Presented on Tuesday, August 7, at the 2018 LRCN (Librarians' Registration Council of Nigeria) National Workshop on Electronic Resource Management Systems in Libraries, held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria

1. Presented by
David Ofili | Web Librarian, John Harris Library, University of Benin
@ the 2018 LRCN National Workshop on
Electronic Resource Management Systems in Libraries,
held at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State

2. Learn
**
Discuss
We are here to:
Share Ideas
**
Practise
We are here to:
Interact
**
Network
We are here to:

3. SYNOPSIS
Background
1
Highlight
2
Strong
Points
3
Standards
4
Technologies
5
Functional
Modules
6
Implementation
7
Hands-On
8
i

4. NewGenLib (NGL) is an Integrated Library System or Library Management System
developed by Verus Solutions Pvt. Ltd, however, it’s domain
expertise is provided by Kesavan Institute of Information and
Knowledge Management in Hyderabad, India.
NGL’s first version (version 1.0) was released in March, 2005,
and on 9th January, 2008, NGL was declared Open Source
Software under GNU General Public License. Today, NGL has it’s
latest version as version 3.1.2, released 2nd June, 2015.
NGL’s patronage is fast growing, and libraries in developing countries are it’s major users.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION

5. VISION
empower libraries to
offer the best services
to its users
enable librarians
manage their libraries
efficiently through
best practices,
following global
standards
SUPPORT
NGL is supported by a strong
team of developers, quality
assurance professionals,
customer support engineers,
and trainers (librarians)
NGL has a channel partner
network through out the globe
The NGL team provides IT
services to the United Nations
Food and Agriculture
Organisation, and other global
corporate organisations
SPICE
NGL is used by over
2000 libraries across
the globe
NGL has its best shot
as 20,000+ downloads
in a period of 16
months
NGL has SourceForge
star rating of 4.8
Had 90 downloads
between July 29 &
August 3, 2018
SourceForge
An Open Source
community resource
dedicated to helping
open source projects
be as successful as
possible
HIGHLIGHT

6. HIGHLIGHT
Nigeria

7. • Freedom – Open source software available under GNU General Public
License
• Functional modules are completely web based. Uses Java Web Start™
Technology
• Compatibility - Complies with international metadata and interoperability
standards: MARC-21, MARC-XML, z39.50, SRU/W, OAI-PMH
• Affordable - Uses open source components
• Scalable, manageable and efficient
• Form letters are configurable and use XML-based OpenOffice templates
• Android mobile and tablet capable
STRONG POINTS

8. • OS independent - Windows and Linux flavours available
• Internationalized application
- Unicode 3.0 complaint
- Arabic version available
- Easy extensibility to support other languages
- Data entry, storage, retrieval in any (Unicode 3.0) language
• RFID integration
• Networking – Hierarchical and Distributed networks
• Automated email/instant messaging integrated into different functions of the software
• Customizable OPAC interface
STRONG POINTS

9. • Integration with Twitter to help send messages of transactions directly to users’
Twitter accounts.
• Flexibility of defining own search field in OPAC.
• Enhanced contents and interactive OPAC like Availability of book jackets, Google
preview, Comments/ Book review, Tagging, Favorite reading list, etc.
• Zotero compliant OPAC
• RSS Feeds in OPAC
• Faceted Browsing (Refining search results)
• Extensive use of set up parameters enabling easy configuration of the software to
suit specific needs, e.g., in defining patron privileges
• Supports multi-user and multiple security levels
• Allows digital attachments to metadata
STRONG POINTS

10. SUPPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
MARC21 – Bibliographic data • Bibliographic record data structures designed for marc21 formats
• Import and export in ISO 2709
• Import and export in marc XML
MARC21 – Authority files • Authority files data structures designed for MARC21 formats
• Import available in ISO 2709
MARC21 – Holdings • Holdings data structures designed for MARC21
Z39.71 • Holdings statement display
MODS 3.0 • Bibliographic records can be exported in MODS 3.0
ISBD • Record display and punctuations as per ISBD
OAI – PMH (Digital Libraries) • Allows harvesting (manual) from external repositories
• Create Open archive collections, and items, search the repositories and also act as
data provider
• Metadata formats: MARC XML, DUBLIN CORE, MODS 3.0 and AGRIS AP

