For a college library in Nepal, choosing software used to be a question for the librarian. Now it’s often a question for the campus chief too, because the library is part of what quality assurance reviewers look at. This article explains what a campus library needs from its software, what QAA asks about, and how the main options compare, from Koha to a free app on the library’s own computer.
What a college library needs that a school library doesn’t
A college or campus library is usually bigger and busier than a school’s, and it has to answer to more people. On top of lending and returns, it typically needs:
- many copies of the same textbook, lent for short periods at exam time,
- holds, so students can queue for a copy that’s out,
- member categories: students by programme or year, teaching staff, other staff, each with their own loan period and limit,
- fines in rupees, and a record of what was collected and waived,
- reports for the campus management, the university and quality reviews,
- staff accounts, so each person at the desk signs in with their own permissions.
Some campuses also need a public online catalogue, e-journal access, MARC records to share with other libraries, or several branch libraries on one catalogue. Those needs decide the software more than anything else.
What QAA reviewers look at
Nepal’s University Grants Commission runs the Quality Assurance and Accreditation (QAA) process for higher education institutions, and publishes the list of those accredited. A guide to the QAA certificate sets out eight indicators. The library falls mainly under infrastructure and learning resources, weighted at 10%, and the guide’s advice for it is direct: the question is “not only how many books a library has, but how modern and useful those books are”, and one practical step is to “automate the library (for example: using KOHA software)”. A separate indicator, management information system, carries another 10%.
In practice, automation helps a QAA review in three ways:
- Evidence. Monthly loans, active members, new acquisitions and overdue counts come out of the system as reports, instead of being counted by hand before the visit.
- A current collection. A catalogue shows at a glance how many titles were added in the last few years, and where the collection is old.
- Use. Circulation numbers show that students actually borrow, which a shelf count can’t.
The software is a means, not the goal. A well-run library with clear records will satisfy reviewers more than an expensive system nobody updates.
The three main options
Koha
Koha is the default for university and large college libraries in Nepal. It’s open source, handles MARC and Z39.50, has a public online catalogue, and runs several branches on one catalogue. A 2025 survey of 41 Nepali librarians using Koha found most were satisfied with it, but only a few could install and customise it themselves.
That’s the catch: Koha runs on a Linux server, and someone has to install, update and back it up. A campus with IT staff or a budget for a support company does well with it. See what Koha really costs.
The library module in college management software
Some colleges buy a college management package that includes fees, attendance, exams and a library module. It’s convenient: one vendor, one login, student records already in the system. The library module is often simpler than a dedicated library system, and it’s paid for as part of the package. One Nepali vendor, for example, listed its school and college software, library included, at Rs 48,000 to Rs 96,000, with yearly renewals of Rs 14,400 to Rs 30,000 (2021 prices).
Before relying on it for QAA, check the library module can produce the reports you need, and that you can export the catalogue if you ever change vendor. Our guide to library software prices in Nepal lists the questions to ask.
A desktop library app
For a campus library with one issue desk and no IT staff, a desktop app that runs on the library’s own computer avoids the server entirely. There’s no hosting, and the desk keeps working when the internet or the power comes and goes. Our guide to the best free library management software in Nepal compares the free desktop and server options side by side.
How they compare
| Koha | Library module in college software | Desktop app (Khulla) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software price | Free (GPL) | Part of the package, yearly renewal | Free (AGPL) |
| Needs a server | Yes | Vendor’s, if online | No |
| Works without internet | Only if the server is on campus | Depends on the version | Yes |
| Public online catalogue | Yes | Ask the vendor | Not yet |
| MARC records | Yes | Ask the vendor | No |
| Several desks on one catalogue | Yes | Ask the vendor | Not yet |
| Suits | Universities, large campuses | Colleges that want one system for everything | One-desk campus libraries |
Where Khulla fits
Khulla is an open-source library management system built in Nepal. For a campus library, it covers:
- titles with many copies, each with its own barcode, and Code 128 spine labels to print,
- check out, return, renew and a holds queue for textbooks in demand,
- member categories with their own loan periods and borrowing limits,
- fines in Nepalese rupees, with a fine ledger of what was raised, collected and waived,
- staff accounts with roles: administrator, librarian, desk assistant and read-only,
- saved reports a committee or reviewer asks for (monthly circulation, collection inventory, membership register, fine ledger, overdue notices and acquisitions), exported to CSV,
- a Nepali interface, and Nepali Unicode for titles and names.
It installs on Windows, Linux or Android, and works with no internet.
Its limits are real for a campus, so weigh them: there’s no public online catalogue, no MARC or spreadsheet import, two computers can’t share one catalogue yet, it doesn’t manage e-journals or e-books, and dates are shown in AD, not BS. A campus with several desks, a shared union catalogue or a requirement for OPAC access should choose Koha.
A checklist for choosing
- Count the desks. One desk and one computer? A desktop app is enough. Several at once? You need a server-based system.
- Check the internet. If it drops during the day, choose software that keeps working offline.
- List the reports your campus management, university and QAA self-study report need, and check the software produces each one.
- Ask who will run it. A server needs someone to update and back it up for years, not just to install it.
- Check you can leave. You should be able to export every record to a file.
- Try it with real books. Enter a shelf, lend a few copies, run a report, before you decide.
Summary
- A campus library needs copies, holds, member categories, fines, reports and staff accounts.
- QAA looks at learning resources, including the library; automation helps mainly by producing evidence of a current, well-used collection.
- Koha suits universities and large campuses with IT support or a support budget.
- College management packages include a library module; check its reports and data export.
- A one-desk campus library can run on a free offline app, if it can live without an online catalogue and MARC.
Questions
Does UGC QAA require library automation?
The QAA indicators look at infrastructure and learning resources, which include the library. Guides to the process recommend automating the library and offering e-resources, but what reviewers need to see is a working, well-used library with records to show it, not one particular program.
Which library software do colleges in Nepal use?
Larger campuses and universities mostly use Koha, which is open source and runs on a server. Some colleges use the library module of their college management software. Smaller campuses also use desktop library apps that run on one computer.
Is Koha free for a college in Nepal?
The Koha software is free and open source. Running it isn't: it needs a Linux server, installation, upgrades and backups, done by the college's own IT staff or a paid support company.
Can a small campus library use free software instead of Koha?
Yes. A campus library with one issue desk and no IT staff can run on a free desktop app such as Khulla, which keeps the catalogue on the library computer and works without internet. It lacks Koha's public online catalogue and MARC support, so larger campuses usually need Koha.
Try Khulla in two minutes
Open the demo in a browser: nothing to install, no account to create. When it fits, download Khulla for Windows, Linux or Android.
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