Most school libraries run on a notebook and a trusted librarian. That works until the librarian is absent, a student leaves, or the principal asks how many copies of a book are actually on the shelf.
Here are the rules and records that keep a small library honest.
1. Catalogue every title with its copies
Record the title, the author, the subject, the ISBN if there is one, and the number of copies. Keep two numbers: copies owned and copies available now. The difference is the number out on loan. If the catalogue is searchable by title, author, ISBN and subject, a student can be helped in seconds.
2. Set a loan period and write it down
Choose how long a student may keep a book, for example one or two weeks, and tell students and parents. Every issue should carry a due date, so overdue books can be found without reading the whole register.
3. Record the student, not just the class
An issue should name the student who took the book. A class name is not enough, because you cannot ask a class to return a book. Name, class and date issued are the minimum.
4. Decide the fine and apply it every time
A fine only works if it is charged consistently. Pick a daily amount, for example Rs 10 for each day late, and charge it when the book returns. The simplest place to collect it is the fee challan, because the family already pays there. If fines are collected in cash at the library desk, they often go unrecorded.
5. Check for books out before a student leaves
When a student is leaving, the library is one of the departments that must clear them, along with fees and, in some schools, the hostel. A leaving certificate issued without this check is how books disappear. Add one line to your leaving process: library clearance.
6. Count the shelf once a year
Once a year, count the books on the shelf and compare with the catalogue. Differences usually mean books were lent without a record. Fix the habit, not just the number.
Doing this in Skoo
Skoo's library module keeps a catalogue with title, author, ISBN, subject and the number of copies, and shows how many are available. You issue a book to a student with a due date and press return when it comes back. If the book is late, Skoo works out the fine from the days late and adds it to that student's fee account, so it appears on the next challan. The default fine is Rs 10 for each day.
When you issue a school leaving certificate, Skoo lists books still out as dues, with unpaid fees and hostel dues. The principal can issue anyway with a written reason. The library staff have their own dashboard of what is issued and what is overdue.
Skoo does not scan barcodes yet, and the daily fine is one amount for everything. Read more about the library module and about leaving certificates.