OverDrive Bulk Hold Manager

WHAT IT DOES

OverDrive Bulk Hold Manager lets you manage multiple holds in a single operation. Instead of opening each hold individually, clicking borrow, suspend, or unsuspend, and confirming — repeating this for every single hold — this tool provides a unified checklist of all holds on the current page. You can filter holds by status (Available, Queued, Suspended) to quickly find the ones you want to manage. Select any number of holds using checkboxes, choose your action from the dropdown (Borrow Available, Suspend Hold, or Unsuspend Hold), and click Apply. The tool then automatically processes each selected hold — clicking the appropriate action button and confirming if a confirmation dialog appears. This turns what could be dozens of manual operations into a single batch action, making library hold management and digital borrowing significantly faster and more efficient.

WHERE IT RUNS

This script runs exclusively on the OverDrive web application in your browser. It activates on the holds list page, account dashboard, and library views within the OverDrive/Libby interface. It requires the BotGentz extension to inject and execute the script. The tool does not work on the Libby mobile app, the API, or any third-party OverDrive clients — only the web-based OverDrive interface accessed through a Chromium-based or Firefox browser. It specifically targets pages under *.overdrive.com, including the OverDrive holds and account views.

HOW TO USE

After installing the script via BotGentz, navigate to your OverDrive or Libby web account and open the Holds page. The tool automatically detects the hold list and displays a floating panel on the right side. The panel shows all holds on the current page, with checkboxes next to each hold entry. Each hold displays its title, author, and current status with a color-coded badge — Available (green), Suspended (yellow), or Queued (blue). Use the search box to filter by title or author, or use the status filter dropdown to show only available, queued, or suspended holds. Check the boxes for every hold you want to manage. Below the hold list, select your action from the dropdown — "Borrow Available" to check out available holds, "Suspend Hold" to pause queued holds, or "Unsuspend Hold" to reactivate suspended holds. Click "Apply Action" and confirm. The tool will process each selected hold one by one — clicking the appropriate action button and confirming if a confirmation dialog appears. A status message appears when the operation completes, showing how many holds were successfully managed. Holds that cannot be acted upon (e.g., borrowing a queued hold) are skipped with a notification.

THE ACTUAL MECHANISM — WHY IT WORKS

OverDrive's web interface is built with React and uses a component-based rendering system for its holds management. The holds list is rendered as table rows or list items, each containing hold metadata and action buttons. This tool scans the DOM for hold items using multiple selector patterns that OverDrive consistently uses across versions. For each hold, it extracts the title, author, and status from the visible text content and data attributes. Each hold is assigned a unique identifier from data attributes or checkbox values. When managing holds, the tool locates the appropriate action button within each hold item — Borrow, Suspend, or Unsuspend — and triggers a click event. The tool then handles any confirmation dialog that appears. This approach works without making direct API calls, which would require authentication credentials and knowledge of OverDrive's internal API structure. By using the existing UI, the tool works within OverDrive's own permission and validation system, and continues to function even if the underlying API changes.

THE PANEL

The floating panel is fully draggable — click and drag the header to reposition it anywhere on the page. The panel's position is saved per site in localStorage, so it reappears exactly where you left it when you return to the holds page. Double-click the header to snap the panel to the nearest edge (left or right). A collapse button minimizes the panel to a small tab showing a book emoji badge, keeping it out of the way while still accessible. The hold list inside the panel is scrollable and resizes vertically based on the number of holds. Pressing Escape while the panel is focused closes it completely; reopening is done via a small button injected near the page toolbar. All panel interactions are non-blocking — OverDrive's main UI remains fully responsive while the panel is open, and the panel updates automatically when you navigate between pages.

PLEASE NOTE

This script requires the BotGentz extension (free) to run user scripts on OverDrive. OverDrive frequently updates its web interface and modal structures; if the tool stops working, check for an updated version within BotGentz's script repository. This tool does not store, transmit, or log any hold data, book information, or library account details — all operations occur locally in your browser with no external network requests except those made by OverDrive itself. Hold actions are applied through OverDrive's own UI event system, so all changes respect your library account permissions and borrowing policies. The tool does not bypass OverDrive's security or permission system; it simply automates the clicks you would otherwise perform manually. For accounts with a large number of holds, the tool may take several minutes to complete the operation, as each hold is processed sequentially with delays to avoid overwhelming the UI. A progress indicator shows which hold is currently being processed. Always double-check your selections and action before applying changes, as borrowing, suspending, or unsuspending holds affects your hold queue position and borrowing availability. The tool only affects holds visible on the current page; to manage all holds, use OverDrive's built-in pagination controls or adjust your filters to show all relevant holds. Holds that are not applicable for the selected action are automatically skipped.