10 Best Open Source Library Management Systems in 2025

In a world that’s getting digitalized by the minute, why should libraries stick to their traditional brick-and-mortar setup? To perform simple tasks like cataloguing, tracking, and lending books, why should they still rely on manual efforts? 

Library management software is programmed to help them carry out just that. By automating related operations, including cataloguing resources, managing inventory and more, these tools make libraries efficient, accessible, and user-friendly. 

However, not every library, especially those run by educational institutions or NGOs, has the budget to invest in premium library management software. This is where open source library management systems shine. Here’s an explainer on the same, along with a list of some of their best specimens that you can opt for in 2025 to optimize your library database. 

Understanding Open Source Library Management Systems

Open source library management systems are free tools devised to facilitate the management of a library’s resources, including books, articles, journals, and multimedia files. From cataloguing, managing inventory, and tracking overdue items to managing user database and generating reports, these tools automate all the necessary library operations. 

Libraries of all sizes and types, be it public libraries or those academic, thus can employ LMS to enjoy easy access to their resources. These systems are also free to use and can be modified and distributed without charge, unlike their premium counterparts. 

List of 10 Best Open Source Library Management Systems for 2025

Here’s a list of 10 best online library management systems that can simplify library management for your particular book house for free… 

• Koha

• Evergreen ILS

• OPALS

• OpenBiblio

• Invenio

• PMB

• NewGenLib

• CodeAchi

• Librarian

• BiblioteQ

• Koha

Koha library software is a feature-rich and highly scalable library management system. It is compliant with major library standards like MARC21, SIP2, z39.50, and more. 

Using Koha, you can manage libraries of any size even if you have hundreds or thousands of books. The tool also offers full text searching and enhanced catalogue display features. 

Key Features of Koha Library Software: 

• Easy-to-use circulation policies and robust patron management

• Intuitive interface

• Provides parent-child relations to maintain patron records, and a ‘copy’ feature to add more families

• Book clubs and reading groups management

• Easy updates for older records

• Offers SIP2 configuration of vendors and their products such as 3M, ITG, EnvisionWare, OneDrive, and Talking Tech

• Provides administrative features which are based on CSS, XHTML, and JavaScript

• Self-checkout interface

Koha Pros and Cons

• Evergreen ILS

Evergreen is an integrated library management system with a public access catalogue interface to offer. It helps libraries manage several back-of-house operations, including circulation, check-ins, check-outs, library material acquisition, etc. 

The tool is licensed under GNU General Public License, version 2 and more. 

Key Features of Evergreen ILS: 

• Has an open and scalable framework

• Provides circulation module and cataloguing module with indexing, clarifying and collection facilities

• Customizable cataloguing

• Multiple payment options

• Manages circulation history of library resources

• Offers self-checkout and self-registration options to library members

• Robust search facility

• Get complete tracking facilities for books, invoices and more

• Customized statistical reports to make reporting easy

• OPALS

A library database management software, OPALS comes equipped with multiple functionalities, including cataloguing, circulation, eBook management, and more. It also allows users to generate real-time reports, manage digital archives, textbooks etc.  

This platform boasts more than 2000 eBooks across multiple domains, including public, academic, school, and professional. 

Key Features of OPLAS: 

• Offers multiple options and fields to catalogue library materials

• Provides acquisition management and circular management

• Has advanced indexing features to offer that help you search for the required library resources easily

• Gives real-time reports

OPALS Pros and Cons

• OpenBiblio

OpenBiblio is a free LMS majorly used by small-scale libraries. It includes a range of features to simplify library operations like staff administration, cataloguing, circulation so on and so forth. 

Offering seamless integration at that, it easily digitalizes your library. The tool is also licensed under GNU General Public License, version 2.0 and the likes. 

Key Features of OpenBiblio: 

• Provides extensive support for a multitude of languages

• Offers excellent circulation for staff, which lets them keep a check on different resources and enables them to add new patrons as well

• Comes with cataloguing features that let you create and delete records

• Makes use of Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC)

• A range of administration options, such as managing the staff, library, late fines, materials, and other website settings, offered

• Allows retrieval of necessary information from the database in the form of reports

OpenBiblio Pros and Cons

Suggested Read: Best Free and Open Source ETL Tools for Data Integration

• Invenio

Invenio is an open source library management system designed to manage large scale digital repositories. This modern integrated library system also supports operations like circulation, cataloguing, inter library loans, and acquisitions amongst others. 

In addition to this, Invenio also comes with repository APIs, authentication systems, and storage systems that help you create your own application. 

Key Features of Invenio: 

• Supports circulation, cataloguing, and acquisitions

• Provides a robust back-office module with a modern user interface and APIs

• Toolbox to create applications like enterprise search, digital repositories, discovery mechanisms, and data management systems

• Offers strong support for your APIs, authentication, as well as storage systems

Invenio Pros and Cons

• PMB

PMB is an open source library management system that offers services, such as a digital library, tracking & reporting, semantic modelling, circulation, library loan machine, cataloguing, and more.  

Developed by a French company of the same name, the tool allows users to modify and redistribute it as they want. 

Key Features of PMB: 

• Complete library management with documentary products and editorial content publication

• Offers a fully featured electronic document management system

• Provides an integrated portal of web content

• Only opensource library management system that does not use a third-party content management system to manage the portal

• Can store up to 500,000 records

• Has a network of up to 10 to 15 sites

• Available in English, French, Dutch and other languages

PMB Pros and Cons

• NewGenLib

NewGenLib is a RFID-based library management system that complies with interoperability standards and international metadata, including MARC-21, OAI-PMH, MARC-XML etc.  

