RCN Library Management System

Complete documentation for managing your library with the RCN LMS. Learn how to set up, configure, and use all features efficiently.

Architecture

System Requirements

Server Machine

Client Machines

Optional Hardware

• Barcode Scanner - Any USB HID scanner (keyboard emulation mode)
• Receipt Printer - Any Windows-compatible thermal printer (80mm recommended)

Installation Guide

1. Install Prerequisites (Server Only)

   Download and install Visual C++ Redistributable 2015-2022 (x64) from Microsoft's official website if not already installed.

2. Install LMS Server

   Run RCN-LMS-Server-Setup-x.x.x.exe installer, follow the wizard, and launch from Start Menu.

3. Configure Server

   Note the Server IP Address shown. Configure your Setup Password (first-time only).

4. Install LMS Client(s)

   Run RCN-LMS-Client-Setup-x.x.x.exe on each workstation.

5. Connect Client to Server

   Enter the Server IP Address (e.g., 192.168.1.100) and Setup Password.

First-Time Setup

1. Login with Default Admin Account

2. Configure Member Types

Navigate to Settings → Member Types and set up your categories:

3. Create User Accounts

Navigate to Settings → Users and create accounts for librarians.

Server Control Panel

The LMS Server application provides a control panel for monitoring server status and configuring system settings.

System Status

The control panel displays real-time status information:

License Status

The License Status section shows your activation status and remaining days if using a time-limited license.

Backup Folder Configuration

Configure where automatic backups are stored:

1. Locate the Backup Folder section in the control panel
2. View the current backup folder path in the text field
3. Click Browse to select a new folder location
4. Backups will now be saved to the selected folder

Barcode Folder Configuration

Configure where generated barcode images are stored:

1. Locate the Barcode Folder section in the control panel
2. View the current barcode folder path
3. Click Browse to select a new folder location
4. Click the 📂 button to open the folder in Windows Explorer

Software Updates

Keep your LMS Server up to date:

1. Locate the Software Updates section
2. Click Check to check for available updates
3. If an update is available, a progress bar shows the download progress
4. Click Install Now & Restart to apply the update

Quick Actions

User Interface Overview

Main Navigation

How to Issue a Book

1. Go to Circulation tab

   Click on the Circulation tab in the main navigation.

2. Scan Member ID

   Scan or type the Member ID/Barcode. Member details will appear.

3. Scan Book Barcode

   Scan or type the Book Barcode/Accession Number.

4. Confirm Issue

   Click Issue Book or press Enter.

Custom Issue Date

The system allows you to set a custom issue date when recording transactions from previous days.

When to Use

• Recording issues that happened earlier (e.g., when the system was offline)
• Correcting the date for a transaction that should have been recorded earlier

How to Set Custom Date

1. Go to Circulation tab (Issue mode)
2. Locate the Issue Date & Time field

   By default, it shows the current date and time, updating in real-time.

3. Click and modify the date/time

   The field becomes "manually set" and stops auto-updating.

4. Complete the issue as normal

   The due date will be calculated from your custom issue date.

To reset to real-time mode, clear the date field or refresh the page.

How to Return a Book

1. Go to Circulation tab

   Click the Return mode button if not already selected.

2. Scan Book Barcode

   System shows book details, member info, and calculates any applicable fines.

3. Review Return Preview

   Check the displayed information including days late and fine amount (if any).

4. Click Return Book

   The return is processed and a success message is shown.

Collecting Fines During Return

If the book is overdue, you can collect the fine directly from the return success modal:

1. After clicking Return Book, the success modal shows the fine amount
2. Click Collect Fine to mark the fine as paid
3. Or click Collect Later to leave the fine pending (can be collected from Fines tab)

How to Renew a Book

1. Go to Circulation tab
2. Scan the Book Barcode
3. Click Renew button

   New due date is assigned automatically.

Archive & Revert Transactions

The system provides two special actions for handling problematic transactions.

Archive Transaction

Use Archive when a book cannot be returned normally, such as when it's lost, damaged, or needs to be removed from circulation records.

How to Archive

1. Go to Reports → All Transactions
2. Find the transaction to archive
3. Click the Archive button
4. Enter a reason (optional) and confirm

Revert Transaction

Use Revert to undo an incorrect issue transaction. This is useful when a book was issued by mistake.

