Browse a real catalog
Search and filter books by title, author, genre, type, and availability. Book details can show covers, descriptions, reviews, and ratings.
Grade 7–8 · Self-hosted · MIT
A classroom library students can run.
A welcoming library website for a real classroom: students browse, check out, return, renew, and hold books themselves. Teachers get the tools to manage the shelves, accounts, and reading life behind it.
One shared libraryBooks and loans stay in the server’s data file
Student self-serviceRoutine checkout without a librarian
Built for the roomReadable, responsive, and accessible
A real library, scaled to a classroom
A little more time for reading.
The site keeps common library tasks clear for students, while giving the teacher sensible controls for books, loans, holds, accounts, and groups.
Check out with a scan
Read EAN-13 barcodes with a camera, type the number, or use a USB scanner. A walk-up kiosk supports quick check-in and checkout without a student login.
Fair holds and loan rules
When copies are out, students join a queue and the first person gets first claim on a return. Loan lengths can vary by book type and popularity.
Keep a reading record
Students can log pages and minutes, build reading streaks, write reviews, and take part in book clubs or teacher-assigned reading groups.
Teacher controls
Manage books, students, loans, hold queues, requests, reading groups, replacement values, and reminders from the admin console.
Works across devices
A small Node server provides one shared library for classroom devices. The app is responsive and installable, with a browser-local fallback for offline use.
Installation & Setup
Get Classroom Library running.
Start it locally on your laptop, or run it on a classroom server with zero build steps or external dependencies.
Installation Steps
-
1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/mob5824m-wq/classroomlib.git && cd classroomlib -
2. Start the Node server
Requires Node.js 16+. No external npm packages or database install needed.node server.js
How to Use
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1. Open the library in your browser
For classroom tablets or Chromebooks, usehttp://localhost:8080http://<lan-ip>:8080. -
2. Configure teacher settings
Sign in as admin (
admin/admin123) to configure your room number, add books, set loan lengths, and manage student accounts. -
3. Student Kiosk & Barcode Checkout
Navigate to
/kioskfor a walk-up station where students scan EAN-13 barcodes using webcam, USB scanner, or manual code entry.
From a laptop to the classroom
Your shelves. Your server.
Run the app on a computer you control. Devices on your network use the same library data, and a secure HTTPS setup can make it reachable from school.
Run the Node server
Install Node.js and start the included server. No build step or separate database server is required.
Configure the library
Use the teacher console to set up books, students, loan rules, groups, and the classroom’s own home-page details.
Let students get reading
Open the library on classroom devices, and use HTTPS when enabling camera barcode scanning from another network.
Self-hosted classroom data
The server stores the shared catalog, loans, student accounts, and reading activity in its local data file. The instance operator is responsible for access, backups, and retention; book cover and description lookups can use Open Library.