Library Management System

Managing a library's books, members, and borrow records by hand is tedious and error-prone — this project automates the whole cycle in a single desktop application. Built with core Java and Swing, it demonstrates a full OOP-driven system with persistent storage, role-based access, and automated fine tracking.

Technologies Used

• Java (Core) — language and business logic
• Swing (AWT/Javax Swing) — GUI: JFrame, JPanel, JTable, CardLayout, GridBagLayout, BoxLayout
• Java Serialization (ObjectOutputStream/ObjectInputStream) — persisting Books, Members, Admins, and BorrowRecords to .dat files
• Java Streams API — filtering, searching, and aggregating collections (search, reports, grouping)
• java.time (LocalDate, ChronoUnit) — due dates, overdue detection, fine calculation
• File I/O — CSV export, text-based report generation, notification logging

Key Features

• Role-based login — separate Admin and Member dashboards from a single authentication flow
• Book catalogue management — add, edit, delete, and search books by title/author/ISBN/genre
• Borrow / Return / Renew workflow — availability checks, 14-day loan periods, and renewal rules
• Automatic fine calculation — Rs. 5/day late fee, fine-limit enforcement blocking further borrowing
• Member self-service — registration, borrowing, renewal, and viewing personal history/profile
• Reports & analytics — overdue report and library summary (top borrowed books, active/overdue counts) exported to text files
• Persistent data layer — all entities survive app restarts via serialized .dat files, with auto-incrementing IDs recovered on load

Process

1. Designed the domain model first — an abstract User class extended by Admin and Member, plus Book and BorrowRecord classes.
2. Defined a LibraryOperations interface to formalize core actions (checkout, return, renew, fine calculation).
3. Built a FileHandler layer to isolate persistence logic (save/load lists, CSV export, logging) from business logic.
4. Implemented LibraryController as the central service layer connecting UI actions to data operations.
5. Layered the GUI last — LoginFrame → RegisterFrame → role-specific dashboards (AdminDashboard, MemberDashboard) using CardLayout for tabbed navigation.
6. Iterated on styling with a shared Theme class for consistent dark-mode UI across all screens.

What I Learned

• Structuring a multi-class Java application around separation of concerns (model, controller, persistence, UI)
• Practical use of inheritance and polymorphism (abstract User, overridden displayInfo())
• Working with Swing layout managers (BoxLayout, GridBagLayout, CardLayout) to build a real multi-screen app
• Handling object serialization for lightweight persistence without a database
• Using Java Streams for concise filtering, searching, and report generation
• Designing business rules (fine limits, loan periods, overdue logic) that mirror real-world constraints

Conclusion

This project strengthened my understanding of core Java, OOP design, and building complete, functional desktop applications from scratch. It's a solid foundation I can extend later with a real database or a web-based interface.

Run the Project

Screen.Recording.2026-07-05.180934.mp4