11. Technologies Used
Java.6.0 • Operating System independent, fast evolving mature and very powerful
platform highly used for large enterprise management system software
• Larger support from the market. Many third party open source libraries available
• Proven upward scalability
PostgreSQL 8.X
Database server
• More powerful open source enterprise database, more focused on data
integrity, and stricter at complying with SQL specifications (wiki.postgresql.org).
• Very stable with large scalability and available on Windows and Linux platforms
• A number of library related other projects like DSpace, Evergreen uses it
Apache Tomcat • Most widely used free and open source Web server
• Most stable and Java based.
Spring
Framework
• Earlier version of NewGenLib used Session EJBs in the Service layer.
• This is replaced by more efficient and light weight service layer using Spring
framework
• Uses lesser memory footprint compared to EJBs

12. Hibernate
framework
Earlier version of NewGenLib used Entity EJBs. This is replaced by more
efficient ORM (Object Relational Model) layer powered by Hibernate. It
solves object-relational impedance mismatch problems by replacing
direct persistence-related database accesses with high level object
handling functions (Wikipedia)
Open Office Open Source and free office suite, available on Windows and Linux
platforms used for generation of all form of letters.
Commons mail Used for auto-email dispatch and connects to any SMTP server and
also Gmail (including Google Apps) SMTP service
Commons HTTP
Client and File
upload package
To upload attachments and download digital attachments
Technologies Used

13. Technologies Used – Reasons and Advantages
Commons FTP FTP access to digital attachments
XML and JSON XML and JSON are used for messaging between Clients and Server.
Messages are compressed through GZIP before sending over network
JDOM To generate and parse XML documents
JSON To generate and parse JSON data
Jakarta POI To generate reports and other data in Microsoft XML Format
HTML Parser To edit and generate HTML documents
Lobo browser Used for displaying HTML content
C3P Database connection pooling

14. Technologies Used
Lucene and Solr • Fast evolving and highly popular open source enterprise search platform, used
as search engine for indexing Bibliographic and Authority data searches
• It has also been used by a no. of similar library related projects like Vufind,
ExLibri’s commercial discovery system, etc ( Houser, John 2009)
Twitter4J To send Twitter messages and Direct Messages to followers
Marc4j To read/write MARC data in MARC Communications and
MARCXML formats
Struts, JSTL, JSP Struts, Java Standard Tag Library and JSPs are used for Web OPAC
development (used up to version 3.0.3 U5)
Jquery
Freemarker
template
• Used as Java Script Framework library in Web OPAC
• The OPAC of Version 3.0.4 (will be released soon) uses an open
source template engine called Freemarker. The OPAC is now template
based and one can change the look and feel easily

15. Functional Modules
TechnicalProcessing
Circulation
Acquisitions
SerialsManagement
OPAC
Administration
Queries

16. Technical Processing
• Simple to use and understand interface
• System preloaded with frequently used templates
for books (single and multi-volume), serials,
conference publications, theses and dissertations,
technical reports and patents, etc.
• Allows for quick creation of quality catalogue
records. Catalogue records in MARC
Communication format can be imported (from
WorldCat, LOC, etc)
• Also, Z39.50 client can be used to perform
federated search and import catalogue records
• Attachments enable access to internal and
external digital content, e.g., multimedia, web-
based resources, scanned images, and full text
digital documents
• Virtual keyboards for multilingual data entry
• Option to add an item to the digital institutional
archive. Such records become searchable via the
OPAC and also become available for harvesting by
others.
• Automatic validation of entered cataloguing data
using authority files
• Context-sensitive help using MARC and AACR-II
standards during cataloguing data-entry
• Cataloguing data-entry possible in some
languages other than English
• Catalogue search by several keys, e.g. phrase, any,
or all terms plus the possibility of applying search
limits
Technical Processing

