morning, afternoon, evening and full day. A seat can have one student per shift; full day blocks all shifts. Each student has a joining date, and the fee is due a month later. Reserved seat ₹200 and locker ₹150 extra. Fees due this week with a WhatsApp reminder, a PDF receipt, and empty seats by shift. Navy and white colours.

Tips for a self-study library app

Draw your hall's seat numbers on paper first and give AppCub the same numbering, rows and girls' section.
Decide how a full-day seat blocks other shifts before building, and say it exactly in the chat.
Note the ID type a student showed at joining, not a copy of the ID itself, unless you need it.
Check the fees-due screen every morning; most libraries lose money on dates nobody noticed.
Try the app alongside your register for one month before you stop the register.

What it costs

Describing your app and seeing AppCub’s plan for it is free.
A new app usually takes 60 to 110 credits. Start with the 2-day trial for ₹99 (150 credits, enough for one app and a few changes) or the one-time App Pack for ₹499. Starter is ₹1,599 a month for 700 credits.
Google Play needs a paid plan (it includes the Play Store bundle and your app’s signing key) and your own Google Play developer account, a one-time US$25 fee to Google.
Work that fails or is rolled back costs no credits.

See all plans

Good to know

AppCub doesn't connect to biometric entry machines, door locks or CCTV, and it doesn't send messages by itself. Fee reminders go out when the desk taps the WhatsApp button.
AppCub builds Android apps. You can also share the app as a web link that opens on any phone; for the iPhone App Store, AppCub’s team can do it for you.

Questions

Can the library app show a seat chart for each shift?

Yes. Ask for a grid of your seat numbers, and tapping a shift shows which seats are taken, reserved or empty.

Can fees be due on each student's own joining date?

Yes. The app counts a month from each student's joining date and lists who is due this week.

Can students choose their own seat in the app?

Yes, with your own Supabase database so everyone sees the same seats. A student picks an empty seat, and the desk confirms it.

Can the app record entry and exit times?

Staff can mark them on the phone. AppCub doesn't connect to biometric or card entry machines.

Can students pay the monthly library fee online?

Yes, with your own Razorpay account connected along with Supabase. The money goes to your account, not AppCub.

Can I run two library branches on one app?

Yes, with your own Supabase database. Each seat and student belongs to a branch, and you see both.

Make your self-study library app

Seeing the plan is free. Building starts with a 2-day trial for ₹99.

Start building