Library Management App Development: Cost & Features

Managing a vast library is not easy for a librarian. Every book is an asset in a library. Most importantly, several readers visit a library every day to read books and borrow them for a particular period. A librarian has responsibilities to track every activity, including book search, book submission, and late fine. But, while managing them manually, there is a risk of errors. The library owner can also lose some books. So, investing in a Library Management app development service is the smartest decision.

You may find library management apps in Google Play Store and App Store. But you can hire developers to build a custom application for your library. The specially designed app will benefit both librarians and library members.

Today, several educational institutions, national libraries, private libraries, and academic libraries use Library Management Systems.

Library Management App Development- Know the cost

How much does it cost to build a library management system? You can speak to your developers to get the estimate. The overall cost may vary with

• The number of features added to the application
• The platform you have chosen
• The technology stack used for the application

Thus, to get an accurate estimate, you may consult professionals of a library management app development company.

However, do not be concerned about the cost, as a one-time investment will benefit you in several ways.

Using a library management app, your librarians can efficiently track books that have been issued and not returned.

• Library members can check the availability of the desired books.
• You can lower the cost of running a library as you do not need to employ several librarians.
• Librarians will save time in managing books.
• A well-managed library always creates a good presentation.

Library Management App Development- Features and functionalities

The major functionalities of a good library management application

• Library budget management- Library owners will find value from this functionality and have higher revenues.
• Better presentation of the library- Your library books need a proper presentation and categorization. It will ensure that readers will find the books easily.
• Stock maintenance- You must be able to manage your readers. Using the app, you can maintain stacks of books.

A library management system comprises 3 panels

• System- It is a unique panel intended for sending out several notifications related the canceled reservations, overdue books, and other things.
• Member- Library members may browse the catalog while reserving and returning books. They can take advantage of your app and enjoy a better experience.
• Librarian- The panel for librarians helps in adding and modifying the names of books. Moreover, the software enables librarians to record the issued and returned books.

Your software developers will integrate different modules into your library management app.

Module for acquisition management

You like to add more books to the stock. However, it is challenging to track those newly added books in your library. The advanced application will prevent duplication of books. Thus, using the app, you can check

• The order placed
• The books received
• Invoices processed
• Payment to vendors
• Maintenance of new books
• Allocation of IDs to different books

Catalog management

Books, audio clips, digital content, maps, and articles are the resource of every library. The application will store the digital version of these resources. Besides, it will be easy to search the content by the date of publishing, author, subject, and title.

Moreover, your software will present you with location identifiers and rack numbers to log library resources. The staff and students will easily be able to retrieve the right book from the racks.

User management

Your custom library app will store a comprehensive database of library members. It will deal with the name, log-in details, and IDs of every member. Hence, you need minimal effort to track how your library members are using your resources. In the case of a multi-user environment, several users may use the application without any access issues.

Circulation management

A reliable library management app can deal with smart cards, barcodes, and RFID to track the books’ movement and verify the stock. Furthermore, the RFID technology uses data capture and automatic identification capabilities. The encoded and captured digital data enters the computer system. Barcodes are also easy to align with optical scanners.

In addition, the library management app includes an advanced search function to let the students visit the library section of a platform. Students and librarians can search for books by subjects, publishers, and authors’ names.

Also, the search result will tell you about the availability of the resource.

Fee management

The library management software tracks membership fees accurately and manages every student’s account. The software will display the fine when any book is lost, damaged, and unreturned. It can automatically count the days when the book is issued from the due date.

Other features in your library management software

• Communication- Your library members can interact with your librarians via email and online chat systems. They do not always need to visit the library to learn about the availability of any book.
• New account registration- When any new member has joined your library, you can add his details. The software also enables you to cancel memberships.
• Periodicals management- A library has a collection of magazines and journals. Let your members print them from your software.
• Reserving shelf management- In the case of college libraries, teachers can keep some items reserved for them.
• Self-check-in and out Your library members can check the books they have borrowed.
• Serials management- It is another feature to track the serial number of your resources.
• Multi-language- Integrate this feature into your app, as your library members can choose the preferred language.

Library management app- How will you monetize it?

It is natural for a library owner to invest in a high-quality library management app. But, although you do not own a library, you can launch such apps and make them popular with librarians. In this scenario, you need to monetize the app to earn revenue.

The most common monetization models are

• Advertising- By displaying third-party advertisements, you can make money.
• Paid Listing- The Library admin can choose this model for paid listing.
• Membership- It is the best available option for monetizing your app. Library members who have purchased your subscription package will get additional benefits.

Library management software developers- What is their team structure?

Building a library management app involves the participation of different professionals. The UI designers work on the interface of the software, while back-end developers deal with the application infrastructure. There are also database professionals dealing with the app’s database. When the app development process is done, it is delivered to the QA team. That is why you get a bug-free, smooth functioning app.

Library management system development is a complicated project, and the professionals work together to provide you with the best solution.

You can now hire a team of app developers to create your library management app. The size of your application can make a difference in the cost. Moreover, the number of platforms for which you develop the app directly influences the cost. For instance, an app designed only for Android users will cost less.