Library Borrowing System Documentation

Chapter I – Introduction

Project Context
Nowadays, in our society, computer technology is the most
important advancement as people move along in this computerized
world. These changes have big effects on man’s life; by making it
easier and more convenient. Librarians have the responsibility
not only to know how to manage a computerized library system but
also to be aware that these changes will have a big help to them.

It helps a lot by providing sustainable technology towards

quality education through consignment and effective learning.
Computer technology is now in demand in our society. It is very
essential in our daily lives. It continues to evolve and grow
fast.

A library system is software that had been developed to

handle basic housekeeping functions of a library. It helps to
grant information on any book present in the library to the user
as well as the staff members. It keeps a track of book issued,
returned and added to the library.

Traditionally, library systems are used manually. Forms are

given to the Librarian and they fill them of using pens. The
manual library system is very time consuming and a tiresome task.
The primary complaint of some Librarians with this manual system
is the tiresome task of searching records. The fast changed of
technology ascribe a lot to the development of the library
system. The computerized library system may help the academe.
Purpose and Description
The software that had been produced is a library borrowing
system, in this system, there can be 2 possible users; they are
the administrators and the librarian. The administrators have the
capability to open all sectors of the program and edit
librarian’s information while the librarian is limited to adding
book and student records but is not allowed to update or delete
any recorded detail and transactions that had been recorded in
the system. The purpose of the library borrowing system is to
provide quality services. It aims to provide a good library
borrowing system. The system provides a feature that can easily
manage student’s information, book details and manage borrowing
transactions.

General Objectives
The principal objective of the system was to computerize the
manual system in maintaining the records of the book issue, book
return of the student, stock sustenance and book research, so
that the functioning of the library system will be easier and
more convenient. Each student that is registered in the system is
provided a registered library ID.

Specific Objectives
This objective overcame all the short comings of a manual
system that was used daily. This includes the following:

1. Developed a well-organized library borrowing system.

2. Produced a well-designed and functioning system in
accordance to the needs and wants of the borrowers.
3. Minimized the task and the effort being performed by both
the librarian and borrowers.
 4. Provided the school and the students a well-organize and
well-presented reports.
Scope and Limitation of the Study
This study was limited to the Library St. Columban’s Academy
that covers over 500 students, which the number greatly increases
every year. In preparation, this system became more reliable and
consistently providing enough support to the school’s library to
accommodate an increasing number of students enrolled in every
year.
The proposed system was made based on the wants and needs of
the school, the system consists of registering books with
specific book identification number, so that the librarian has an
easy access in each book, search tabs for reliable, easy and
faster monitoring of books and more importantly a report and
evaluation papers can be generated in a well-organized and well-
presented reports. Each student is limited to borrow one book
every transaction to provide each student an equal chance of
borrowing specific books.
This project system was highly recommended due to the
rapid increase of computer related tools in the industry. With
this proposed system features and functions of the school’s
library will be able to accommodate more reliably consistent and
faster in providing a better service to the student and staff.

Significance of the study

This study and its results are significant to the following:
Administrators - The system will lighten the paper works of the
school as requirement reports.
Librarian - The Librarian can monitor well the students who
borrow books in the library through reliable and correct reports.
Students - The students can easily borrow book without spending
so much time.
Teachers - The students can be provided quick access for the
library items so the teachers won’t worry enough if the students
can manage to make a library research task given by them.
Future Researchers - The future researchers can use the study as
their guide of reference for their future researches also that is
related to database management system.

Definition of Terms
For clarity and understanding, the keywords that were used
in this study were defined as follows:

Architectural Diagram - Process that show the flow event during

the transaction in library borrowing system.
Feasibility - is the study of the relation of different aspects
in creating the system. (https://en.wikipedia.org)
Hardware – Computer equipment used to perform the transactions in
the library borrowing system. (https://en.wikipedia.org)
Library – is a room or building where a collection of books is
kept for people to use or borrow. (https://en.wikipedia.org)
Library System – is a system that accepts data information as
input and processes them to produce an output.
(https://en.wikipedia.org)
MySQL – is an open-source comparative database management system.
It is based on the structure query language (SQL) which is used
for adding, removing and altering information in the database.
(https://en.wikipedia.org)
Report – an official document that gives information about a
particular object. (https://en.wikipedia.org)
Software – the programs that run on a computer and that performs
the transaction in a library borrowing system.
(https://en.wikipedia.org)
St. Columban’s Academy – Operationally, catholic educational
institution that was established in 1950 by Rev Fr. Patrick
Hurley. It is the educational institution to which our proposed
system will be implemented.
 Chapter II – Review of Related Literature

