Library Management & Digital Resource Center
Digital catalog management, RFID/barcode-enabled borrowing, automated overdue tracking and fines, self-service reservations and renewals, and a curated digital resource hub for e-books and academic materials. Entirely Basic tier — no AI dependency.
Basic Tier Features
BasicBook Catalog & Digital Resources
- Full catalog with ISBN, author, publisher, edition, language, category, and copy count
- Single catalog entry supports both physical copies and e-book uploads (PDF/EPUB/MOBI) to Cloudinary
- Cover image upload with automatic thumbnail transformation
- Full-text search across title, author, description, and tags
- Web UI: /dashboard/librarian/books, /dashboard/librarian/books/create
RFID / Barcode Checkout
- Books carry RFID tags and/or barcodes for fast scan-based check-out and return
- Atomic checkout (MongoDB transaction) prevents double-issuing the last available copy under concurrent requests
- Configurable borrowing limits by role: Students 5, Teachers 20, Staff 10
- Web UI: /dashboard/librarian/rfid, /dashboard/librarian/transactions
Renewals
- Self-service and librarian-initiated renewal, up to a configurable max renewal count (default 2)
- Renewal blocked automatically if another member has an active reservation on the same book
- Available from the student My Books view and the librarian Transactions page (New)
Reservation Queue
- Reserve a fully checked-out book; queue position tracked automatically
- Next member in queue notified by email when a copy becomes available
- Web UI: /dashboard/librarian/reservations, /dashboard/student/library (My Reservations tab)
Overdue & Fine Management
- Per-day fine calculation (default ₹5/day), starting the day after the due date
- Daily cron job scans and emails overdue reminders; librarians can also send a one-off reminder per transaction (New)
- Web UI: /dashboard/librarian/overdue
Academic & Digital Resource Hub
- E-books, PDFs, research papers, and course-linked materials, browsable online or downloadable
- Digital resource browser separate from the physical catalog, filterable by type
- Web UI: /dashboard/student/library, /dashboard/admin/resource-library
Reviews & Ratings
- Members submit star ratings and reviews; librarian approval required before public display
- Book's average rating recalculated on approval
- Web UI: /dashboard/librarian/reviews
Analytics & Reports
- Library-wide stats: total/available/checked-out copies, active reservations, pending reviews
- Most-borrowed books report and inventory health overview
- Web UI: /dashboard/librarian/reports
API Reference — Chapter 17
Book Catalog
/api/library/booksList books with filters (category, bookType, status, search) and pagination
/api/library/booksCreate a new book catalog entry (admin/librarian)
/api/library/books/:idGet a single book with active transaction count and recent reviews
/api/library/books/:idUpdate book details (admin/librarian)
/api/library/books/:idSoft-delete a book; blocked if active transactions exist
/api/library/books/:id/upload-ebookUpload an e-book file to Cloudinary
/api/library/books/:id/upload-coverUpload a cover image to Cloudinary
Borrowing, Returns & Renewals
/api/library/transactions/checkoutIssue a book to a member — enforces borrowing limits and account status
/api/library/transactions/returnRecord a return; calculates overdue days and late fee
/api/library/transactions/renewRenew an active/overdue transaction, blocked by pending reservations (New)
/api/library/transactions/:id/remindSend a one-off overdue reminder for a single transaction (New)
/api/library/transactionsList transactions — self-scoped for students/teachers, school-wide for admin/librarian
/api/library/transactions/overdueList all overdue transactions with calculated fines
Reservations & Reviews
/api/library/reservationsReserve a fully checked-out book; queue position assigned
/api/library/reservationsList reservations, self-scoped for students/teachers
/api/library/reservations/:idCancel a reservation and re-sequence the queue
/api/library/books/:id/reviewsSubmit a book review (requires librarian approval)
/api/library/books/:id/reviewsList approved reviews for a book
/api/library/reviews/pendingList reviews awaiting librarian approval
/api/library/reviews/:id/approveApprove a review and recalculate the book's average rating
Stats & Reports
/api/library/statsLibrary-wide stats: books, copies, checkouts, overdue, reservations, popular books
Frontend Pages
| Path | Role | Description | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| /dashboard/librarian | Librarian / Admin | Library dashboard — overdue count, returns due, reservation queue, inventory status | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/books | Librarian / Admin | Searchable, filterable book catalog with add/edit | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/books/create | Librarian / Admin | Add a new catalog entry with e-book/cover upload | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/books/[id] | Librarian / Admin | Book detail, transactions, and reviews | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/transactions | Librarian / Admin | Issue, return, and renew transactions (renew added) | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/reservations | Librarian / Admin | Reservation queue management | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/overdue | Librarian / Admin | Overdue list with fine totals and reminders | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/reviews | Librarian / Admin | Pending review moderation | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/rfid | Librarian / Admin | RFID/barcode scan-based checkout and return | Basic |
| /dashboard/librarian/reports | Librarian / Admin | Catalog, overdue, fine, and inventory reports | Basic |
| /dashboard/student/library | Student | Browse catalog, My Borrowed Books (renew added), My Reservations | Basic |
| /dashboard/student/library/[id] | Student | Book detail, checkout, review, and reservation | Basic |
| /dashboard/teacher/library | Teacher | Redirects to the shared student/library experience | Basic |
| /dashboard/admin/library | Admin | Redirects to the full librarian dashboard | Basic |
| /dashboard/admin/resource-library | Admin / Teacher | Digital course resource browser (PDF, video, audio, links) | Basic |
Mobile Screens
(librarian)/index(librarian)/catalogue(librarian)/issues(librarian)/returns(librarian)/overdue(student)/library