https://github.com/sanskarajput/library-management-application
A Flask-based Library Management System featuring role-based access control for librarians and readers. Includes book and section management, user authentication, request handling with automatic expiration, ratings & reviews, search functionality, PDF viewer and analytics dashboard.
https://github.com/sanskarajput/library-management-application
bootstrap cors flask javascript library-management-system python restful-api server-side-rendering sqlalchemy-orm sqlite3
Last synced: 29 days ago
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A Flask-based Library Management System featuring role-based access control for librarians and readers. Includes book and section management, user authentication, request handling with automatic expiration, ratings & reviews, search functionality, PDF viewer and analytics dashboard.
- Host: GitHub
- URL: https://github.com/sanskarajput/library-management-application
- Owner: sanskarajput
- Created: 2024-06-18T05:09:09.000Z (almost 2 years ago)
- Default Branch: main
- Last Pushed: 2026-02-10T16:28:34.000Z (about 1 month ago)
- Last Synced: 2026-02-10T20:41:14.173Z (about 1 month ago)
- Topics: bootstrap, cors, flask, javascript, library-management-system, python, restful-api, server-side-rendering, sqlalchemy-orm, sqlite3
- Language: HTML
- Homepage:
- Size: 14.2 MB
- Stars: 3
- Watchers: 1
- Forks: 0
- Open Issues: 0
-
Metadata Files:
- Readme: README.md
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README
# 📚 Library Management System
A full-stack web application designed to streamline library operations and enhance the reading experience. Built as a college project, this system demonstrates practical implementation of web development concepts while solving real-world library management challenges.
## 🎯 Project Overview
This Library Management System is a **server-side rendered web application** developed using Flask, offering a complete solution for managing library resources, user interactions, and administrative tasks. The application follows the traditional Model-View-Controller (MVC) architecture, where all pages are dynamically rendered on the server using Jinja2 templates, providing a seamless and interactive experience.
**Developed as part of academic coursework**, this project showcases the integration of modern web technologies, database management, and user-centric design principles to create a practical library management solution.
### Why This Project?
Libraries are fundamental to education and knowledge sharing, yet managing them efficiently can be challenging. This application was created to:
- Simplify book cataloging and organization for librarians
- Provide readers with easy access to library resources
- Automate routine tasks like request handling and access expiration
- Offer insights through analytics and statistics
- Demonstrate full-stack development capabilities in an academic setting
## 🌟 Features
### 🔐 Authentication & User Management
- **User Registration & Login**: Secure signup and login system for readers
- **Librarian Authentication**: Separate login portal for librarians with role-based access
- **Password Security**: Bcrypt hashing for secure password storage
- **Profile Management**: Upload profile pictures, view account information, and delete accounts
- **Session Management**: Secure session handling with Flask-Login
### 📖 Book Management
- **CRUD Operations**: Create, read, update, and delete books with metadata (name, author, description, cover images, PDF attachments)
- **Book Organization**: Assign/remove books from sections and view by section
- **Book Tracking**: Issue count tracking and date management
### 📑 Section Management
- **CRUD Operations**: Create, edit, and delete sections with descriptions and custom images
- **Section Features**: View all sections with book counts and add multiple books to sections in bulk
### 📥 Book Request & Access System
- **Request Management**: Users can request books for various durations (6 hours to 2 weeks), view pending requests, and cancel requests
- **Access Control**: Librarians review and approve/reject requests with configurable access durations
- **Automatic Expiration**: Scheduled task runs every 5 seconds to automatically expire and remove outdated book access
- **Fair Resource Distribution**: Maximum limit of 5 concurrent book access grants per user
### ⭐ Rating & Review System
- **Rating System**: 5-star ratings with average calculations and top-rated showcases
- **Comment System**: Users and librarians can leave timestamped comments on books
### 🔍 Search & Discovery
- **Advanced Search**: Filter by book name, author, description, and section with real-time filtering
- **Recommendations**: Top-rated books showcase and book popularity tracking
### 📊 Analytics & Statistics
- **Dashboard Analytics**: Track total books, sections, readers, requests, and active access
- **Visual Charts**: Interactive pie charts for book distribution and bar charts for top-rated books
- **User Statistics**: Personal reading history, completed books, and currently accessed books with remaining time
### 📄 PDF Reading
- **In-Browser Viewer**: Full-screen PDF access with text-to-speech functionality and access control
### 🔒 Security & Access Control
- **Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)**: Librarian-only and user-only routes with automatic role verification
- **Error Handling**: Custom error pages (403, 404, 500) with user-friendly messages
- **Data Validation**: Input sanitization, secure file uploads, SQL injection prevention, and XSS protection
## 🛠️ Technology Stack
### Backend
- **Flask**: Web framework
- **SQLAlchemy**: ORM for database operations
- **Flask-Migrate**: Database migrations
- **Flask-Login**: User session management
- **Flask-Bcrypt**: Password hashing
- **Flask-RESTful**: REST API development
