ABSTRACT

The purpose of this project was to digitize a library management system for ST Basil’s Primary
School in Bindura District in Mashonaland Central Province. Three project objectives were
formulated to guide in the development process and to specify the requirements of the system.
The internal survey made by the school head at the school showed pathetic results concerning the
safe keeps of library records. The school management authority found it necessary to discard the
manual system by digitizing school library records thereby developing a computer application
called Library Management System. The project manager is among the concerned staff of the
school and an internal arrangement was made by relevant school authorities and the project
manager was directed to carry out the project. Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews were done
with structured open-ended questions to the sample and findings proved the necessity for the
system and specifications were noted.The Library Management System was developed and
designed to maintain housekeeping of the school library. The application is a distributed
application because data is stored centrally by the school but accessed by librarians and students
or members.

1
CHAPTER ONE

1.1 INTRODUCTION
In this modern world the use of technology, computers in particular are inevitable as it
has more benefits as compared to manual systems. The Library Management System
(LMS) which is the focus of this project is a computer application that digitizes library
records so that check out and check in of library books can be done electronically,
searching and addition of can be done on a computer. Computers bring positive changes
in the working places as they are capable of storing and accessing vast amounts of
information, save time, help organize and search information more efficiently. The
system is designed to perform housekeeping functions of a school library, help librarian
keep track books and their check out and check in as well as students or members
subscriptions and profiles. The Library Management Systems also maintain the database
for entering new books and recording books that have been borrowed with their
respective due dates. The Library Management System application is said to address cost
factors, meet confidential policies, access time, reliability and the need to store accurate
information. This documentation narrates procedures undertaken in developing the
Library Management System.
The goals of this project are to provide simplicity as well as security and efficiency to the
management of St Basil’s Primary School Library and also reducing managing personnel
in the library.

1.2 ORGANISATIONAL BACKGROUND

St Basil’s Primary is found in Bindura District in the Mashonaland Central Province. The school
is one of the best competitive schools in Bindura district. It is known of producing good results
in both academics and in sporting activities. The school has an enrollment of nine hundred and
eighty learners both junior and infants and thirty teachers including the head and the deputy
head. The school has adequate structures and classrooms for its enrolment The school
management had challenges on the management of their library. The school head recently carried

2
out a survey and find out that they are some books which are missing and there is no trace of the
books, the survey also showed that some records of library books have been misplaced.
The school became concerned since the library is crucial and important in promoting effective
learning. Therefore, the school authority decided to look for a computer application which will
be reliable, updatable and easy to use and to access whenever needed.

1.3 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Check outs and check in of a book from and to the library is a cumbersome process.
Various details need to be remembered by the librarians. It is very difficult to keep a
track of all books manually. Maintenance of the record of each book is a very tedious job.
A large number of human efforts are required to keep a track of members who have
issued a book, who has returned a book and which book is issued or returned. Modifying
the details of members or books is a very tedious job if done manually.

1.4 PROJECT AIM

To develop Library Management System software application to handle the primary
housekeeping functions of a library that is to manage asset collections as well as relationships
with their members and enable libraries keep track of the books and their checkouts, as well as
members’ subscriptions and profiles.

1.5 OBJECTIVES

 Librarians should be able to add and modify books, book items and users.
The librarians can also issue, reserve and return book items.
 Members can search the catalog, as well as check-out, reserve, renew and
return a book.
 The system should send notifications for overdue books, canceled books
and so on.

3
1.6 FEASIBILITY AND PLANNING

Determining and validating candid need of the project, several assessments were analyzed
concerning the school’s capability to meet all financial resources, technical capabilities, risks
associated with the project and all legal requirements necessary to undertake the project. The
school was ready and devoted to fund the project and to encounter any associated project risks.
Careful planning of the roadmap was put into place in order to mitigate possible project failure.

1.6.1 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY

Contemporary challenges in the field of educational management require the ultimate use of
modern technologies and applications. Engaging into a Library management system in school
from a theoretical perspective provides an opportunity for librarians, members or students to
explore educational sources in an environment that is conducive for their respective professional
development and reflections.The project’s aim is to offer an excellent application package to
support librarians and the school students. It is comprehensive and thorough, yet encompassed
by tight security features which shall allow only access to authorized persons by the
administration in the form of a password and a user name. This project is both flexible and yet
defined enough to ensure positive outcomes which shall allow easy access and being user
friendly to all users.Where changes would be necessary, the system shall have an option for
updating, editing and deleting in order to contain valid and accurate books. When the system is
applied fully and correctly, it shall serve as a valuable and reliable source of books for St Basil’s
Primary School for successful and effective learning.