Background of the Study

St. Columban’s Academy (SCA) was among the first parochial
school in the Southern part province of Negros Occidental. The
establishment of the school almost marked the coming of the Irish
priest of the Columban Missionaries. The first Columban priest
arrives here in Cauayan in the year 1950 in the person of Rev Fr.
Patrick Hurley to take over the retiring priest Rev Fr. Antonio
Mamigo which is one of the rare local priests during that time.
Fr. Hurley was successively followed by Rev Frs. Augustine Rowe,
John Hynes, Colum O’ Halpin and Colum Rafferty. The priests were
all products of the unique Catholic Irish education greatly from
the religious forms. Now named as the St.Columban’s Academy which
became the brand new, government recognized parish.

SCA’s administration deals most of the school transactions and

records manually during enrolments, recording of student forms,
payments and etc., which causes a time-consuming process. In the
library, students are also manually filling up a sheet of paper
for their information when they want to borrow books. Students
are not instructed and guided properly during rush hours in the
library which causes a lot of misleading and error transaction,
records and a not well-balanced distribution of book for students
every day.

By developing a computerized library borrowing system for

St. Columban’s Academy this will provide an easy way of encoding,
recording and searching of past transactions in the library. This
will benefit the students, they will have a high chance of
borrowing limited number of books that are available in the
library and keep in track of their transaction records, also the
school librarian will greatly benefit with the system because it
will be easier for the librarian to manipulate the past and
current transactions and to search and track the records of book
and students in each transaction.

Related Systems
Within this chapter the researches presented the reviews of
literature and systems that are greatly related to our proposed
system, with this we will understand the past studies for us to
develop a lot more effective and efficient system for the school.

Electronic library management Systems

In accordance to the study of Robertson (2004), Library
management system (LMS) known as an automated Library System is
software that is developed to deal with the basic functions of a
Library, and provides a complete solution for the administration
of a library’s technical, economic and social functions and
services to the users. These functions range from; tracking the
assets held by the library, managing book and user records,
through to supporting the daily work over. These systems are used
in almost all libraries large and a small once.

Digital Library Services Systems

According to the study of Stephen, Maeve & Philips (2007),
in a traditional sense, a Library is a large collection of books
such as research proposals, dictionaries, encyclopedia, and many
more; it also can refer to the place in which the collection is
housed. Today, this kind of terms can refer to any of the
selection, including digital sources, resources, and aids. The
collections can be of print, audio, and visual materials in
various layouts, containing maps, prints, and documents,
microform, compact disk, cassettes, videotapes, digital video
disk, e-books, audio books and many other electronic assets. The
places where this material is stored can range from community
libraries, consent libraries, intimate libraries, and can also be
in digital arrangement, stocked on computers or approachable over
the internet. The term has acquired a subordinate meaning: “a
group of beneficial tangibles for common use.” This sense is used
in fields such as mathematics, computer science, statistics,
analysis and electronics. They cast that, a library is
systematized for use and cared by a public body, an institution,
association, or an intimate individual. Public and institutional
collections and services may be designed for use by people who
choose not to or cannot sustain to obtain an extensive collection
themselves, who need material.

Library reservation system

Library is a substantial part of the academic sector as well
as some professional sectors too like, Advocacy etc. The
effectiveness of a library relies on how the book and other
materials are organized and how easily one can get the books that
they preferred. Mainly, what we see nowadays is manual library
management system whose method of operation is very much
unsettled. What we are doing is that we are proposing a
computerized library management system, which provides better and
efficient service to the library members. This software is meant
to transform the unsettled manual system to a more adequate
computerize system. This application can be used conveniently in
educational institute and certain professional districts also.
This application presumes that the user doesn’t possess the right
to alter information about books. In accordance to Yao ‘s (2013),
background of the study.

LAN (Local Area Network) Based Library System

 As its names convey; the system is affiliated to a LAN or
also known as Local Area Network. This kind of system provides
users exceptional service with regards to the system’s activity.
The transactions that will take place in the LAN-Based Library
System are branched into two types: the server-based and client
based. Server-based transactions are the transactions which can
only supervise and oversee by the librarian due to some factors
such as security. These transactions are being done in the server
only, as its name convey. Customer-based transactions are the
transactions which can be done in the client computer in the
library or through internet.
 Chapter III – Methodology

Methodology
This chapter begins on the scrutiny about the project
research design methodology together with the development of the
system operation, process and testing. The second part discussed
the architectural diagram interface of hardware and the last part
showed the recommended hardware, software and network
specification.