- **Flask-CORS**: Cross-origin resource sharing
- **Flask-APScheduler**: Task scheduling for automatic access expiration
- **Alembic**: Database migration tool
### Frontend
- **Bootstrap 5**: Responsive CSS framework
- **JavaScript (ES6+)**: Client-side interactivity
- **Chart.js**: Data visualization (bar charts)
- **Google Charts**: Data visualization (pie charts)
- **Font Awesome**: Icons
- **Jinja2**: Template engine
### Database
- **SQLite3**: Lightweight relational database
### Additional Libraries
- **Werkzeug**: WSGI utilities and file handling
- **python-dateutil**: Date/time utilities
- **pytz**: Timezone support
## 📁 Project Structure
```
Library-Management-Application/
│
├── application/ # Main application package
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── api.py # RESTful API endpoints
│ ├── config.py # Configuration settings
│ ├── controllers.py # Route handlers and business logic
│ ├── database.py # Database initialization
│ ├── functions.py # Helper functions and utilities
│ ├── login.py # Authentication and authorization
│ └── models.py # SQLAlchemy database models
│
├── database/ # Database files
│ └── database.sqlite3 # SQLite database
│
├── media/ # Media storage
│ ├── pdfs/ # PDF files
│ └── picture/ # Image files
│ ├── books/ # Book cover images
│ ├── profiles/ # User profile pictures
│ ├── sections/ # Section images
│ └── ... # Other images
│
├── migrations/ # Database migrations
│ ├── alembic.ini
│ ├── env.py
│ └── versions/ # Migration scripts
│
├── static/ # Static files
│ ├── script.js # JavaScript files
│ └── style.css # CSS styles
│
├── templates/ # Jinja2 templates
│ ├── base.html # Base template
│ ├── index.html # Landing page
│ ├── user_home.html # User dashboard
│ ├── librarian_home.html # Librarian dashboard
│ ├── dashboard.html # Dynamic dashboard
│ ├── book.html # Book card component
│ ├── sections.html # Section card component
│ ├── profile.html # User profile page
│ ├── search.html # Search results
│ ├── add_book.html # Add book form
│ ├── add_section.html # Add section form
│ ├── signup.html # Registration page
│ ├── user_login.html # User login
│ ├── librarian_login.html # Librarian login
│ ├── 403.html # Forbidden error page
│ ├── 404.html # Not found error page
│ └── 500.html # Server error page
│
├── app.py # Application entry point
├── requirements.txt # Python dependencies
├── .gitignore # Git ignore rules
└── README.md # Project documentation
```
## 🚀 Installation & Setup
### Prerequisites
- Python 3.8 or higher
- pip (Python package manager)
- Git (optional, for cloning)
### Step 1: Clone the Repository
```bash
git clone
cd Library-Management-Application
```
### Step 2: Create Virtual Environment (Recommended)
```bash
# Windows
python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\activate
# Linux / Mac
python3 -m venv .venv
source .venv/bin/activate
```
### Step 3: Install Dependencies
```bash
pip install -r requirements.txt
```
### Step 4: Database Setup (Optional)
> **Skip this step if you already have an existing database configured.**
The database is automatically created on first run.
If you want to set up a **fresh database** or manage migrations manually, run:
```bash
# Initialize migration repository (if not already done)
flask db init
# Create initial migration
flask db migrate -m "Initial migration"
# Apply migrations
flask db upgrade
```
### Step 5: Create Librarian Account (Optional)
> **Required only for first-time setup with a new database.**
On the first run, the application will prompt you in the terminal to create a librarian account:
- Enter a librarian username
- Enter a password (input hidden)
If you’re using an **existing database**, this step is **not required**.
### Step 6: Run the Application
```bash
python app.py
```
The application will be available at:
👉 `http://localhost:5000`
## 📱 Using the Application
### For Librarians
1. Login with your credentials → Access the admin dashboard
2. Create sections to organize your library (Fiction, Science, etc.)
3. Add books with details, cover images, and PDF files
4. Review pending requests → Approve/reject with access duration
5. Monitor analytics and manage user accounts
### For Readers
1. Sign up and create your account
2. Browse books by section or search by title/author
3. Request books with your preferred reading duration
4. Once approved, read PDFs directly in your browser
5. Rate and comment on books you've read
## 🔒 Security Features
- **Password Protection**: Bcrypt hashing for secure credential storage
- **Role-Based Access Control**: Separate interfaces and permissions for librarians and readers
- **Session Management**: Secure user sessions with Flask-Login
- **Input Validation**: Protection against SQL injection and XSS attacks
- **File Upload Security**: Validated and sanitized file uploads
- **Error Handling**: Graceful error pages that don't expose sensitive information
## 🎓 Academic Context
This project was developed as part of college coursework to demonstrate:
- Full-stack web development proficiency
- Database design and management
- User authentication and authorization
- Server-side rendering with Flask and Jinja2
- RESTful API development
- Responsive web design principles
- Practical application of software engineering concepts
The project emphasizes clean code, proper documentation, and real-world applicability while maintaining academic rigor.
## 🔄 Server-Side Rendering Approach
Unlike modern single-page applications (SPAs), this project utilizes **traditional server-side rendering** where:
- Pages are fully rendered on the server using Jinja2 templates
- HTML is sent to the client as complete documents
- Reduces client-side JavaScript complexity
- Provides better initial load times and SEO benefits
- Demonstrates fundamental web development principles
---
**Built with dedication as a learning journey in web development** 📖✨
*Questions or feedback? Feel free to reach out!*