Library Management System: How to Enhance the Efficiency of Librarians

Have you adopted the library management software yet for convenient library management?

Libraries have a crucial role to play in the education industry worldwide. Schools, colleges and other educational institutes rely greatly on their libraries for all relevant information. A library is the brain of any educational institute and a well-equipped library is one stocked with ample informational content for all the students and teachers.

In today’s era of digital content, there is a need for a scalable, reliable and comprehensive library management system that ensures smooth functioning of the library. A reliable web-based library management system is the one which caters to requirements of students, librarians, and staff members, alike.

Library management software is designed to handle the primary functions of a library. It stores, organizes, shares and retrieves all data and other relevant information essential to performing day-to-day operations of the library. Additionally, it is an enterprise resource planning system, which is used for tracking items, managing orders, and handling bill payments.

List of Top 10 Library Management Systems

• Destiny Library Manager
• Accessit Library
• webLIBRARIAN
• Insignia Library System
• Koha from ByWater Solutions
• Genesis G4
• CodeAchi Library Management System
• LIBSYS7
• G-Library
• Ampletrails Library Management System

Library Management System: What Purpose It Serves?

Libraries, students and staff members greatly depend on the library management system to manage their asset collection, keep track of their books and manage checkouts. The system also helps librarians to keep track of member profiles and subscriptions.

Additionally, the library management system involves the process of entering data of new books to maintain the database. This system also stores relevant information (author name, publisher, price, etc) about the books that have been borrowed with their last date of return and even fine payment details.

The library management software is highly reliable and very easy to use. It fulfills all the requirements of a librarian. There are many features which help librarians to keep track of the books available as well as the ones issued.

Thus, a library management system reduces manual work and facilitates a smooth flow of day-to-day activities by negating errors and maximizing profits.

List of Library Management System with Features & Functionalities

These days, online library management systems are in demand as these make library management quick and convenient and reduce the scope of errors in inventory management and invoicing. Some free library management software is also available, but are often not customized for complex library requirements.

Let’s study some library management system in detail.

• Destiny Library Manager

Destiny Library Manager, by Follett, is a complete library management software for K-12 schools worldwide. This library management system is widely used in educational institutes for the following reasons:

• This library automation software enables librarians to keep detailed track of a library’s inventory and the media assets. It is suited for multiple campuses or even single-campus libraries.
• Also, Destiny Library Manager management system is a free library management software that makes learning fun for students and provides accurate information to the students. Destiny Discover allows students to access audiobooks, eBooks and any other digital or print resources.
• It is convenient to use and can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. It facilitates easy circulation, inventory management and reporting to make the library and classroom connect a reality.
• Destiny Discover Chrome Extension is an easy way to search library resources through Google.
• Additionally, Destiny Resource Manager helps librarians track textbooks, instruments, furniture, vehicles, equipment and other school assets.
• Single sign-on access and easy, integrated data sharing also become possible with Destiny.
• Librarians and teachers can share paid and free resources by a new method called Collections by Destiny. Each collection can include images, documents, webpages and almost anything from anywhere.

• Accessit Library

Accessit Library is not just a means of information, it is a state-of-the-art online library management system used to search the catalog and borrowing materials. Let’s understand the software a little more in detail.

• It is designed to help schools build a connected community of learners.
• Accessit Library is a quick and convenient school management system for library. It fosters the love for learning, reading and discovering interesting facts each day.
• It is a web-based application designed to engage users. Moreover, it ensures an interactive user experience with an attractive interface. It helps engage users with the online library catalog. Students can manage their own library experience with only one login.
• Additionally, this library management system helps educational institutes create a dynamic, evolving world of knowledge. Accessit One Search enables students to search for reliable and relevant content almost instantly.
• For people who process visual images, Accessit Visual Search feature helps learners understand and retain content quickly.

• webLIBRARIAN

webLIBRARIAN is a complete web-based library management and automation software. Cataloguing is a key function of webLIBRARIAN. Cataloguing of CDs, Annual Reports, Books, Journals, Magazines, etc. becomes a reality with this library management software. Additionally, cataloguing is based on AACR2 standard. Cataloguing rules are programmed in a way that they give reliable and accurate cards which are of a standard 5″ x 3″ size. Some of the other important feature of this library management software are:

• With the location management feature, this library management system allows librarians, information managers and resource managers spread in various locations manage & share information uninterruptedly.
• Circulation is another crucial function of webLIBRARIAN. It follows the lending rules given by the librarian. Librarians can create several lending policies for varied groups, members of the library. RFID and Barcode, circulation becomes quick and convenient. With this system, member Identity cards with photograph and barcode can be generated.
• The entire acquisition process is smoothly managed by webLIBRARIAN. All steps of suggestion, proposal request to comparing quotation, invoicing and accessioning is efficiently handled in webLIBRARIAN.

• Insignia Library System

Insignia Library System is a high-end scalable and fully integrated library automation system. It is of immense use for K-12, academic, public and special libraries.

