Admin User Manual
MT/Kandenuwara Tamil MV – Learning Resource Centre
Library Management System · Admin Guide v1.0
Table of Contents
1. Overview of the Admin Panel
The admin panel is available at http://your-site/admin. Only users with the Librarian or Admin role can log in. All school library data — books, members, borrowing, fines — is managed from here.
2. Screen Layout
The screen is divided into three main zones:
3. Dashboard & Widgets
The dashboard is the first screen you see after login. It shows 8 live summary widgets:
| Widget | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Stats Overview | Total books, e-books, active members, and today's borrows at a glance. |
| Overdue Books | A table of all books not returned by their due date. |
| Due Today | Books that must be returned today. |
| Weekly Borrows | Bar chart of borrowing activity over the past 7 days. |
| Monthly Trend | Line chart showing borrow trends over recent months. |
| Top Borrowers | The students/staff who borrowed the most this month. |
| Popular Books | Most-borrowed book titles. |
| Grade-wise Borrows | Breakdown of borrowing by student grade. |
4. Navigation Groups
The left sidebar organises all modules into four groups. Each group has its own icon and colour:
| Group | What is inside |
|---|---|
| 📚 Catalog | Books and E-books |
| 🔄 Circulation | Book Inventory, Borrow Ledger, Reservations, Fines, Lost/Damaged, Purchase Requests |
| 👥 Community | Students, Teachers, Others, Web Visitors, Users, Notifications |
| ⚙️ Settings | Categories, Authors, Publishers, Suppliers, User Types, Damage Types, Payment Methods, etc. |
5. Table View
When you click any module, you see a list table. Here is what each part does:
6. Form View
Creating or editing a record opens a form page. Forms are grouped into sections with grey header labels (e.g. "BASIC INFORMATION", "LIBRARY DETAILS").
Form Field Types
| Field Type | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Text Input | Click and type. Required fields show a red asterisk (*). |
| Dropdown / Select | Click to open a list. You can also type to search within the list. |
| Toggle Switch | Click to turn On (blue) or Off (grey). Used for Active/Inactive status. |
| Textarea | Multi-line text box. Used for descriptions and notes. |
| File Upload | Click the upload area or drag a file onto it. Used for book covers and profile photos. |
| Date Picker | Click to open a calendar. You can also type a date directly. |
7. Buttons & Actions
| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| 💾 Save | Saves the form and goes back to the list. |
| 💾 Save & Create Another | Saves and immediately opens a blank form for the next record. |
| ✏️ Edit | Opens the edit form for a record. |
| 👁️ View | Shows a read-only detail page for a record. |
| 🗑️ Delete | Permanently removes the record. A confirmation popup appears first. |
| 📥 Export | Downloads the current list as an Excel or CSV file. |
| ← Back / Cancel | Returns to the list without saving any changes. |
1. Basic Rules
- Enter data consistently — avoid mixing UPPERCASE and lowercase for the same field.
- Always fill in the required (*) fields before saving.
- Use the correct date format: YYYY-MM-DD or pick from the calendar.
- Do not duplicate records — use the Search box first to check if a record already exists.
- Set the Active toggle to ON for all records that should be visible/usable.
- Upload clear images (JPG/PNG, under 2 MB) for book covers and profile photos.
2. Creating a New Record
- Click the correct module in the left sidebar (e.g. Books).
- Click the blue New Book button at the top-right of the table.
- Fill in all required (*) fields. Use dropdowns to select related items (category, author, etc.).
- Upload a cover image if needed by clicking the upload area.
- Make sure the Active toggle is ON if the record should be active.
- Click Save to finish, or Save & Create Another to add more records in one go.
- You will return to the list and see the new record at the top.
3. Editing an Existing Record
- Find the record in the table. Use the Search box or filter to locate it quickly.
- Click the ⋯ menu icon at the end of the row and choose Edit, or click the record row directly.
- Change the fields you need to update.
- Click Save. The changes are saved immediately.
4. Deleting a Record
- Find the record in the table.
- Click the ⋯ icon → Delete.
- A confirmation popup appears: click Delete again to confirm, or Cancel to abort.
