“Does it need a server?” is the question that decides whether a small library ends up with software or a half-finished project. Many free library systems look simple in a screenshot, then turn out to need a web server, a database and someone who knows how to keep both running. In a school or community library where the librarian is also a teacher or a volunteer, that someone often doesn’t exist.
This guide explains what a server means for library software, which systems need one, and the options that don’t.
What “needs a server” means
A server is a program that runs in the background and waits for others to connect to it. A library system that’s a web application needs two of them:
- a web server (usually Apache), which shows the pages in a browser, and
- a database server (usually MySQL or MariaDB), which stores the catalogue.
They can run on a dedicated machine, a rented cloud machine, or the library’s own computer. Where they run doesn’t change the work: someone installs them, starts them, applies updates, fixes them when they stop, and backs up the database.
A desktop app is different. It’s one program, like a word processor. You open it, it opens its data file, and when you close it, nothing is left running.
Which library software needs a server
| Software | Kind | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| Koha | Web application | A Linux server with Apache and MySQL or MariaDB |
| Evergreen | Web application | Linux servers with PostgreSQL; built for library networks |
| SLiMS | Web application | Apache, PHP and MySQL or MariaDB, or Portable SLiMS on Windows |
| OpenBiblio | Web application | A web server with PHP and MySQL, often through XAMPP |
| Cloud services | Hosted by a company | Nothing on your side; the company runs the server, usually for a fee |
| BiblioteQ | Desktop app | Nothing, with its SQLite option |
| Khulla | Desktop app | Nothing |
Koha asks for “a Linux server” and “a better than average level of skill with the command line, Apache, and MySQL tools”. SLiMS and OpenBiblio are lighter, but they’re still web applications. Our comparison of open-source library software has the details for each.
“But it runs on my own computer”
Tools such as XAMPP, and bundles such as Portable SLiMS, put a web server and a database on an ordinary Windows computer. That removes the separate machine, and it’s a real improvement. It doesn’t remove the server. You still:
- start the web server and the database before the library opens, every day;
- deal with port conflicts, firewall prompts and a database that won’t start after a power cut;
- update PHP and the library system separately, and hope they still agree;
- back up the database with its own tools.
For someone comfortable with that, it works well. For a teacher-librarian with no IT help, it’s the part that breaks first.
When a server is worth it
A server isn’t a flaw. It’s what lets many people use one catalogue at once. Choose a server-based system when you need:
- An online catalogue that members search from home.
- Several branches or many desks sharing one catalogue in real time.
- MARC records shared with other libraries.
- An IT team, or a budget for a hosting company, to look after it.
Universities, large colleges and library networks usually need these, and Koha is the right answer for them. See what Koha really costs to budget for it.
Library software with no server
For a library run from one computer, a desktop app avoids the server entirely. Khulla is a free, open-source example:
- Windows 10 and 11: an installer that needs no administrator rights, or a portable zip you unzip and run. See how to install it.
- Android and Linux builds, and a demo that runs in a browser with nothing to install.
- One file holds the whole library on that computer. Nothing to start, nothing running in the background, and it works with no internet.
- Cataloguing, loans, returns, holds, members, fines, barcode labels, reports and staff accounts.
- A Nepali interface, and fines in rupees or your own currency.
Its limits are the flip side of having no server: one catalogue per computer, no online catalogue for members, and no import, so books are typed in.
Even the browser version needs no server-side database: the whole app runs inside the browser, and the catalogue stays in that browser’s storage. It’s the quickest way to try Khulla, but real records belong on an installed copy with regular backups.
How to decide
- One library computer, no IT help: a desktop app. No server to fail.
- Several desks, one building, someone technical: a web application on a local machine, such as SLiMS.
- Members must search from home, or several branches: Koha, self-hosted or with a hosting company.
- No computer to spare and a budget: a cloud service, if you can export your data.
Summary
- Most open-source library systems are web applications and need a web server and a database.
- XAMPP and portable bundles put the server on your computer; they don’t remove it.
- A server is worth it for online catalogues, branches and shared MARC records.
- For a library on one computer, a desktop app such as Khulla needs no server at all.
Questions
Does library management software need a server?
Most open-source library systems do. Koha, Evergreen, SLiMS and OpenBiblio are web applications that need a web server and a database. Desktop apps such as Khulla and BiblioteQ don't: they run like any other program on the library's computer.
Can I run Koha without a server?
Not really. Koha needs a Linux machine running Apache and MySQL or MariaDB. That machine can sit in the library, but it's still a server someone has to install, update and back up.
Is XAMPP a server?
Yes. XAMPP installs Apache, PHP and a database on a Windows computer so web applications such as SLiMS or OpenBiblio can run on it. It makes the server easier to install, but it still has to be started, kept running and maintained.
What's the easiest library software to run without a server?
A desktop app. Khulla installs on Windows 10 or 11 like any program, without administrator rights, keeps its catalogue in one file on that computer, and works with no internet.
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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