1.6.2 BUSINESS VALUE

The Library Management System has a unique design with the element of usability, letting users
to interact effectively with the application. The application is user friendly and enables users to

4
complete their tasks and achieve specific goals accurately and proficiently. The application is
also designed with security features which secure both the application and library books records.
Passwords and usernames are used as security tools that allow only authorized librarians to
access library records. The system has an application shield used for extended protection, in case
the user forgets to logout or takes a short break the system will sleeps and would request for
additional information in order to resume operations, failing to provide the needed information
no access will be granted. The library Management System meets all the requirements specified
by the user and is always ready to accept changes required by the user even in the future. The
system is very reliable, totally free from technical errors and it performs according to its
specifications whenever the login process is done successfully. Finally, the Library Management
System is really a blessing to St Basil’s Primary as it reduced unnecessary stationary costs, space
issues, security and the provision of easy and reliable to perform housekeeping of the library.

1.6.2 FEASIBILITY STUDY

Mahesh and Mittal (2009) stated that, feasibility study is the analysis of problems to determine if
it can be solved effectively. It is carried out in order to assess the viability of a new project. Any
digitization project needs to consider every aspect of feasibility study which involves
determining whether it is Social, Technical, Safety, Environmental, Managerial, Financial, and
organizationally is achievable (Zkjadoon, 2016). Due to the fact that digitization project involved
various kinds of extended needs as compared to the implementation of a normal information
system. The need of special software (Intelligent Character Recognition) and skilled staff. It is
recommended that every digitization project should consider every angle of feasibility study to
reduce the risk of making incorrect decisions. Some of the feasibility study that need to be
considered are:

SOCIAL FEASIBILITY

Generally, computerization brings fear ofunemployment amongst the existing staff.The

introduction of a Library management system will not createunemployment problems but will
createnew job positions, like system manager,system analyst, programmers andprogramme

5
maintenance staff, data entryoperators, etc. It will also relieve theexisting, professional staff from
their routineclerical activities, so as to enable them to perform intellectual professional
dutieswhich will need reorganization of staff. There organization of professional staff wills
leadto job improvement as well as jobsatisfaction. In future, the system wouldneed system
analyst, programmers and dataentry operators.Though there will not be any change inthe
qualifications of the existing staff,except for additional training but in futureappointments, the
qualifications for thedifferent professional posts have to bechanged and specialization in
computer programming will be a necessaryqualification with basic professionalpostgraduate
degree. It will lead to higherpay scales especially for the posts of systemanalyst and
programmers, than that of theassistant librarian and senior library assistant respectively.The
existing organizational structure willremain unchanged, except for the additionof one more
subsystem for example computersystem, for which the librarian will beaccountable and an
aptitude toperform technical and intellectual jobs willdefinitely lead to job improvement.Social
cost of the proposed system willconsist of the cost of education andtraining, consultation and
communication.For computerization, each of the existing staff was consulted for their
requirements and problems they have in the existingsystem. At the time of implementation,
eachemployee will be consulted andaccordingly, in-house education andtraining programmes
will be arranged forthe existing staff member of the library for8-1 0 days duration. However,
staff members who are about to retire within 1-2 years,may be reluctant to undergo training in
useof computer due to ignorance, fear andhostility, such persons can be utilized formanual
professional activities, as analternative to avoid redundancy payment.

TECHNICAL FEASIBILITY
Digital asset availability depends on certain hardware and software.The hardware available inthe
department is desktop computer, Core i7 processor 8 GB RAM and 1TERABYTE hard drive.
The Library Management System support windows 7, windows and windows 10 operating
system.Two types of heavy-duty printers-oneline printer with 600 lines per minute andone dot-
matrix printer with 200 charactersper second speed are attached to thesystem.The system has
standard software like editors andcompilers of JAVA and PYTHON. For software, it was
thought to develop pan in-house package and had aperson with basic education in library
andinformation science coupled withspecialization in computer programmingand also familiar

6
with library operations sothat there can be a complete understandingof the requirements.This
shows that technically it is feasibleto get the required hardware, software anda person having
complete understanding ofthe requirements to develop the softwarepackage.

MANAGERIAL FEASIBILITY

The Library Management System is designed to perform the house keeping of the library and
keeping library books entries and records up to date. The librarians will have a password and a
user name to login into the system in order to perform advanced administrative duties like
updating or adding new books, issued and returned books. Students will also be able to search for
a book by the title as well as find the location shelf of the book in the library.

FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY
A digital project can only be successful if sufficient funds required to implement it are made
available. Enough funds and money should be budgeted before starting the project so as to avoid
hindrance during the course of implementing the project. The School Development Committee
(SDC) is the project sponsor, which will be responsible to fund any cost which shall be needed in
the project development process. There is need of enough funds to purchase hardware which will
be used to store the software application as well as storing the records of the books. The
hardware required for the system will be in the form of storage media, backup equipment and
computers. Once the hardware is put in place there will be need of software which includes
operating system (OS), Driver pack solution, and Microsoft office. The issue regarding software
had specifications on types of operating system and standard software for the database.

