This interactive guide works best with JavaScript turned on. Here is the text version (7 flows, 24 steps).
1. Library dashboard
- The library at a glance — Library → Overview: books, copies, loans, overdue and fines at the top, with Add book and Issue / Return buttons.
- Find anything — Search by title, author, ISBN, accession number, student or staff name — results link straight to the book or the borrower.
- Due back and popular — Due back lists loans due soon and overdue; Most borrowed and Collection by category help with buying decisions.
2. Add a book
- Book details — Click Add book and fill in title, author, category, ISBN, publisher, edition, year, language and pages.
- Shelving and copies — Enter the rack, the number of copies and the price. Each copy gets its own accession number for barcode labels.
- Save — Click Save. The book page lists its copies and loan history.
- Book added — The new title is in the catalogue and ready to issue. Print its spine labels from Books → Labels.
3. Issue & return with fines
- Open Issue / Return — Library → Issue / Return has the issue desk on the left and all current loans on the right.
- 1 · Borrower — Choose Student or Staff and type a name or admission number (a card scanner works too). The borrower's current loans, limit and any fines appear.
- 2 · Book and 3 · due date — Scan the barcode or type the title, then pick the loan period — 7, 14, 21 or 30 days.
- Issue — Click Issue book. The loan appears on the right and the student and parent get a notification with the due date.
- Book issued — The loan now shows under Return & renew with its due date, and the borrower's counter goes up. Scanning a barcode straight into the book box picks the copy instantly — ideal for a busy break time.
- Returning a book — Find the loan (scan the accession number or filter Overdue) and click Return. Overdue loans show the fine so far.
- Confirm return and fine — The fine is calculated from the days overdue — collect it, reduce it or waive it — then Confirm return.
- Returned — The copy is back on the shelf and the fine is recorded in the library reports.
4. Overdue reminders
- Overdue books — Library → Overdue lists every late book with days overdue, the fine and when the last reminder was sent.
- Remind — Remind one borrower, tick several and Send reminder, or Remind everyone. Students and their parents are notified.
- Reminders sent — The confirmation shows how many reminders went out; overdue reminders are also sent automatically every morning.
5. E-books
- Manage e-books — Library → E-books lists digital books and notes with subject, class and how many times each was read.
- Add an e-book — Add E-book uploads a PDF with a cover, subject and class. Draft e-books stay hidden until you publish them.
- The e-book shelf — Students, parents and teachers browse the E-book shelf by class and subject and read in the browser.
6. Spine & barcode labels
- Choose what to print — Books → Labels: pick a category or books added since a date, and spine or barcode labels, then Generate labels and Print on A4 label sheets.
7. Library reports
- Reports — Library → Reports: books issued in any period, most borrowed titles, top readers, and overdue & fines — print or export CSV.
- Issues per week — The chart shows borrowing activity; the table below lists every loan in the period with its fine.