MIS602 Data Modelling and Database Design
Case Study
Globe library is a small community library in one of the northern suburbs of Adelaide. In the recent
years, its collection of books and the number of registered users have increased significantly facing
difficulties in manually handling its main functions efficiently. To improve its services, the senior
management of the library has considered a computerized library management system.
The library has a rich collection of books with different genres such as fiction, biography, and history
to name a few. The main functions considered for computerizing include searching of book collection
based on author name, book title and genre. For this, the system should allow common functions
including add, delete and modification of book details. Similarly, the library also wants to keep records
of all the transactions— book issue and return. Finally, the system should allow the library staff to view
all transactions and associated borrowers (library members) for each transaction, transaction date and
the library staff who handled each transaction.
The library also has meeting rooms and smaller conference rooms suitable for meetings, training and
workshops which are available for advanced booking from the library portal on hourly rates. The
current rate for a meeting room is AUS$10 per hour and AUS$25 per hour for a conference room.
In addition to these, the following are some of the requirements you identified through the requirements
eliciting phase:
1. Any library member should be able to search books by their title, author, and subject category
as well the publication date.
2. Each book will have a unique identification number and other details including a rack number
which will help to physically locate the book.
3. There could be more than one copy of a book, and library members should be able to checkout and reserve any copy. We will call each copy of a book, a book item.
4. The system should be able to retrieve information like who took a particular book or what are
the books checked-out by a specific library member.
5. There should be a maximum limit (10 days) on how long a member can keep a book.
6. The system should be able to collect fines for books returned after the due date.
7. Members should be able to reserve books that are not currently available.
8. Each book and member card will have a unique barcode. The system will be able to read
barcodes from books and members’ library cards.
9. Maximum occupancy for a meeting room is 3 and the conference room is 15.
10. Only members can book rooms.
Reports the management may be interested in generating
• The most demanding books based on number of times borrowed, and based on total duration
on borrow in the last six months.
• The staff who processed maximum number of books based on day, month etc
Practice Case study Page 2 of 2
• The most popular borrowers based on month and year
• Income generated from room bookings