1.6.3 RISKY ANALYSIS

Performing a risk analysis is a crucial step in the processes being prepared for potential problems
that can occur within any phase of the project. During risk analysis phase, if a potential risk is
identified, a possible solution to handle the risk should be developed. A list of possible project
risks is shown below which will be used in assessing the factors that may affect the cost and
schedule of the digitisation project. The project manager must always be vigilant, identifying risk
factors that may not been previously identified. Therefore, questions below should be tackled
first as a way of identifying and managing potential risks which may occur in the digitisation

7
project. The list of potential project risks should be reviewed throughout the life of the project, at
times such as when the project plan is being revised for the next stage of project lifecycle, to
reassess whether there are some changes in risk factors in the progress of the digitisation project.
Questions are answered either in terms oflow, medium, or high risk, or yes/no. To determine the
risk of the project the above stated criteria is used. The second step is planninghow to manage
this risk.
The list of potential project risks is shown below and each risk that have a high score should
have a corresponding plan for managing and controlling that risk. Circle the one that best
describes that item’s risk. The following criterion is applied in selecting the appropriate risk
level. Low-: the risk is very unlikely to occur during the project’s life.

Medium-: Chances will be 50-50 for the risk to occur during project’s life.
High-: The risk will be very likely to occur during project’s life.

1. Purchase of items that are critical to the project success (e.g., hardware and/or software
resources) can be delayed in the procurement process.

Low Medium High

2. Project schedule may exceed one fiscal year.
Low Medium High
3. Burden rates (cost of labour), support costs, or other charges may increase from year to year.
Low Medium High
4. Team member(s) of the project maynot be in place when required.
Low Medium High
5. Risks with the hardware and software to be used to develop the project develop. For example
can this hardware and software handle the workload required to complete the project?
Low Medium High
6. The workstation environment of the intended user may change after requirements are
gathered.
Low Medium High
7. Risks associated with project member assigned to the project who may be pulled off anytime
for another assignment.
Low Medium High

8
8. Risk to the project resulting from a mandated/mandatory completion date for the project.
Low Medium High
A list of possible solutions that correspond to the risk statements contained in the above prompt
list is shown below.

1. If a specific piece of hardwareor software is required to develop or implement the project and
there is either a supply problem on the manufacturer's end or the procurement process takes a
long time.
2. If the project goes beyond the scheduled time of a year, it may result in increase of funds and
the source of funds may be depleted for the next year. Client should be aware of this risk as it
may affect the delivery date of the project.
3. If burden rates, support costs, and charges increase and is not taken action to, it may result in
pitfall as the budget will be depleted before the project is finished so client should be aware
flexible to adjust the budgets.
4. Unavailability of technical skilled person like the Java programmer to perform the coding of
the graphical user interface of the system may slow progress so all technical personal should
in place for the project.
5. If the hardware components and the software are not compatible and is slow in terms of
responsiveness then the project may be delayed and better hardware should be purchased.
6. With today's rapidly changing software and hardware workstation environment there is a
probability that the intended working environment may change and this may slow the
progress of the project.
7. When client’s crucial staff do not attend some of the import meetings especially during
requirement gathering and testing it may result in coming out with inappropriate end product,
client’s staff should be in the position every time especially the current librarians.
8. A client directed completion simply means one of the variables that a project manager has to
work with has been fixed. If the client says development will be completed by September 30,
then the other factors such as resources, function, and quality will have to be arranged in such
a way as to meet the fixed date. One thing to keep in mind. Not all dates are achievable. If
the date is not achievable, the reasons why should be spelled out to the client.

9
1.6.4 STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
It is often important for IT projects to identify and analyse the requirements and needs of
everystakeholder. In bridging the project and policy, the councillor, SDC, headmaster, deputy
and librarians were the stakeholders which were engaged to give their views concerning the
project. The stakeholders were very positive to the project and proved to support the project at
any level of implementation. The policy can also be used later in the project. Once the system is
fully functional the team may make use the evidence to create the policy impact. The project
policy can be a useful tool to consider when any authority would want to know about the project.
The system provides the capability to check out, check in update and add a new book in the
library. The system uses passwords and user name so as to avoid access from unauthorized users.
Password and a username would be used by librarians. Librarians are able to check out a book to
a student, check in a book from student and add new books while administrators (Headmaster
and deputy head) are able delete and perform advanced duties such as changing passwords and
usernames.

1.6.6 WORK PLAN

In order to come up with an adorable project results it is crucial to efficiently utilize time,
resources, budget and have a well scheduled project plan. Project description, strategies, budget
and resources and timeline are important components of a work plan which shall be sub-
headings below.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION Modern challenges in the field of educational management

require the ultimate use of modern technologies and applications, giving birth to the Library
Management System. The Library Management System is a computer application to perform
housekeeping functions of a library that is operations of borrowing, returning and adding of
new books. The system has a database which is responsible for storing records of the stock of
books that the library has. The application requires a password and a username in order to
login, this is a security measure to only allow authorised users to access and manipulate library
books records. Security features are flexible under advanced settings which can only be made

10
possible by administrators who also performs additional administrative tasks like deleting of
old stock books which need to be removed from the library.

