An offline library management system, with no server at all.

Most library management systems today are cloud services or web applications on a server. Both stop the desk when the connection drops. Khulla is different: it's an open-source app that keeps the library's catalogue in one file on the library's own computer. Nothing the desk does goes online, so lending carries on through a dropped connection, a load-shedding schedule or a library that has no internet at all.

Everything at the desk works offline

• Check-out, returns and renewals, with fines worked out on return.
• The catalogue: adding titles and copies, and searching them.
• Holds, the member register and membership renewals.
• Printing barcode spine labels to a printer on the computer.
• Reports and CSV export, staff accounts and backups.

You only need the internet to download Khulla and, when you choose to, an update.

No server, no cloud, no hosting bill

There is no web server, no database server and no cloud account behind Khulla. The catalogue is a SQLite database in the app's data folder. On Windows and Linux that folder sits outside the app itself, so uninstalling Khulla doesn't delete it. That also means nobody else holds your records: we never see your catalogue or your members.

Most other library systems do need one. See which library software needs a server, and which doesn't.

Looking for e-books, Wikipedia or lessons without internet instead? That's an offline digital library, a different kind of tool.

What "local-first" means for your library

• Fast. Search and check-out answer from the computer's own disk, not a server on the other side of the world.
• Private. Member names and borrowing history never leave the library.
• Yours. One backup file holds the whole library, and it opens on any computer with Khulla.
• Your job to back up. With no cloud, there's no automatic copy elsewhere. Export a backup regularly and keep it off the machine.

The trade-off: one catalogue per computer

Because the catalogue lives on one machine, two computers can't share one live catalogue yet, and members can't search it from home. If your library needs either, a server-based system such as Koha fits better: see open-source library software compared.

Questions

Is there a library management system that works offline?

Yes. Khulla is an open-source library management system that keeps the whole catalogue in a file on the library's computer. Check-out, returns, holds, fines, members, reports and label printing all work with no internet connection.

Does offline library software need a server?

Not if it's a desktop or mobile app. Khulla runs on Windows, Linux and Android with no web server or database server to install. Web-based systems such as Koha can run inside a library with no internet, but they still need a server set up first.

What happens if the power goes out in the middle of a loan?

The catalogue is a SQLite database, which writes each change completely or not at all. A loan being saved when the power cuts is either recorded or not, and the rest of the catalogue is untouched.

How do I back up an offline library?

Under Settings → Backup, export the whole library as one file and copy it to a pen drive or another machine. Restoring that file on any computer with Khulla brings back everything.

Does the web version work offline?

The web version keeps its data in the browser's storage rather than on a server, but it has to be loaded from the internet first. For a library with no reliable connection, install the Windows, Linux or Android app.

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.