Figure 1: Waterfall Model Project Design Model

Throughout the project development after the researchers

conducted interviews and research regarding the proposed system,
the researchers have decided to use Waterfall Model for the
System Development Life Cycle (SDLC), because this model gave the
researchers lot of advantage including; in each stage and
activity done in development of the project those stages and
activities were easily explained which benefit both the
researchers and the client and also in each verification and
review of each stage can easily locate and repair errors that may
occur in the program.

Planning
During planning phase of the system, the researchers
conducted an interview to the client to gather some data about on
how the librarian manage the books, borrowed book records,
returned book records, all student’s records in the library. It
is observed that the librarian manually writes all the
transactions and maintenance records of every student who
borrowed or returned the books in a piece of paper, so the
researchers plan on developing the management by improving the
managing of records by making it computerized to make it more
effortless to both the librarian and clients of the library in
the future. The researchers also plan to provide a more secure
and a large amount of database storage for their records to be
safe.

Analysis
The proposed computerized Library Borrowing System was
designed purely from the users’ viewpoint without considering the
restraint of hardware (such as computers hardware and software).
In addition, system frameworks required to attain such designs
was clarified. After checking requirement specifications included
in the basic plan, the overview of the project was represented
through the use of diagrams (Figures: 3-5) so that the
alternation and flows of data can be easily assumed.

Designing
The software design particularly designed to the librarian
of the school; the researchers used a user-friendly design to
attract the user to use the new library borrowing system. Here,
the system was arranged and constructed purely from the users’
aspect without considering the constraints of hardware (such as
computers). In inclusion, system structures enforced to achieve
such designs were clarified. After checking the requirement
stipulation included in the planning, the synopsis of the system
represented by the use of diagrams so that the processed of data
can be easily presumed. Based on the likeness and the division
into sub-systems and input/output plotting was performed. The
entire project was branched into a number of modules on a
utilitarian basis, and each module was further divided into
smaller entity. In designing of the code, such as the boldness of
coding system, was conducted. In addition, relationships between
the data were analyzed.

Software Development
Coding
In the development of the system, the researchers made
use of Microsoft Visual Basic Studio 2008 for encoding the
source code of the system, the researchers also made a
module for loading of data in each specified field in the
system, in order to be accurate and fast acquisition of data
and information.
Testing
After finishing the main parts of transaction being
done in the system the researchers tested it and there was a
lot of learning that the researchers encountered, it made
the researchers realized minor and major mistakes in the
system and it gave more understanding on how to develop it,
after several weeks, the system has been successfully
introduced.
Operation
 In the operation test, the researchers conducted a test
of our system with our fellow BSIT-III students in order to
verify and secure the system will satisfy the clients. The
researchers received comments and suggestions for
consideration.
 Maintenance
Maintenance will be conducted once the system is
deployed to our clients, to maintain good performance all
throughout the school year, maintenance will be done if the
clients make a request. The researchers will also conduct a
yearly maintenance to ensure their satisfaction.
Constraints
The following were the constraints the researchers had
encountered during the gathering of information and making
of the system:
 Insufficient Funds – Not enough fund to buy the
proposed product for their school’s library system. This problem
is commonly caused by lack of financial preparation for the
upgrade of their school’s library system.
 Operating Systems – Variation in operating system
affects the effectiveness of our system. If the school’s
operating system is not compatible the proposed program will not
operate or function well.

Architectural Diagram Interface of Hardware

The diagram shows the management server. This is where all
the process starts. It shows that it delivers and retrieves data
from the storage servers and is distributed to the librarian
workstations. Management server is also responsible for passing
up the database to back-up storage to secure a copy of all
registered book and students in the system including their
borrowing and return book transactions.
 Figure 2: Proposed SCA Library Borrowing System
Architectural Diagram

System Testing and Implementation

In order to make this project successful, the researchers
let the proponents test and evaluate SCA Library Management
System in order to receive feedbacks and to produce a reliable
and effective system.
 SCA Library Borrowing System was tested in the school
laboratory by the proponents. Firstly, the selected student will
login as an administrator to see and evaluate the functions of
administrator in the system. Secondly, the researchers let the
two students to login as Librarian to evaluate the functions made
for the librarian’s point of view in the system.
SCA Library Borrowing System is a customized system which is
designed from the client’s desire in the system to make it more
user friendly to the target users. The items below are the
features included in the system.