How to Revert

1. Go to Reports → All Transactions
2. Find the incorrect issue transaction
3. Click the Revert button
4. Enter a reason (optional) and confirm

Viewing Archived/Reverted Records

1. Go to Reports → All Transactions
2. Click on the Archived or Reverted sub-tab
3. View the complete history including who performed the action and when

How to Add a New Book

1. Go to Catalog tab
2. Click Add Book button
3. Fill in book details
   • Accession Number (barcode) - Required
   • Title - Required
   • Author - Required
   • ISBN, Publisher, Category - Optional
4. Click Save

How to Add a New Member

1. Go to Members tab
2. Click Add Member button
3. Fill in member details
   • Member Code/Reg. Number - Required
   • Full Name - Required
   • Member Type - Required
   • Course, Year, Phone, Email - Optional
4. Click Save

How to Import Data from CSV

Importing Books

1. Go to Catalog tab
2. Click Template to download format
3. Fill data in Excel/Sheets (keep headers)
4. Save as CSV
5. Click Import and select file

CSV Format for Books:

accession_no,title,author,publisher,category,year_edition,isbn,location
LIB001,Introduction to Nursing,Florence N.,Medical Press,Nursing,2023,978-1234567890,Shelf A1

Importing Members

CSV Format for Members:

Name,Reg. Number,Type,Course,Year,Phone,Email,Address
John Doe,STU2024001,Student,B.Sc Nursing,1st Year,9876543210,john@email.com,123 Main St

Bulk Operations

Perform actions on multiple books or members at once using bulk selection.

Bulk Book Operations

1. Go to Catalog tab
2. Click the checkbox next to books you want to select (or use the header checkbox to select all)
3. Choose a bulk action:
   • Delete Selected - Remove selected books permanently
   • Retire Selected - Mark selected books as retired (keeps records but removes from circulation)
4. Confirm the action when prompted

Bulk Member Operations

1. Go to Members tab
2. Select members using checkboxes
3. Choose a bulk action:
   • Block Selected - Temporarily block members from borrowing
   • Activate Selected - Reactivate blocked members
   • Delete Selected - Remove selected members permanently
4. Confirm the action when prompted

Reservations

Allow members to reserve books that are currently issued to others.

Making a Reservation

1. Go to Reservations tab
2. Enter the Member Code (or scan member card)
3. Enter the Book Barcode (or scan book)
4. Click Reserve

The member will be added to the reservation queue. When the book is returned, the system will hold it for the next member in queue.

Viewing Reservations

Cancelling a Reservation

1. Find the reservation in the list
2. Click the Cancel button
3. Confirm the cancellation

How to Manage Fines

Collect a Fine

1. Go to Fines tab
2. Find the member with pending fine
3. Click Collect button
4. Fine is marked as paid

Waive a Fine (Admin Only)

1. Go to Fines tab
2. Find the fine to waive
3. Click Waive button
4. Confirm the action

How to Generate Reports

1. Go to Reports tab
2. Select report type:
   • Statistics - Circulation, Popular Books, Member Activity
   • All Transactions - Complete transaction history with sub-tabs:
     • All - All issues and returns
     • Issues - Only book issues
     • Returns - Only book returns
     • Archived - Archived transactions
     • Reverted - Reverted transactions
   • Issued Books - Currently issued books
   • Overdue - Overdue books and fines
   • Fines - Fine collection records
   • Book History - Complete history of a specific book
   • Member History - Complete history of a specific member
3. Set date range (if applicable)
4. Click Print to print report

How to Backup & Restore

Create Backup

Option 1: From Server Control Panel

1. Open the LMS Server application
2. Click the 💾 Backup button in Quick Actions
3. Backup is saved to the configured backup folder

Option 2: From Client Settings

1. Go to Settings → Backup tab
2. Click Create Backup
3. Save the backup file to a safe location

Restore from Backup

1. Go to Settings → Backup tab
2. Click Restore
3. Select the backup file
4. Confirm restoration
5. System will restart with restored data

Daily Routines

Daily Opening Workflow

1. ✅ Start LMS Server (if not running)
2. ✅ Start LMS Client
3. ✅ Login with your credentials
4. ✅ Check Dashboard for books due today and overdue items
5. ✅ Ready for circulation

Daily Closing Workflow

1. ✅ Check all returns are processed
2. ✅ Review fines collected
3. ✅ Create backup (Settings → Backup)
4. ✅ Close LMS Client

New Academic Year Workflow

1. ✅ Deactivate graduated members:
   • Members → Select all graduating students
   • Click Deactivate
2. ✅ Import new students:
   • Prepare CSV with new student data
   • Members → Import
3. ✅ Review member type settings
4. ✅ Clear old fines if needed

Book Audit Workflow

1. ✅ Export current catalog: Catalog → Export
2. ✅ Physically verify each book
3. ✅ Mark missing books: Select book → Change status to "LOST"
4. ✅ Update locations as needed
5. ✅ Generate inventory report

Theme Toggle (Dark/Light Mode)

Both the LMS Server and Client applications support dark and light themes for comfortable viewing in different lighting conditions.

Switching Themes

Theme Behavior

• Your theme preference is saved automatically
• The setting persists across application restarts
• If no preference is set, the app follows your system preference (Windows dark mode setting)

Troubleshooting

Client Cannot Connect to Server

Barcode Scanner Not Working

Application Not Starting

Keyboard Shortcuts