Blog
Guides for running a school or community library.
Running a school or community library in Nepal, in English and Nepali.
Cataloguing, classification, barcodes and stock checks, step by step.
What library software costs, what it needs, and how the options compare.
ISBN in Nepal: how books get one, and why your library shouldn't rely on it
How Nepali books get an ISBN from TU Central Library, why many have none or share one, and how a library should identify its books instead.
- Libraries in Nepal
ISBN in Nepal: how books get one, and why your library shouldn't rely on it
How Nepali books get an ISBN from TU Central Library, why many have none or share one, and how a library should identify its books instead.
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Choosing softwareHow to install free library software on Windows, from download to the first loan
Step by step: download free library management software for Windows, get past the SmartScreen warning, set up your library and start lending, with no server.
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Choosing softwareLibrary software without a server: what needs one, what doesn't, and why it matters
Which library management software needs a server and which doesn't: Koha, SLiMS, OpenBiblio, cloud services and desktop apps compared for small libraries.
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Libraries in NepalThe best free library management software in Nepal, and which one fits your library
The free library management software used in Nepal compared: Koha, SLiMS, school ERP modules and Khulla, with what each needs to install and who it suits.
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Choosing softwarePortable library software: what runs without installing, and where your data goes
What portable library software is, which free options run from a zip on Windows, where each keeps its data, and how to move a library between computers.
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Choosing softwareHome library catalog software: the free options, and which one fits your shelves
Free ways to catalog a home library: LibraryThing, Libib, Tellico, calibre and a spreadsheet compared, and when lending software makes sense.
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Libraries in NepalCataloguing Nepali books: why Unicode matters, and what to do with Preeti records
Why Nepali titles typed in Preeti can't be searched or sorted, how to convert them to Unicode, and how to type Nepali book records a catalogue can find.
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Choosing softwareAn offline digital library: the free tools that work with no internet, and what each one is for
How to run a digital library with no internet: Kiwix, Kolibri, Internet-in-a-Box and RACHEL compared, and how they differ from software for printed books.
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Running a libraryThe library accession register: format, columns and the rules that keep it reliable
What a library accession register is, the columns it needs, and the rules for accession numbers, donations and withdrawn books, with a sample layout.
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Choosing softwareRunning a library in Excel or Google Sheets: when a spreadsheet stops being enough
Can you run a library in Excel or Google Sheets? What a spreadsheet catalog does well, where it breaks down, and when to move to free library software.
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Choosing softwareOpen-source library software: what it means for your library
What open-source library software means for a library: freedom from lock-in, real costs, licences like GPL and AGPL, and the free systems available.
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Libraries in NepalLibrary management systems for colleges in Nepal: QAA, Koha and the simpler options
Choosing a library management system for a college or campus in Nepal: what QAA reviewers look for, Koha vs vendor software vs a free offline app.
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Libraries in NepalFrom accession register to library software: moving a Nepali library's records, step by step
How to move a school or community library in Nepal from a handwritten accession register to library software, step by step, without losing a single book.
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Libraries in NepalLibrary software price in Nepal: what schools and community libraries actually pay for
What library management software costs in Nepal: vendor packages, yearly renewals, Koha hosting, hardware, and the free options for schools and libraries.
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Running a libraryThe Dewey Decimal system for a small library: a simple guide
A plain guide to the Dewey Decimal system for school and community libraries: the ten classes, simple shelf marks, and how to classify Nepali books.
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Running a libraryHow to catalogue books in a small library, step by step
A step-by-step guide to cataloguing books in a small school or community library: titles and copies, accession numbers, shelf marks and barcodes.
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Choosing softwareWhat does Koha really cost? Free software, paid running costs
Koha is free open-source software, but running it isn't. What Koha costs in servers, hosting, set-up and staff time, and when a library can avoid those costs.
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Libraries in NepalKoha in Nepal: what librarians report, and when something simpler fits
Koha has run in Nepali libraries since 2008. What librarians report about it, where it struggles in small libraries, and when a simpler free system fits better.
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Libraries in NepalLibrary automation in Nepal: where it stands, and how a small library can start
Where library automation in Nepal stands, why most school and community libraries still use paper registers, and how a small library can start for free.