Library keeps your book catalogue, lends books to students, works out overdue fines when books come back, and holds a queue of reservations for books that are all out on loan.
- Where Operations → Library
- Who can use it Anyone whose role includes Library.
- Set up first Students (books are lent to students on the roll)
Add and edit books
Four boxes at the top show Total Books (titles), Total Copies, On Loan and Overdue.
- In the Books card, click Add Book.
- Enter the Title, for example Things Fall Apart. Author (optional), ISBN (optional) and Category (optional), such as Literature, help you find it later.
- Set Total Copies, for example 12.
- Click Save Book.
The Copies column shows how many are on the shelf, for example 9 / 12 available. It turns red when none are left.
To change a book, click the pencil icon. If you change Total Copies, the available number moves with it. You can’t set it lower than the number currently on loan.
A book can’t be deleted while any copy is still on loan. Return the copies first.
Lend a book
- In the Loans card, click Loan a Book.
- Choose the Book. Only books with a copy available are listed.
- Search for the Student by name or admission number and pick them. Only active students are found.
- The Borrowed Date starts on today and the Due Date is filled in two weeks later. Change either if you need to; changing the borrowed date moves the due date along.
- Click Save Loan. One copy is taken off the available count.
Return a book and handle fines
The Loans table shows each loan as Borrowed, Overdue (red, past its due date) or Returned. For an overdue book, the Fine column shows the fine building up, with how many days late it is so far.
- When the book comes back, click Mark Returned on its row.
- A message confirms it. If it was late, the message includes the fine, for example Overdue fine: GHS 3.50.
- When the student pays, click Mark Fine Paid. The fine shows as Paid.
| Days late on return | Fine |
|---|---|
| On time or early | None |
| 1 day | GHS 0.50 |
| 7 days | GHS 3.50 |
| Each extra day | GHS 0.50 more |
Note: the return is always dated today, so click Mark Returned on the day the book actually comes back.
Reserve a book that is all out
When every copy of a book is on loan, a Reserve button appears on its row in the Books table.
- Click Reserve, search for the student and click Place Reservation.
- The reservation joins the Reservations list at the bottom, oldest first, so you can see who asked first.
- Once a copy comes back, the row shows a Fulfill button instead of No copies yet. Click it and confirm. The book is lent to that student straight away, due back in 14 days.
To drop a reservation, click the cross icon on its row. It is cancelled at once, without a confirmation.
Good to know
- Books are lent to students only; there is no lending to staff.
- The fine rate is fixed at GHS 0.50 a day and can’t be changed from this screen.
- Mark Fine Paid only records that it was paid. It doesn’t create a receipt or post the money to Finance; record the money there if you need it in the books.
- A returned book is put back on the shelf count automatically.
- Returned loans stay in the table as a history of who borrowed what.