STRATEGIES USED Proper project planning good strategies will likely to come up
with excellent result. The listed and explained below strategies shall be used in project.
1. Start with the end in mind, objectives and goals should be clearly defined, in line with the
final project outcomes.
2. Executives should work together with efforts of other team members.
Executives will communicate to sponsors on what they want to do and why they want to do it.
3. Have a highly qualified and performing team. Having a highly qualified team can help to
define the correct strategies and ways for the success of theproject. Project leaders should work
in line with project’s vision and work with the team to successfully deliver key programs and
projects.
4. Monitoring progress and performance through accountability. Meetings are a best way to
come up with agreements, identify risks and keep team members accountable to follow through
to produce results.
5. Be open and flexible. Since the project is unique, leaders should be open and flexible to
adjust correct their project.
6. Celebrate incremental achievements. Break down the project execution phases into smaller
chunks, and celebrate at each phase and refinements to improve processes and performance to
boost morale and acknowledge team efforts.
7. Champion a new reality. In the case that there might be a failure in a phase, that does not
mark the end of project but a start of a new phase.

PROJECT BUDGET
The budget was prepared with regards to the tasks to be performed, team members’ salaries and
other bills. The budget gives enough time to ensure that the project will be completed, final
report prepared, and all bills paid falls within the project schedule without the need for a
contract amendment. The table to illustrate the budget is shown below.
Activity Duration Rate (Per Hour) Total costs
(days)

11
 Prototype design 01 $15-00 $120.00
Purchasing materials 03 $20-00 $480.00
Manufacture of prototype 03 $15-00 $480.00
Design a database 01 $20-00 $160.00
Design user interface 01 $20-00 $160.00
Create codes 02 $20-00 $320.00
Initial production run 03 $15-00 $360.00
Staff training 01 $15-00 $120.00
Staff input on prototype 01 $15-00 $120.00
Documentation 01 $10-00 $80.00
Work package cost $2400.00

DURATION OF THE PROJECTInvoices to be reimbursed will be for services that are

between the start date and completion date of the project. The starting date stated, make is before
the commencement of work and have levered costs which have been incurred. The table to show
start and end dates is shown below.

PROJECT’S TIMELINE
Start Date 01/09/21
End Date 17/09/21

Duration (days)
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
Prototype design
Purchasing materials
Manufacture of prototype
Design a database
Design user interface
Create codes
Initial production run
Staff training
Staff input on prototype
Documentation

12
CHAPTER TWO

SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
The development of the Library Management System is planned with the intention of producing
the quality system through the best procedures and methods. The sub topics below shall discus
on the ultimate framework of shaping, organizing and performance of the system and the
relationships among subsystems and their contribution to meeting a common goal and
environmental factors that operate on a system.

2.1 DATA GATHERING METHODOLOGIESMethodology refers to the systematic way of

gathering important data. Methodology is a plan that shows how a researcher intends to fulfill the
goal of a proposed project. This implies the use of an approach that involves a systematic
planning which also involves the understanding of how knowledge of project is discovered. In a

13
way to get to the required sample at the same time enhancing a reliable generalization of results
quantitative data collection technique was engaged. Data collection methods were used to collect
qualitative research data. The results were much dependent on the large sample size of
stakeholders. There are many methods of collecting quantitative data however interviews with
structured questionnaires were used to collect offline data. Purposive sampling was used to get
quality data that gives accurate and precise results. Therefore, it is important to make sure that
the data that is collected is of good quality to give a clear picture of the project. Sampling and
interviews shall be described below on how they were applied to the project.

SAMPLING
Project participants were selected using purposive sampling. It is a non-probability sampling
procedure in which the project manager purposely chooses participants who are relevant to the
project (Blair, Dickie & Kelly, 2008). The school head, deputy head, Teacher in charge, senior
teacher and School Librarian were the participants of the project who were rich in information
needed and they were all from St Basil’s Primary.

INTERVIEWSInterview is a standard method of collecting data through interviewing people.

However,the interviews were conducted in a structured to collect quantitative data. This is
whereby the interviewer is only asked a standard set of questionnaires. The conducted face to
face interviews proved to be an effective way of collecting data since data was collected directly
from the participants. Interviews were important in acquiring quality data as it provided a scope
to the details of the project. Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) was used to
conduct interviews, the interviewer gets to the interview with tablet so that data gathered during
the interview will be uploaded directly to the database. CAPI saves time in terms of updating and
processing the data and also makes the whole process paperless as the interviewer do not carry a
file of papers and questionnaires.

ADVANTAGE Structured interviews are structured questions that are carefully worded in
orderto obtain valuable data. Generally structured interviews questions are specific and are well
structured to obtain accurate responses. This makes structured interviews a good example of a

14
qualitative tool of data collection. Questions can be discussed in structured interviews and even
more complicated questions can be discussed. In this project structured interviews were applied.
The same questions are asked to all respondents with the same wording and the same sequence
(Deaton, 1997). Structured interviews were used for the reason of allowing the same context for
the interviewees. This would mean that all interviewee receives the same stimulus as any other
interviewee. The aim was that the responses of interviewees can be compared and aggregatedso
that is easy to analyze. Moyo, Wadesango & Kurebwa (2012) state that -, the strength of
structured interview is that the researcher has control over the topics and format of the interview.
It is because a detailed interview guide is always used to bring out information.

