Designing a Library Management System

A librarian points at a shelf and asks a question that sounds simple. "Someone wants this book. Do we have a copy free, and if not, who has it and when is it due back?"

Answering that needs one modelling decision most designs get wrong on the first attempt. This case study builds the whole schema, and that decision is the heart of it.

What the system must do

Six capabilities, taken from what the staff actually do at the desk.

Keep a catalogue of titles, each with its authors and a category.

**Track physical copies