SCA Library Borrowing System Features

This SCA Library Borrowing System will feature the
following:
 Computerized Admin / Librarian / Student Account
Managements
 Secure storage for accounts and transactions
 Easy book borrowing schemes
 Generating well-organized reports

Recommended Hardware Specification (Server / Work Stations)

For SCA’s Library Management System be deployed and run in a
perfect function the clients must first implement the following
hardware specifications.
 Intel Core i3-2100 3.10GHz
 8GB 1333MHz DDr3
 Printer
 Optical Mouse
 Keyboard
 Monitor
Recommended Software Specification (Server / Work Stations)
 Windows 7 Ultimate / Professional
 Visual Basic 2008
 PHP, MySQL
 MySQL Database and MySQL utilities
 Crystal Report

Recommended Network Specification

 Dual 1 GB LAN ports
 UTP cables
 RJ45
 Chapter IV – Existing System

General Objective
This library borrowing system is created in order to have a
good control and a well-organized borrowing of books for the
students of St. Columban’s Academy.
Specific Objective
To accomplish this objective this will include the following
actions such as;
 Recording borrowing transactions.
 Provide quality and time sufficient service to the students.
 Provide reliable and easy to manage records of past
transactions.
Scope of the current system
This system is only limited to the students of St.
Columban’s Academy in which the needs of borrowing books in the
library increase yearly. As the number of students grow the
number of demands in borrowing of books in the library is also
growing.            
This system is performed manually the recording of books
being borrowed, returned, damaged etc.., that is ideal only for a
small demand of students. Due to the lack of money and
technological devices, this current system is the best and most
ideal thing to be done to provide track records in each
transaction.

Concept of Operation
The first step in the current system`s concept of operation
is the student will search for the book he needed in the library.
After finding the specific book, student will go to the
librarian. The librarian will then ask if the student will borrow
the book overnight. If the student will just read the book the
librarian will just get the library card of the student and
record the time, the title of the book, number of the book, and
the author of the book. If the student will bring the book
outside the library, the librarian will then check the status of
the book if it is good to be released. If the book is in good
condition, the librarian will get the library card of the student
and record the time borrowed, expected date to be returned, the
title, author, and number of the book. In returning the book, the
librarian will check the book if there is any damage. If the book
has damaged, and returned over the due date, penalties will be
charged.

Figure 3: Existing System Activity Diagram

Data flow Diagram of an Existing System

Figure 4: Existing SCA’s Library Borrowing System Data Flow

Diagram

The current library system starts with the student. The

student will borrow books to the librarian, and then the
librarian will validate the book to see the condition of the book
before the student borrows it. Upon the approval of the
librarian, the student will surrender his/her library ID. Then
the librarian will give the specific book. Upon returning the
book, the librarian will check its condition and give approval to
the student. There the librarian will return the student’s
library ID.
 Chapter V – Proposed System

Proposed Solution
Throughout the research, the researchers came up and decided
to propose a quick and easy transaction for all the manual
difficulties in managing the Library have been rectified by
implementing computerization to make it faster and reliable
managing system, the researchers will also provide a user-
friendly interface for the librarian and administrator and also a
fast accessible database with a secure and huge amount of storage
capacity. It will also provide a fast phased of technology
attributed a lot to the improvement of the library system.

Scope of the Study

The proposed system is made based on the wants and needs of
the school, the system consist of registering books with specific
book identification number, so that the librarian will have an
easy access in each book, search tabs for reliable, easy and
faster monitoring of books and more importantly a reports and
evaluation papers can be generated in a well-organized and well-
presented reports.
In this project the system is highly recommended due to the
rapid increase of computer related tools in the industry. With
this proposed system features and functions the school library
will be able to accommodate more reliably consistent and faster
to provide a better service to the students.
The SCA’s library borrowing system starts with the
registered administrator’s account which was made by the system
programmer and is given to the supposed administrators of the
system when the system is activated, the administrator will add
users to the system which is the librarian, when librarian is
registered he/she can now manage and record books in the system.
He/she can register students who enrolled in the school. If a
student, who is registered in the system, wants to borrow a book,
he can inquire with the librarian if the book is available or is
already borrowed by another student. The moment that it is
available he must search the book in the library shelf and
present the book with his registered library ID, the librarian
will encode the book and student ID number in the system and when
it is encoded the system it will automatically record the book
and student details in the database.