DISADVANTAGES
Epps, (1969) states that, structured interviews can be time consuming if not properly handled.
Structured interviews requirea qualified and well-trained interviewer. When its randomly
conducted the data that is collected can be misleading. Loftland and Loftland, (1995) maintains
that in a structured interview; the flexibility involved can lead to inconsistencies in data.
Systematic arrangement and analysisare required since a lot of data can be collected. In this
project face to face interviews conducted with the use ofComputer-Assisted Personal
Interviewing (CAPI).

2.2 DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING SYSTEM

The bookkeeping system where records are kept maintained by hand, without using a computer
system is known as the manual system. Winston (2007) notes that, manual system is a
bookkeeping system that does not utilize computer software for entering or storing records.
However, traditional or manual system is the system make use of pen and book to record
information without the use of computer. There was a manual system where library records were
kept in books, check out and check in of library books done use pen in books. The existing
system consisted of several challenges which made the school authorities to be concerned, so the
introduction of a LibraryManagement System. The challenges on the manual system were far
beyond the control of the school management.

15
2.3 ACTIVITY DIAGRAM
The project consisted of a number of activities that are interrelatedthat are all necessary and
should be precisely delineated and coordinated in order to finish the project successfully. Each
activity is defined as a task and shall have a clearly defined start and a clearly defined end point.
The time to be taken for each and every activity shall be forecasted under normal circumstances.
Below is an activity plan for the project.

Task name Duration Start Finish Resource name

Prototype design 1 days 01/09/21 01/09/21 Mutata T
Purchasing materials 3 days 02/09/21 04/09/21 Mutata T
Manufacture of prototype 3 days 05/09/21 07/09/21 Mutata T
Design a database 1 day 08/009/21 08/09/21 Mutata T
Design user interface 1 day 09/09/21 09/09/21 Mutata T
Create codes 2 days 10/09/21 11/09/21 Mutata T
Initial production run 3 days 12/09/21 14/09/21 Mutata T
Staff training 1 day 15/09/21 15/09/21 Mutata T
Staff input on prototype 1 day 16/09/21 16/09/21 Mutata T
Documentation 1 day 17/09/21 17/09/21 Mutata T

2.4 DATA FLOW DIAGRAM (CONTEXT AND DETAILED)

Data flow Diagrams (DFD) gives a graphical representation on how information moves between
processes in the system. Data Flow Diagrams are divided into low levels hacking more
information and functional elements. Levels in DFD are numbered 0, 1, 2 or beyond. Three
levels are used in this project, thus Level 0 DFD, Level 1 DFD and Level 2 DFD.

CONTEXT DIAGRAM (LEVEL 0 DFD) This level is also known as the Level 0 Data Flow
Diagram and is designed to be an abstraction view, showing the system as a single process with
its relationship to external entities. This level represents the whole system as a single bubble with
input and output data shown by the incoming and outgoing arrows. Fig 2.4.1 shows level 0 DFD.

16
 2.4.1 Flow Diagram For Library Management
System

Book Management

Library Management system

Library Management System user
management

LEVEL 1 DFD
The Data Flow Diagram in level 0 whichLogin
is the context diagram is broken down into multiple
Management
processes. The main functions of the system were highlighted in this level.High-level processes
Level
of level 0 DFD were furtherdecomposed 0 Data
into Flow Diagram
sub processes. Fig 2.4.2 shows level 1 DFD

.
2.4.2 Flow Diagram For Library Management System

Add book
View book 2 Librarian Login
Librarian

administrator
Issue book Files Add
View librarian
issued 1 View
2
books Process librarian
Library advanced
Return Management Delete
book settings librarian
system

3 System Files 1 Admin

Files

Level 1 Data Flow Diagram

17
 DETAILED DIAGRAM (LEVEL 2 DFD)The Data Flow Diagram in level 2 goes a further
step deep into parts of level 1 DFD. The necessary details about the system’s functionality were
planned using this level.

Fig 2.4.3 shows level 2 DFD.

2.4.3 Flow Diagram For Library Management

System
2 Library Management System

D3 Librarian Files D1 Admin Files

Administrator
Librarian

Librarian Details Administrator Details

Password Password
username username
2.1 2.3
Validate Librarian Validate Administrator
Request access Request access
to the system to the system

Access permission to
Access permission to advanced settings
Library Management system

2.2 2.4
Access Library Records Process Advanced settings

Accessing LMS Files Accessing Administrative Files

D2 System Files

Level 2 Data Flow Diagram

The major importanceof Data Flow Diagram is that they keep the program organized and help
the programmer to plan the exactly way how the new system is going to reachthe intended goals.

