Advantages Of Automated Library Management System

“Useful & Enjoyable & Inspired=Innovative Content.” Ann Handley

Library - a quintessential part of an educational institution and a society as a whole!

It is not just a place containing books but also a storehouse of information & content that has power to influence minds. An integral as well as crucial part of any educational campus, the library is one of the few places where one can find genuine information on almost all kinds of subjects/topics.

With prompt advancements in the National Education Policy 2020 that promotes edTech, digital learning, communication and information technology (ICT), the library, too, has seen a lot of changes over the recent years. One of the most prominent changes is library automation - wherein every task related to management of a library is fully computerized. A few years ago, it was a privilege to have technology in the classroom, but now every institution is well aware of - what is library automation and the importance it holds.

Advantages Of Library Management Systems

There are numerous reasons for you to automate your library. Here listing the top 5 advantages of library management systems.

#1 Helps You Manage the Library Constructively

Thousands of books, magazines, and heaps of journals are quite difficult to manage, not to mention the time and manpower required.

Using a library management system, you can very easily, quickly and constructively carry out all the activities such as –stock verification, circulation, serial control, binding, indexing, book acquisition and cataloguing, etc.

Since the whole process is automated, the tasks are streamlined, which means you do not have to do repetitive work.

Also, needless manual practices eliminate the risk of human errors and increase efficiency considerably.

#2 Reduces Operating Cost

Expenses incurred in manually managing the library are very high because of a lot of paperwork, manpower, printing cost, etc. involved on a daily basis. Putting all the information on digital campus automation tools like school ERP software can free you of all the printing and papers, once and for all!

You or your patrons can easily search the whole library in just a matter of a few clicks and a couple of minutes either via -

• OPAC: Online Public Access Catalog
• M-OPAC: Mobile - Online Public Access Catalog

On the contrary, the manual process takes a much longer time and also requires one to be physically present in the library.

The purpose of a library management system is to offer a paperless solution, reduced man-hours, increased efficiency that will eventually lead to lower operating costs.

#3 Saves Time - Substantially

Library stock management & verification of approximately 75,000 to 1, 00,000 books, when done manually or using spreadsheets requires 6 months with 3 people to generate accurate reports! Assuming 25 working days, 8 hours a day for 6 months: 25*8*3*6=3,600 hours!

While there are certain school ERP software like MasterSoft RFID based library automation software can do the same in 5-7 hours! That saves 99.8% of the time!

Surely that is a substantial amount of time saved along with a lot of hassles and reflects- why is library management system important!

#4 Makes Your Library a Smart Library

An organized, neat and systematic library is sure to prosper rather than a poorly organized one. The library automation software helps you make your library systematized, organized and smart. A smart library is not just neatly organized but also the one which facilitates quick and effortless searching of books. The library management software enables you or your patrons to find a book in your library in some seconds via powerful search tools.

One more advantage of library management system software is that you can also search for rare books or apply for interlibrary loans and vice-versa. This makes it very easy for your students to access all the books of many libraries from a single place.

Read more - LIB-MAN : Automate Library With Industry Best Library Management Software

#5 Today's Generation Needs It!

Students these days have access to a plethora of information, but how much of it is genuine is a cause for concern. Filling young minds with false or unauthentic information translates to a not-so-good future. Hence, the need of a library - an ‘organized’ and ‘advanced’ library where students can find authentic information is crucial. The digital age calls for digital methods of making the library a part of every student’s academic life.

The best way is to take your library on the digital medium! Yes, a smartphone app such as M-OPAC can easily access your library’s database stored in your library management software. A student can find any book and perform certain important activities via this app. Also, it gives you the benefit of searching books from anywhere on the planet.

Time and distance play the role of hurdles and restrict globally located students from accessing the library. So give them the access 24*7 to your library and see the difference.