The tool also features automated instant messaging and email capabilities. 

Key Features of NewGenLib: 

• Allows users to make their own search field in its online public access catalogue

• Offers an interactive online catalogue with enhanced content like Google preview, availability of book jackets, book review, comments, tags, and favourite reading list

• Provides a Zotero compliant catalogue system

• Avanced reporting module that can generate reports in .csv format

• Supports RFID technology

• Allows digital attachments to metadata

NewGenLib Pros and Cons

• CodeAchi

CodeAchi open source library management system is primarily used for administration purposes and managing books in a library. With CodeAchi’s digital cataloguing capabilities, it is extremely easy to enter details of new books and manage circulation of books. 

The tool also allows users to easily import data, including borrowers, books, etc., using CSV or Excel sheets.  

Key Features of CodeAchi Library Software: 

• Maintains all your library assets, the members enrolled, and staffers on one platform

• Tracks user activities and calculates which user needs to pay how much fine automatically

• Helps generate up to 50 types of reports

• Easy data migration a CSV sheet or Excel spreadsheet

• User-friendly interface with barcode and QR facility

CODEACHI Pros and Cons

• Librarian

Librarian is one of the best library management software, especially for schools, colleges, medical, and legal libraries. This automation tool enables resource in-charges, managers, and librarians to effectively manage information from various resources like books, e-journals, theses, charts, articles, etc. 

It also has a user-friendly search interface, which provides smooth acquisition for new books and resources. 

Key Features of Librarian: 

• Offers a cataloguing system based on Anglo-American rules

• Allows addition of up to 20 different fields to the database

• Generates member ID cards with barcode and photograph

• Provides serial control to manage circulation

• Multimedia resource management features offered

• Automates email management

• Customizes reports as per the fields you want

• Helps track your inventory in real-time

Librarian Pros and Cons

• BiblioteQ

BiblioteQ is a library management system that specializes in cataloguing and organizing magazines, books, and other study materials. It can also manage research papers, videos, catalogue books, and much more.  

The software comes with SQLite and PostgreSQL for better connectivity during database support. 

BiblioteQ Software Features: 

• Supports an ARM architecture

• Offers a drag and drop interface

• Highly customizable display facility

• Allows customization of data related to individual items

• Offers advanced as well as localized search facility

• Export and attach files easily

• Retrieves cover images for any and every book from Amazon

• Supports Z39.50 and SRU

• Send or receive notifications about the unavailable items

BiblioQ Pros and Cons

Who Can Use Open Source Library Management Systems?

Library Management Systems can prove to be a tool of great significance for various types of organizations, such as… 

• Public Libraries: Public libraries can make use of an open source library management system to manage books, e-books, journals, and other resources for the community.

• Academic Libraries: Libraries within an academic institution can make use of learning management software to support their students and faculty with research materials, cataloguing, and inter library loans.

• Private Libraries: Private libraries or institutional libraries like museums can use these tools for their private collections or for managing rare books.

• Non-Profit Organizations: NGOs can avail the library management skills of this software to support resource-sharing initiatives or community libraries.

• Digital Repositories: These can also be used by research organizations to store and manage digital content.

Why Should One Use Open Source Library Management Systems?

Free and open source library management systems efficiently cater to the needs of tech-savvy bibliophiles. These are also known to add immense value to the research community as a whole.  

There are, as such, several ways in which these systems overpower the manual management practice libraries make use of since forever. Let’s take a look at them one by and one to see why one should use library management systems instead… 

• Records Maintenance: Using LMS, authorized people get to manage any and every record related to the books issued. From managing return deadlines to seeing the availability of each book, you name it! This software can also record the penalty that is due from students.

• Time Effective & Cost Efficient: By eliminating paper-based operations, library management systems reduce operational costs and save time. By maintaining records and information online, these make everything hassle-free.

• Reliable and Secure: Manual work often leads to errors. Paper-based approach can also cause data loss. But if you are making use of a library management system, you can evade manual errors and prevent data loss to a great extent.

• Increased Employee Efficiency: The efficiency of people managing the library is bound to increase with a good LMS in place.

• Simple and Easy to Use: The interface of an open source library management system is extremely easy to use. This eliminates the need to hire an additional IT help for using the software.

Checklist to Find the Best Open Source Library Management System

Choosing an open source library database management software that fulfils all your library needs as best it can is fairly easy. We have compiled a checklist that will help you attain the same… 

• Library Size and Type: The needs of a small public library are bound to differ from those of a large academic library. So, keep the size and type of the library in question in mind before drawing a conclusion.

• Reliability: The library management solution you choose should be reliable and secure from any third-party interventions.

• User-Friendly Interface: The software should be user friendly so that even beginners can use it without any hassle.

• Multi-Device Compatibility: An ideal library management system offers multi-device compatibility, as in, it should be accessible from a desktop as well as from a mobile device.

• Community Support & Documentation: Make sure that the management tool you opt for has an active community and ample documentation to help with setup and troubleshooting.

• Scalability: For libraries that are growing by the day, LMS that has the potential to scale with the collection size and number of users should be preferred.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a tool to manage your library in the best possible manner, free and opensource library management system is where your search ends. Not only do these tools save you from spending stacks of cash on buying software, but these also automate the management process like no other.  

So, as you plan to get one for your library, be it a small community library or a large academic institution, just know that an open source library management system awaits you free of cost. All you have to do is to make a mindful choice and pick the best one!

Have a look at these advanced Top Library Management System to Enhance Efficiency.

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