VLibrary - Full-Stack Library Management System (DBMS)

VLibrary is a comprehensive digital library platform transformed into a full-stack DBMS project. It utilizes a modern tech stack to handle book inventory, member registrations, and real-time borrowing transactions with automated fine calculations.

---

🚀 Getting Started

To run this project locally, follow these steps in order:

1. Database Setup (Neon PostgreSQL)

The project uses a Neon PostgreSQL database. Ensure your .env file in the backend/ folder contains the correct DATABASE_URL.

Initialize the Database: This step creates the tables and inserts initial sample data.

cd backend
npm run init-db

2. Start the Backend (Node.js + Express)

Open a new terminal and run:

cd backend
npm run dev

The server will start on http://localhost:3000.

3. Start the Frontend (React + Vite)

Open another terminal (in the root project directory) and run:

npm run dev

The frontend will be available at http://localhost:5173.

---

🛠️ Tech Stack

• Frontend: React 19, Vite, Tailwind CSS v4, Bootstrap 5
• Backend: Node.js, Express.js
• Database: Neon PostgreSQL (Cloud)
• Database Driver: pg (node-postgres)

---

📂 Project Structure

• /pages: React components for Dashboard, Search, Librarian controls, etc.
• /backend: Express server logic.
  • /routes: API endpoints for Books, Members, Borrowing, and Fines.
  • database_schema.sql: SQL code for the relational schema.
  • seed_data.sql: Initial sample data.

---

📖 Key Pages to Explore

• Dashboard (/dashboard): Real-time statistics fetched from Neon DB.
• Search Books (/search-books): Browse and borrow books directly into the database.
• Librarian Dashboard (/librarian): [ADMIN] Add new books, authors, register members, and manage fines/returns.
• Reserves (/reserves): View currently reserved course materials from the DB.

---

🏗️ Database Schema Summary

This project implements a normalized relational database with the following entities:

1. authors - Master list of writers.
2. books - Catalog of book titles and ISBNs.
3. book_copies - Individual physical copies with unique status tracking.
4. members - Registered students and faculty.
5. borrow_records - Live log of which member has which book.
6. reservations - Waitlist for popular items.
7. fines - Automatically generated penalty records for late returns.

---

📋 Database Implementation Features

• ACID Transactions: Ensures data consistency during borrowing and returns.
• Referential Integrity: Uses Foreign Keys to link authors, books, and members.
• Complexity: Automated fine generation based on due_date comparison in SQL.
• Normalization: Designed up to 3rd Normal Form (3NF) to minimize redundancy.