Insignia Library System is the most comprehensive library system and can be successfully installed for a single site as well as a consortium of libraries. The system is designed with a reliable, intuitive interface. Insignia library management system helps users with the following features:

• It allows the user to open multiple windows and multiple modules at once.
• This library automation system is quite user-friendly. Users can conveniently access any feature in this system with the click of a button.
• Insignia Library System is an enterprise resource planning system that can effectively track items owned, bills paid, and orders generated.
• It has fully integrated features and modules such as cataloguing, reports, circulation, inventory, patrons, collection analysis, textbooks, serials, smart phone applications etc.
• It comes with smartphone apps for android and apple devices. This app provides patron with search and reserve capability.
• Insignia Library System has a Discovery Layer to customize an online catalog interface. 

• Koha from ByWater Solutions

To ensure that libraries get complete support, ByWater introduced the world’s first free and open-source library system called Koha. It is the first free software library automation package. Koha library management system aims to give libraries technological flexibility.

It is a fully-featured, scalable library management system with comprehensive functionality for acquisitions, cataloging, authorities, circulation, serials, label printing, flexible reporting, etc. Let’s read about the significance of the Koha library management system.

• Koha offers libraries with easily usable circulation policies, navigation and extensive permissions for staff accounts.
• It caters to acquisition management and barcoding/RFID. It has other features of inventory and periodicals management, serials management and reserve shelf management.
• OPAC, staff, self-checkout interfaces and administrative features are all based on standards that comply with the World Wide Web technologies, making Koha a completely Web-based solution.
• Koha users can enjoy additional benefits such as access to school libraries, self-check-in/check-out systems, fee collection etc.

• Genesis G4

The Genesis G4 Library Automation software founded by Library Resource Management Systems in 1989. Circulation, cataloging, inventory, reporting (simple & customizable), and borrower management are its key functions. It comes with an extensive training module via documentation, live online, webinars and in-person sessions to ensure hassle-free implementation.

Genesis G4 has various features to make library management quick and convenient:

• Genesis G4 comes in stand-alone and cloud versions with these features – Easy ISBN, automatic borrower updates, easy OPAC, textbook and classroom management, book repository and self-circulation kiosk.
• It also creates and prints barcodes for products and spine labels across several collections.
• It facilitates law libraries and private and public libraries too.
• It is available as SaaS, Windows, Mac and Android software.

• CodeAchi Library Management System by CodeAchi Technologies

CodeAchi Library Management readily performs many tasks that are essential to managing libraries digitally and is fully scalable for any size of the library.

The CodeAchi Library Management System modules are designed in-keeping with the guidelines set by the International Standard Organization for Library & Library science. CodeAchi LMS answers all queries related to library management.

• This software is great for schools, universities, colleges and public libraries. It facilitates the user with flexible pricing options as per requirement.
• CodeAchi Library Management System eases the process of issue and return of books easily. It helps keep records of issue, re-issue and renewal of books.
• This system performs cataloguing and organises all its collections to provide information about titles, authors, ISBN, numbers, classification etc.
• This Library Management System performs the essential task of report generation. With CodeAchi LMS, reports are either generated as a PDF document or printed using printer on A4 size page.
• CodeAchi LMS reflects on what the library contains including profile, lost books etc.
• It enables the librarian to enter data automatically.

• LIBSYS7

LIBSYS7 is a boon for the library staff as it makes managing library operations a smooth and hassle-free process. It provides interactive features and library management solutions unparalleled to any other. Library automation system, Digital Resource Management System, radio-frequency identification all become possible with LIBSYS7.

It is very crucial to library management because of the following reasons:

• It provides interactive features such as book reservations, ratings and reviews of books.
• LIBSYS7 allows sending user notification through e-mails and messaging.
• It provides integration with BookFinder, Google Books, etc.

• G-Library (Gayatri Library Management)

Developed by Gayatri Software, Gayatri Library Management software takes care of the entire process of library management in schools, colleges and other educational institutes.

Also popular as G-LIB, the Gayatri Library Management software provides the following facilities:

• It provides Information related to dues to be cleared by any member, the total number of books available and about other expenses.
• G-Library uses excel for bulk uploading of periodicals, books and members.
• GLIB provides quick and easy data backup with the click of a button.
• Library cards can also be generated using the Gayatri Library Management software.

• Ampletrails Library Management System

By AmpleTrails, Ampletrails Library Management System software helps manages the catalog of a library accurately. With this software, one can stay updated about the transactions and all book available in the library.

It has the following features:

• The key feature that makes Ampletrails Library Management System unique are that it keeps track of the reading material (newspapers, magazines, books etc.) available.
• Ampletrails Library Management System recognises books subject wise, making the search quick and convenient.
• Another significant feature is that it stores all the details about the book (name, author name, date and year of publication, cost etc.) for future reference.
• Ampletrails also creates calendars and notes for librarian’s convenience.
• The software is a cloud-based Library Management System and is available in local host based as well web-based mode.

Conclusion

The library management software is a highly reliable, user-friendly software that performs all tasks for a librarian and makes library management quick and convenient. Libraries, students and staff members greatly depend on library management system to manage their asset collection, keep track of their books and manage checkouts. This software stores, organizes, shares and retrieves all data essential to perform day-to-day operations of the library.