4a. Bulk Delete
- Tick the checkboxes next to the records you want to remove.
- A bulk-action bar appears at the bottom of the table.
- Select Delete Selected and confirm.
5. Search & Filter
Search Box
Located at the top-right of every table. Type any part of a name, title, email, or number. The list updates instantly.
Filters
Click the funnel (🔽) icon to expand filter options. Filters let you narrow down records by:
- Status – Active / Inactive
- Category / Type – Dropdown select
- Date Range – From date to date
Click Reset Filters to clear all active filters.
6. Exporting Data
- Open any module (e.g. Students, Books, Book Ledger).
- Apply filters or search if you want to export only a subset of data.
- Click the Export button (📥) at the top of the table.
- Choose format: Excel (.xlsx) or CSV (.csv).
- The file downloads to your computer automatically.
7. Common Mistakes to Avoid
| Mistake | How to avoid it |
|---|---|
| Duplicate records (same student/book entered twice) | Always search first before adding a new record. |
| Saving without filling required fields | Check for red error messages below each field. |
| Wrong date format | Use the calendar picker instead of typing manually. |
| Image too large — upload fails | Resize the image to under 2 MB before uploading. |
| Accidentally deleting the wrong record | Read the confirmation popup carefully before clicking Delete. |
| Cannot delete a linked record (error message) | First remove all references to it (e.g. unlink books from the category). |
📚 Group 1: Catalog
The Catalog group manages the library's collection of physical books and digital e-books.
📖 Books
The central record for every physical book in the library. Each book record stores title, author, category, ISBN, publication year, and cover image.
Key Fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title * | Full title of the book |
| Author * | Author name (type directly or link to Author record) |
| Category | Select from the Category list (set up in Settings) |
| ISBN | International Standard Book Number (on the back cover) |
| Publication Year | Year the book was published |
| Publisher | Select from Publisher list |
| Description | Short summary or notes about the book |
| Cover Image | Upload a JPG/PNG image of the book cover |
| Active | Toggle ON to make the book visible in the public catalogue |
💻 E-Books
Stores digital books accessible online. Each e-book has a URL link, access type (Free/Restricted), and optional cover image.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title * | Name of the e-book |
| Author | Author name |
| URL * | Direct web link to the e-book (must start with https://) |
| Access Type | Free or Restricted (select from E-book Access Types) |
| Description | Brief notes about the content |
| Active | Toggle ON to show on the public landing page |
🔄 Group 2: Circulation
The Circulation group manages the day-to-day flow of books: copies in stock, who borrowed what, reservations, overdue fines, and damaged books.
📦 Book Inventory
Tracks how many physical copies of each book exist in the library, including accession numbers.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Book * | Select from the Books list |
| Accession No. * | Unique library stamp number on the inside cover of the book |
| Condition | Good / Fair / Poor |
| Is Available | Toggle OFF when the copy is borrowed or lost |
📒 Book Ledger (Borrow & Return)
The most important daily module. Every borrow and return is recorded here.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| User * | The member who is borrowing (student/staff/other) |
| Book Inventory * | Select the specific copy (accession number) being borrowed |
| Borrow Date * | Today's date (auto-filled) |
| Due Date * | When the book must be returned |
| Return Date | Fill this when the book is actually returned |
| Status | Borrowed / Returned / Overdue (updates automatically) |
Daily Workflow
- Member comes to borrow → click New Ledger Entry.
- Select the member, select the book copy, set due date → Save.
- Member returns the book → find the row → Edit → fill in Return Date → Save.
- Dashboard will no longer show the book as overdue.