2.5 WEAKNESS OF EXISTING SYSTEM

The manual system of managing the library which was in use had many weaknesses which the
school authorities could not handle or control. The manual system is made up by the use of
exercise books as wayof recoding library records. Some of the weaknesses of the manual system
include the lack of privacy, hard to make changes, prone to damage and not reliable as it can be
misplaced and can take up a lot of space. The above-mentioned weaknesses shall be described
below and showing how they were affecting the school.
1. Lack of privacy, the system was not so secure since unauthorized people could access the
18
records of the library without authority. This can lead to changes and temper to the library
records.
2. Hard make changes, the manual system was difficult in terms of adding new up to date books
and deleting old outdated as the books were manually recorded using pen. It was difficult to
know the reserved books as the is no automatic update of issued books.
3. Prone to damage, the use of books was prone to damage of important records as it can be
easily be damaged by physical conditions and it can be teared or hidden by any individual as a
way of destroying evidence.
4. Space, since library books are being issued on a daily basis to many students, there was a lot
books recorded the records of issuing books so it takes a lot space to keep the books. This is so
because the school is big so the is a lot of activity in the school library

2.6 JUSTIFICATION OF ALTERNATIVE TAKEN

After being satisfied with the use of computers as contemporary technology, the Library
Management System brought strength to all weaknesses from the manual system which was in
use. The system has a tight security as there is the use of login username and passwords, so only
authorized users are allowed to use the system. Administrators being the school head and deputy
head will be able to login using passwords and usernames in order to add or delete librarian
while librarian can issue, return book, add new books and view books. The system is flexible as
changes like delete and update can be performed easily using buttons. The administrators will be
responsible for advanced duties like changing username and passwords,

2.7 REQUIREMENTS ANALYSIS

The Library Management System is at the low level, system and integration requirements. The
detailed description of all of the requirement was shown using the case diagram objects. The two
types of relationship in a use case diagrams which were used are the association between a user
and a use case and the include relationship between two use cases. The below use case diagram
serves as atool for the estimating, scheduling and validating effort.

19
 Library Management System

Add new Book

View Books

Library Management
Librarian Login Issue Book
logout

View Issued Books

Return Book

Add Librarian

Advanced settings
Administrator Login View Librarian
logout

Delete Librarian

Use case diagram for the Library Management System

The below described category of users, identify all roles taken by the users/administrators
relevant to the system in order to achieve the goals of the system.

Recording System Requirements

library management This case describes how a user can login into the system and use
the book issuing, return and add system facility.

20
 The user can see a dashboard with the following options, add,
issue and return book. Librarian can add, issue book, return book,
view books and view issued books details.

The users starting this use case are librarians.

Advanced settings This use case describes how any administrator can login and use
the adding, deleting librarian and view librarian system facility.

The administrator can see a dashboard with the option to add

librarian, delete librarian view librarian and logout.

21
CHAPTER THREE

SYSTEM DESIGN
3.1 PROPOSED SYSTEMS DFDS
The Library Management System is composed with three Data Flow Diagrams. The data-flow
diagrams were composed with the same type of symbols, and same rules for validation were used
in all of the DFDs,three main types of DFDs were used which are context diagram or level 0
DFD, level 1 DFD and detailed diagram or level 2 DFD. TheData-flow diagrams gives an
important tool for software engineering, for several reasons which include the system scope and
boundaries which are clearly shown on the diagrams and the technique of decomposing high-
level data-flow diagrams into a set of more detailed diagrams, shows an overview of the
complete system, and also a more detailed breakdown and activity description for every
individual, where this is appropriate.

22
3.2 ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNThe system architecture explains the major
components, and how they interact or the relationships with other. Architectural design includes
different factors which includequality attributes, human dynamics, design, and IT environment.
These factors are shown in the diagram below.

Software
Architecture and Software Design are two distinct phases of software architecture. Software
Architecture and software design are described in detail below.

SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE
Software Architecture serves as a blueprint for the Library Management System. Software
Architecture gives an abstraction to manage the complexity of the system and provides a
communication and coordination mechanism within components.It explains a structured solution
to reach all the operational and technical requirements, while perfecting the common quality
attributes such as performance and security. Software architecture also involves a set of
important decisions about the library of St Basils Primary School related to software
development.Each of these decisions have a considerable effect on quality, maintainability,
performance, and the overall success of the final product. These decisionscomprise of the
following:

23
 o Selecting structural elements and their interfaces by which the system is made of.
o Behaviour as specified in collaborations among those elements.
o Composition of these structural and behavioural elements into large subsystem.
o Architectural decisions aligned with St Basil’s Primary objectives.
o Architectural styles that guide St Basil’s Primary.
SOFTWARE DESIGNSoftware design gives a design plan that explains the elements of the
Library Management System, how they fit, and work together to complete the requirement of the
system. The objectives of having a design plan were as follows:

 To negotiate system requirements, and to set expectations of the school.

 Act as a blueprint during the development process.
 Guide the implementation tasks, including detailed design, coding, integration, and
testing.
The diagram below illustrates the Software Design for the Learner’s Social Management System.

