Development of Mini Smart Library Direction System Incorporated with the Library of Congress Classification System: A case study of East African Libraries

Abstract

This paper focuses on the development and implementation of a Mini Smart Library Direction System that is integrated with the Library of Congress Classification (LCC) System to facilitate easy book tracing in libraries. A library is a storage building with ample information about books, etc., and their various topics.  The LCC system is a method of categorizing books into classes. Technology is evolving and libraries today are becoming more digitized. This, in turn, helps to facilitate easy access to library bookshelves. Nowadays, many libraries have adopted an electronic system that catalogues books, although the process of searching for a book may vary slightly from one library to another. However, the library user needs to search in the library catalogue to identify the needed book and use the call number to find the book on the shelf. In case the library user fails to locate the book, the librarian assists. This manual method has several drawbacks, including time spent walking around in the library searching for the book, and stress experienced throughout the process. According to case studies conducted at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Tanzania, and the University of Juba, South Sudan, it is noted that students are having trouble finding books in libraries. The developed system is based on the Internet of Things, and it connects through Wi-Fi to browse a specific shelf that illuminates based on the user's preferences via a keypad/mobile application (Blynk). It has a web-based user guide manual. The system was tested against the essential characteristics of embedded and IoT systems. As a result, the system is suitable for usage in supermarkets, warehouse stores, and other inventory management applications.