📅 Reservations
Allows members to reserve a book that is currently borrowed by someone else.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| User * | Member making the reservation |
| Book * | The book being reserved |
| Reservation Date * | Date the reservation was made |
| Status | Pending / Ready / Cancelled / Completed |
💸 Fine Payments
Records fines charged for overdue books and tracks whether they have been paid.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| User * | Member who owes the fine |
| Book Ledger * | Link to the overdue borrow record |
| Amount Paid * | Amount collected in rupees (Rs.) |
| Payment Method | Cash / Bank Transfer (set up in Settings) |
| Payment Date * | Date the fine was paid |
| Notes | Any additional remarks |
💔 Lost & Damaged Books
Records books that are reported lost or damaged during borrowing.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Book Inventory * | The specific copy (accession number) |
| User * | Member responsible |
| Damage Type | Type of damage (set up in Settings) |
| Status | Reported / Resolved / Written-off |
| Reported Date * | Date the issue was reported |
| Notes | Description of what happened |
🛒 Purchase Requests
Tracks requests for new books to be purchased for the library.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Book Title * | Title of the requested book |
| Requested By * | Member or staff who requested it |
| Supplier | Suggested supplier (optional) |
| Status | Pending / Approved / Purchased / Rejected |
| Notes | Reason for the request or additional details |
👥 Group 3: Community
The Community group manages all people who use the library — students, teachers, other members, web visitors — and their user accounts.
🎓 Students
Student profiles linked to their school admission records.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Admission No. * | School admission number (unique per student) |
| Full Name * | Student's full name |
| Grade / Class | Current grade and class (e.g. Grade 8 – A) |
| Date of Birth | Student's date of birth |
| Guardian Name | Parent or guardian's name |
| Contact No. | Guardian's phone number |
| Photo | Upload a student photo (optional) |
| Active | Toggle OFF for students who have left the school |
👩🏫 Teachers
Staff and teacher profiles. Fields are similar to Students: full name, employee ID, department, contact, photo, active status.
🧑 Others (Community Members)
For community members who are not students or teachers — e.g. alumni, local residents with library membership.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Full Name * | Member's full name |
| Contact email | |
| NIC / ID No. | National Identity Card number |
| Contact No. | Phone number |
| Active | Toggle to enable/disable access |
🌐 Web Visitors
People who self-registered through the public website. They have limited access and can be upgraded to full members by the librarian.
🔑 Users (Login Accounts)
Every person who can log in to the portal must have a User account. The User links a Person record (Student / Teacher / Other / Web Visitor) with a login email and password.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Full Name * | Display name |
| Email * | Login email (must be unique) |
| Password * | Initial password (the user should change it after first login) |
| User Type * | Student / Teacher / Staff / Alumni / Guest / Librarian |
| Person Link | Link to the Student / Teacher / Other / Web Visitor record |
| Active | Toggle OFF to block a user from logging in |
🔔 Notifications
Send notifications to library members. Select a notification type, choose the recipient(s), write the message, and save.
⚙️ Group 4: Settings
The Settings group contains lookup tables and configuration data that all other modules depend on. Set these up first before entering main data.
| Module | Purpose | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Categories | Book subject categories | Science, Literature, Mathematics, Religion |
| Authors | Author master list linked to books | Full name, nationality, bio |
| Publishers | Publisher master list linked to books | Publisher name, country, contact |
| Suppliers | Companies that supply books to the library | Supplier name, contact person, phone |
| Damage Types | Types of book damage | Torn pages, Water damage, Cover missing, Written on |
| Payment Methods | Ways fines can be paid | Cash, Bank Transfer, Online Payment |
| User Types | Roles for library members | Student, Teacher, Staff, Alumni, Guest, Librarian |
| User Type Settings | Per-role borrowing rules | Max books allowed, loan period in days |
| Notification Types | Categories of notifications | Overdue Alert, New Arrival, Event Notice |
| E-book Access Types | Access levels for digital books | Free, Members Only, Restricted |
| Reservation Statuses | Stages of a reservation | Pending, Ready, Cancelled, Completed |
| Lost/Damaged Statuses | Stages of a damage report | Reported, Resolved, Written-off |
| Library Settings | Global configuration | Library name, address, email, logo, colours |
How to Add a Category (Example for all Settings modules)
- Click Settings → Categories in the left sidebar.
- Click New Category.
- Type the category name (e.g. Science).
- Toggle Active to ON.
- Click Save.
- The new category now appears in the Books form dropdown.
KTMV Learning Resource Centre · Admin User Manual v1.0
For support, contact the system administrator.