Library Management System (LMS)

A web-based Library Management System built with a Node.js RESTful backend and a modern frontend. This system manages books, users, borrowing, returning, fines, and roles following real-world library rules.

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Project Purpose

This project was built to:

• Apply backend engineering fundamentals
• Model real-world library workflows
• Enforce business rules securely
• Provide a complete API-ready system usable by a frontend

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System Overview

User Roles

• Admin

  • Manage librarians
  • Assign roles & user status

• Librarian

  • Manage books & categories
  • Process borrowing & returning

• Member (Student)

  • View books
  • Borrow & return books (via librarian)

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Tech Stack

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• PostgreSQL
• JWT (Access + Refresh tokens)
• bcrypt
• CORS
• dotenv

Frontend

• Web-based UI
• Connected via REST API
• Runs locally

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Authentication & Security

• JWT-based authentication
• httpOnly cookies for access tokens
• Role-based access control (RBAC)
• Protected routes
• Environment variables for secrets

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Core Features

User Management

• Login / Logout
• Role assignment
• Account suspension

Book Management

• Add / update / delete books
• Categories
• Availability tracking

Borrowing System

• Borrow limit enforcement
• Due date calculation
• Prevent duplicate borrowing
• Status tracking

Fine System

• Late return fines
• Fine accumulation
• Borrow blocking when limit exceeded

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API Design Principles

• RESTful endpoints
• Meaningful HTTP status codes
• JSON-based responses
• No business logic in routes
• Centralized validation & error handling

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Project Structure (Backend)

temp/backend/Library Management System Backend/app/
├── src/
├── .env
├── database.js
└── server.js

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How to Run Locally

1 Prerequisites

• Node.js (v18+ recommended)
• PostgreSQL
• npm

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2 Clone the Repository

git clone <repo-url>
cd <your-project-name>

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3 Install Dependencies

Do install dependencies for the frontend and backend by:

Frontend:

/Library-Management-System

Backend:

/temp/backend/Library Management System Backend

npm install

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4 Setup Environment Variables

Create a .env file in the project root (Check the project structure stated above):

PORT=3000
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:password@localhost:5432/lms
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret

If you follow DATABASE_DDL.txt, then DATABASE_URL must be filled like this :

DATABASE_URL = postgresql://lms_admin:1234567@localhost:5432/lms_db

The JWT_SECRET can be gained randomly by:

node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(128).toString('hex'))"

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5 Setup Database

• Create the database and name it as lms_db
• Make the user in the database with:

  CREATE USER lms_admin WITH PASSWORD '1234567'

• Import the lms_db.sql to the database
• Database structure will be ready to use with first admin account created
• The admin account's email and password can be checked in acc.txt

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6 Start the Backend

Make sure you are in the folder :

/temp/backend/Library Management System Backend/app

node server.js

If the loading, takes too long :

Press Ctrl + c to stop the server. Re-run it again by:

node server.js

Server runs on:

http://localhost:3000

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7 Run the Frontend

Make sure you are in the folder :

/Library-Management-System

npm run dev

Frontend runs on:

http://localhost:5173

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CORS Configuration

Backend allows frontend access:

origin: "http://localhost:5173",
credentials: true

Frontend requests must include:

credentials: "include"

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Testing (Manual)

• Use Postman to test APIs

• Validate:

  • Role restrictions
  • Borrow limits
  • Fine logic
  • Status enforcement

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Notes

• Backend is fully completed
• Frontend consumes backend APIs directly
• No mock data
• Suitable for real-world extension