24
3.3 MENU DESIGN

3.4 INPUT DESIGNIn the Learner’s Social Management System, input is the raw data
that is processed to produce output. During the input design the developer considered input
devices such as the keyboard, mouse etc. Therefore, the quality of system input was determined
by the quality of system output. The designed input forms and screens have the following
properties:
1. Serve specific purpose effectively such as storing, recording and retrieving learner’s social
records.
2. Ensures proper completion with accuracy and is easy to enter learner’s records.
3. It focuses on user’s attention, consistency and simplicity.
It was of great importance to design appropriate data input methods to prevent errors while
entering learner’s social records. The two methods used are the batch input method and the
interactive data input method. These methods depended on data entered directly by users on the
PCs. The Learners’ Social Management System prevent users from making mistakes by:
o Immediate error feedback.
o Clear instructions to fill a new form.
o Clear form design by leaving enough space for writing legibly.
Input Integrity Controls
Input integrity controls included a number of methods to eliminate common input errors by end
users. They also included checks on the value of individual fields, both for format and the
completeness of all fields.

3.5 OUTPUT DESIGN

The output design was the most important task of the Learners’ Social Management System.
During the output design, the developer identified the type of outputs needed, and considered the
necessary output controls and prototype report layouts. The output design of the Learners’ Social
Management System was guided by four objectives which were:
 To develop the output design that serves the intended purpose and eliminates the
production of unwanted output.

25
  To develop the output design that meets the end users’ requirements.
 To form the output in appropriate format and direct it to the right user.
 To make the output available on time for making good decisions.
The Learners’ Social Management System was designed with two types of outputs to meet the
user requirements, the two outputs are described in detail below.
External OutputThe Learners’ Social Management System was designed and created to make
external outputs for printers. The system enables the user to make both a print out (hardcopy)
and a softcopy in the form of a pdf (Portable Document File) of a learner’s social records by
using the print button. The print button allows the user to select the printer he/she wishes to use,
number of copies needed as well as some advanced printing options.
Internal Output
The Learners’ Social Management System was designed with Internal Outputs that are present
inside the system and used by users and administrators. They support the management in
administrative duties and reporting. There are two types of reports which are produced by the
system.
o Detailed Reports - They contain present information which has almost no filtering or
restriction generated to assist the school authority in planning and other administrative
duties.
o Summary Reports - They contain trends and potential problems which are categorized
and summarized.
Output Integrity Controls
Output integrity controls include routing codes to identify the receiving system, and verification
messages to confirm successful receipt. Printed or screen format reports include a current date
and time for report printing.

3.6 PROCESS DESIGN

According to Chopey and Nicholas (2004) process design is an act of transforming an
organization’s vision, goals and available resources into a discernible, measurable means of
achieving the organization’s vision. In this project the engineer followed a process to make the
Learners’ Social Management System. The process began with identifying a problem. Then the

26
engineer imagine, plan, create, and evaluate a product that addresses the problem. The engineer
used steps illustrated below to develop solutions which addressed problems identified. The
prototype made was a subject to be revised as often times as possible until required
specifications were met.

1. Identify the Problem Purpose:

To recognize a specific issue that needs to be addressed

2. Do Research Purpose:
To gather information

3. Develop Possible Solutions Purpose:

To think of several ways to solve the problem
4. Choose One Solution Purpose: To
decide which solution best solves the problem

5. Design and Construct a Prototype Purpose:

To plan a design, gather materials, and build a model of your solution

6. Test the Prototype Purpose:

To see how well your design worked

7. Communicate Results Purpose:

To share your results and learn from others

8. Evaluate and Redesign Purpose:

To consider how to improve your design

Identify the Problem

27
At the beginning of each activity, students are asked to identify the problem that their designs
will address. This step is important because it informs the rest of the design process and defines
how success will be measured. The scenarios presented in the book vary. Some are true problems
that need to be solved, such as how to safely filter water samples. Others focus on improving an
existing design, such as building a device that allows students to flip a light switch from across
the room. A handful are more conceptual in nature. For example, students would not be expected
to design an actual dam and experiment with water flow to observe effects on the environment.
The purpose of activities such as these is to help students understand some basic design concepts
and apply those concepts to different problems or tasks. Do Research

After a problem has been identified, students conduct research. This research may include
finding articles in books, magazines, or on the Internet to help students begin to formulate ideas
and recognize constraints for their designs. During this stage, students examine existing designs,
which can provide a starting place and help students formulate questions. Research is also the
step in which students discover and explore the important elements of a design. Guided questions
encourage critical thinking about aspects of the problem that must be addressed in order to
develop a successful design.

