Open-source library management software for libraries in Nepal.

खुल्ला means "open" in Nepali, and Khulla was built in Nepal for the kind of library most of the country has: a school library, a college library or a community library run by one or two people from one desk. It keeps the catalogue, lending, members, fines and reports in one app, on the computer you already have.

Most library automation software in Nepal is either a paid package from a local vendor or Koha, which needs a Linux server and someone to run it. Khulla is neither: it's open source, and installs on the library's own computer. If your campus is weighing it against Koha, see Khulla as a Koha alternative.

नेपाली पुस्तकालयका लागि खुला स्रोत सफ्टवेयर

खुल्ला डिजिटल लाइब्रेरी नेपालका विद्यालय, क्याम्पस र सामुदायिक पुस्तकालयका लागि खुला स्रोत (open source) पुस्तकालय व्यवस्थापन सफ्टवेयर हो। पुस्तक सूची, किताब दिने र फिर्ता लिने, सदस्य, जरिवाना र रिपोर्ट सबै एउटै एपमा छन्, र इन्टरनेट बिना नै चल्छ। एपको पूरै इन्टरफेस नेपालीमा उपलब्ध छ, र रकम नेपाली रुपैयाँमा देखिन्छ। Windows, Linux, Android वा वेबमा प्रयोग गर्नुहोस्।

In Nepali, from the menus to the catalogue

The whole interface is translated into Nepali. Staff pick English or Nepali under Settings → Appearance, and each computer keeps its own choice. Nepali Unicode works everywhere a name is typed: titles like मुनामदन, authors and members, and search finds them from a few letters. Printed barcode labels use Latin characters for now, so a label shows a Nepali book's barcode and shelf mark but not its title.

Fines and fees in Nepali rupees

Set the library's currency to the Nepalese rupee (NPR) once, and every fine, membership fee and lost-book charge is shown in rupees, with lakh grouping: Rs 1,23,456, not 123,456. Amounts are stored in paisa, so a year of daily fines adds up exactly.

No internet needed, no server to rent

Many libraries in Nepal have internet that comes and goes, or none at all. Khulla doesn't need it: the catalogue is a database on the library's own computer, and nothing at the desk goes online. Each loan is saved the moment it's made, so a power cut costs you nothing that was already recorded. There's no hosting bill and no monthly subscription, which matters when the budget is a school's or a community's. More on running a library offline.

Runs on the computer you already have

• Windows, the computer in most school offices and computer labs. The installer needs no administrator rights. More on Windows.
• Android, for a library whose only device is a phone or a tablet.
• Linux, for older machines given a second life.
• The web, to try it before installing anything.

Who it's for

• School libraries: students and teachers as members, with a category for each class and the loan period and borrowing limit you set.
• Community libraries: membership fees and renewals, and reports for the management committee.
• College and campus libraries: barcoded copies, holds on popular titles, and staff accounts with their own permissions.

See everything it does on the features page.

Questions from libraries in Nepal

Does Khulla cost anything for schools and community libraries in Nepal?

No. Khulla is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. There is no subscription, no per-computer fee and nothing to renew.

Can we use Khulla in Nepali?

Yes. The whole interface is available in Nepali, chosen under Settings → Appearance, and titles, authors and member names can be typed and searched in Nepali Unicode.

Does Khulla show fines in Nepali rupees?

Yes. Choose the Nepalese rupee (NPR) as the library's currency and every fine and fee is shown in rupees, grouped the Nepali way: Rs 1,23,456.

Does it work without internet or with frequent power cuts?

Khulla needs no internet at all once installed. Every loan is saved to the computer's own database as it happens, so an outage costs you nothing that was already recorded.

Does Khulla support Bikram Sambat (BS) dates?

Not yet. Dates are shown in the Gregorian (AD) calendar today. If your library needs BS dates, tell us: requests from libraries decide what we build next.

Guides for libraries in Nepal

• The best free library management software in Nepal: Koha, SLiMS, school software and Khulla compared.
• Library automation in Nepal: where it stands, and how a small library can start.
• Cataloguing Nepali books in Unicode, and what to do with Preeti records.
• Library software prices in Nepal: what vendors, Koha hosting and free options cost.
• Library management systems for colleges in Nepal, and what QAA looks for.
• From accession register to library software, step by step.
• Koha in Nepal: what librarians report.

Getting started

Download Khulla, set the library's name, currency and loan rules, and start adding books. If you're stuck, or your library needs Khulla to work a particular way, ask us. Requests from libraries in Nepal decide what we build next.

Talk to us

Want help installing Khulla or setting it up for your school or community library? Message us on WhatsApp or send an email.