Concept of Operation
In the second main transaction, when the student will return
the book, the librarian will search the borrowing transaction
records, when the record is found, there will be three (3)
outcomes. First, when book is returned in a good condition and is
not late there will be no penalties to be released. Secondly,
loss of book or damaged, the librarian will release a penalty
report which will be forwarded to the accounting office through a
printed-out report. Lastly, when the book is returned late, the
librarian will sum-up the total number of days. There will be a
fine of 20php per day and will also be forwarded to the
accounting office in the same manner.
Figure 5: Proposed SCA Library Borrowing System Use Case Diagram

The main actors as shown in Figure 5, Proposed SCA Library

Borrowing System Use Case Diagram are Client, Librarian. The
corresponding use cases for the Client are, Inquiry for
Membership, Search Book, Borrow Book, Book Return, Pay Fine and
for the are Librarian, Search Book, Issue Membership Card, Issue
Book, Return Book, Charge Fine In Case of Late Return, damage or
the book is lost; maintain the Book Records, Add Books, Remove
Books, Add Members, Remove Members, and Update Member. Also
generating report for client and school needs.
Use Case Description
The table below describes the functions, conditions and
alternative flows to be met of all the entities used in the use
case diagram.

Table 1: Register
Table 2: Search Books

T
able 3: Manage
Table 4: Book Return

Table 5: Borrow Book

Data Flow Diagram
In figure 6 of the proposed system’s Data Flow Diagram shows
all the concept and flows of each entities and operation of the
proposed system.

Figure 6: Proposed SCA Library Borrowing System Data Flow Diagram

The librarian will log in to the system and then the
librarian will register students and books that are in the
library. If the students have been registered and wanted to
borrow books, the student will search the book/s, and then he/she
will present his/her registered library card together with the
book/s he/she intended to borrow. The librarian will record the
transaction using the proposed system and will set the due date
for the book to be returned. After recording he/she will release
the book/s and student’s library card together with the receipt.
When the student returned the book before the due date, the staff
will record the transaction successfully and update the book
status. In case of loss or damaged, the librarian will give a
fine to the student that will be given to the accounting office
for penalty purposes.

Data Dictionaries
These tables below provide the entire database tables
details such as Field Name, Descriptions, data types, character
lengths.

T
able 6: tblusers
Table 7: tblstudents

Table 8: tblbook
 Table 9: tblbtr

Table 10: tblreturn

Table 11: tblclearrecords

Table 12: tblreports

Class Diagram
Figure 7 Proposed SCA Library Borrowing System Class Diagram
shows the system entity, attribute and operations and each
relationship among objects.

Figure 7: Proposed SCA Library Borrowing System Documentation

Entity Relationship Diagram
Figure 8 Proposed SCA Library Borrowing System Entity
Relationship Diagram shows the system entity relationships in
each entity and their supposed functions in each relationship.

Figure 8: Proposed Library System Documentation

Based on figure 8, the proposed system’s Entity Relationship

Diagram are the entity of the proposed SCA library borrowing
system database, which are presented by tables; the tables are
made to meet the required specification of the system and provide
a much more specific details of each entities within the system.

Advantages
The following are the advantages of our system:
 Provides quality and time sufficient services.
 User friendly and easy to use.
 Provides specific reports.
 Reliable and easy to manage records
Disadvantages
The following are the disadvantages of our system:
 One (1) book per transaction only.
 No password recovery 

Technical Feasibility
During the study, the researchers concluded that this study is
technically feasible because there will be no much trouble and
difficulty in getting the required resources for the development
and maintenance of the system. As well as all the resources for
software and hardware development is already available.

Social and Operational Feasibility

The proposed library borrowing system study is socially and
operationally feasible for the organization because the system is
developed with the organization’s wants and needs in order to
easily understand and manipulate the systems functions, so the
researchers and developers made sure that the system will be user
friendly and can be easily operated to meet its fully operational
function to provide the organization a social and operational
system.
Economic Feasibility
In the development of the proposed system the researchers
concluded that this study is highly and economically feasible
because the organization will not spend large amount of money in
order for the system to be developed and be fully functional. The
only consideration left to do is to make an environment that is
capable to attain the maximum usability of the corresponding
resources.