In each activity, the research step includes the question, What are your design constraints? This
question helps students recognize the limits of their solutions and to eliminate solutions that
would be inefficient, costly, or physically impossible. Develop Possible Solutions

Next, students brainstorm possible design solutions that address the problem they identified.
Possible solutions may include variations on one design using the same or different materials.
They also may include completely different designs. This step allows students to recognize the
pros and cons of each design. Choose One Solution

In this step, students choose one of their proposed designs and describe it in detail. They may be
asked to draw or diagram their design and to explain why they chose it. Having as much
information as possible about each possible solution and keeping the problem or task in mind is
helpful for choosing a successful design. The chosen design should represent the solution that
students think best meets the need or solves the problem that was identified at the beginning of
the design process. Design and Construct a Prototype

28
At this point in the design process, students gather materials, build a prototype, and record the
particular details of a design that are required for replication. These requirements—such as
dimensions, measurements, materials, processes, and so on—are described in a detailed
description or assessment. Anything that someone studying or replicating the prototype would
need to know should be included in this section.

At the end of this step, students have a prototype that is ready for testing. By definition, a
prototype is the original or base model. This concept is important for students’ understanding of
the design process and the fact that a successful prototype is not necessarily one without
problems. Scientists usually change their prototypes multiple times before they get it to do what
they want. Test the PrototypeAfter building their prototypes, students will test it. Some of the
activities produce prototypes that can be tested within a class period; others involve several days
of testing. Students may be asked to construct graphs, tables, or to record their results in other
ways. Testing the prototype usually involves asking questions that are based on observations,
and assessing the prototype in terms of how well it solves the problem or task. Again, it is
important for students to understand that a successful prototype is not a perfect prototype, but
one that helps the designer refine his or her design.

Communicate Results Sharing results is an important step in any developing design. Students
are encouraged to use a variety of approaches to communicate their results. Examples include
sketches, photographs, detailed diagrams, word descriptions, portfolios, computer simulations,
computer slide shows, and video presentations. Students may also present evidence that was
collected when the prototype was tested. This evidence may include mathematical
representations, such as graphs and data tables, that support the design choice. Students can talk
about how well a particular solution worked and learn how other students approached the
problem.

It is important for students to understand that this step is not a competition. Communicating the
results of an experiment or test has practical and ethical importance for scientists and engineers.
Practically, communicating results opens a conversation in which other scientists or engineers
can make suggestions and help improve a design. The design also might help the other engineers
solve problems they are having with their own designs or inspire them with a new design.

29
Ethically, communicating results opens an experiment or design to accurate, unbiased evaluation.
It also helps protect the intellectual rights of the scientists or engineers sharing the design.

Evaluate and Redesign

The last step allows students to evaluate what worked and what did not work about their designs
and why. Students are asked to rate their prototype designs with a rubric of design constraints.
Students are encouraged to explain their ratings and, if needed, brainstorm design improvements.
Some activities allow the students to redesign their prototype, but because of time and material
constraints, other activities only engage students in a discussion.

3.7 DATABASE DESIGN

3.8 PROGRAM DESIGN

3.9 TEST DATA DESIGN

3.10 SECURITY AND BACKUP DESIGN

Data security refers to the protection of data from unauthorized access, use, change, disclosure
and destruction and includes physical security and file security. The Learners’ Social
Management System is designed with key security features like passwords and usernames (login
ID) to allow only authorized users.Storage and Backup Data refers to holding your data files in a
secure location that you can readily and easily access. In other words Data backup, refers to
saving additional copies of your data in separate physical or virtual locations from data files in
storage. In this regard, the LSMS is designed with a reliable and convenient backup system

30
which has an option to choose the backup location, either using the cloudy backup or the external
HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The full backups is used, as the name implies this type of backup
makes a copy of all data to a defined location such as cloudy or disk. Among the four types of
backups, full backups was chosen because it performs a full backup during every operation
where a complete copy of all data is available with a single set of media. This also results in a
minimal time to restore data. There are reasons why it is necessary to safeguard data, learners'
social records are the basis of the Learners' Social Management System (LSMS). If learners'
records are lost, recovery could be slow, costly, or impossible. Therefore, it is important to
secure, store, and backup data on a regular basis. Securing learners records will also help to
prevent:

 Accidental or malicious damage/modification to data.

 Theft of valuable data.
 Breach of confidentiality agreements and privacy laws.
 Release before data have been checked for accuracy and authenticity.
The Learners’ Social Management System was designed with a reliable backup and security
system which is an important part of data management. Regular backups are mainly to protect
against the risk of damage or loss due to hardware failure, software or media faults, viruses or
hacking, power failure, or even human errors.
GUIDELINES FOR SECURITY AND BACKUP
Security is considered for all copies of learners’ records, including the working data set, backup
copies and archived copies. Security keeps confidential learners’ records off the Internet, and
sensitive materials on computers are not connected to the internet
PHYSICAL SECURITY
Access to the building where computers are kept is restricted and only trusted individuals
(administrators in particular) are allowed to access the room. This is done as a way to avoid theft
of backup gadgets, data or the computer as well as to prevent modification of data.The use of
good passwords on files and computers is also highly recommended.
COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND FILES
In a bid to secure the learners’ records, computers keep virus protection up to date and no

31
confidential data is sent via e-mail or any other social platform without being encrypted. Data is
send in the pdf format while encrypted with end-to-end encryption.

3.11 TEST DATA DESIGN

3.12 DEPLOYMENT DIAGRAM

32