17. Circulation
• Very simple-to-use interfaces & rapid functionality
• The module is designed to be very:
Simple: so that circulation desk staff can handle them easily with little or
no training. It will take less than 30 minutes to train the circulation desk
staff on critical circulation desk activities.
Rapid (speed in usage): Interfaces are designed in such a way that you
can easily handle long queues of users at the circulation desk.
Communicative: As soon as a Circulation transaction is carried out, a
thread in the server starts dispatching email and SMS to the user about
the transaction. NewGenLib is a multi-threaded application that
efficiently uses server/client's processor's speed.
Circulation

18. Circulation
The following functionalities are available in the
Circulation module
• Returns and Issues (Check-in and Check-out)
• Self Check-in and Check-out - Users can check
books -in and -out using their SmartPhones, and
the librarian can disable/enable self check-in
and check-out on a single click from the
librarian’s end
• Reservations (books can be reserved online
through the OPAC, as well as on the librarian's
end)
• Renewals (can be done same way as
‘reservations’ above)
• Recall process
• Report loss of item process
• Weed out process
• Interlibrary loan process
• Binding process
• Reports generation
• Circulation transaction information is maintained
to the minutest level
• Library-configurable parameters to enable the
setting of a wide range of circulation options,
fines, user privileges, etc., needed in different
library environments
• Rapid charging, discharging and renewal via
barcode readers
Circulation

19. Acquisitions
The Acquisitions module allows for the
following:
• Online request by users
• Acquisition by:
- Firm orders
- On-approval from vendors
- Standing orders
- Solicited and unsolicited gifts
- Exchange
• Raising of orders
• Receipt of orders (Invoice and Item
processing)
• Accessioning
• Payments processing
• Budget management
• Processing of claims not supplied
• Quotation processing (request for
quotations and generate comparative
statements)
• Management information reporting
to enable better decisions in
acquisitions management
Acquisitions

20. Serials Management
• Process subscription list
• Raising of firm order
• Invoice receipt
• Manage binding records
• Raise binding orders
• Accession bound volumes
• Batch and on-demand auto-claim
(Reminder) generation for 'Not
received' / missing issues
• Integrated management of serials
subscriptions, registration, cataloguing
and binding
• Rapid registration of incoming serials
using a Kardex-like interface
• Management Information reporting for
better serials management
Serials Management
The Serials Management module supports:

21. OPAC
In addition to all other basic OPAC functions, the following make NGL
unique.
• Library staff can interact with users via instant messages when a
user logs in to the OPAC
• OPAC can be configured with an Institution’s home page
• Librarians/Information Managers can access statistics of OPAC
usage
OPAC

22. Administration
In the Administration module, the library’s NGL administrator can do
the following:
• Configure System
• Configure End-of-Day Processes
• View Processed Form Letters
• View/Edit Proxy Server Settings
The module is basically for configuration and setting of parameters that
will guide the operations of the software. Here, parameters like
overdue fee, maximum loan period, patron limitations, staff privileges,
etc, can be set.
Administration

23. Queries Queries
Basically, NGL supports queries for Acquisitions, Circulation and Serials Management, because of
the kind of activities carried out in those Sections.

24. Considering Migrating?
Are you considering migrating to NewGenLib 3.1.1, and you don’t want any form of data loss? NGL assures you
safe data migration.
Irrespective of your platform:
• a spread sheet
• CDSISIS
• KOHA
• SLAM
• an in-house library software,
• etc,
by migrating to NewGenLib 3.0 and above, you can get all:
• your data imported into the NGL database and ready to use;
• the good features of NGL working well with your data;
• new updates, upgrades, and bug fixes of NGL free-of-cost for a life-time, as NGL guarantees life-time
open source releases.
Data migration is
FREE
NGL has ready-to-use
migration tools for
spread sheets,
CDSISIS and other LMS
The Best Part

25. ???
???
Questions

26. In this session, participants are
expected to:
• work with the NGL software
for firsthand experience
• accomplish at least, one major
library task/service with each
of the functional modules
• discover the weakness(es) of
NGL, if any, for general
discussion, and to help in the
choice of adopting NGL

27. • Sumadevi, S., & Shivakumara, R. (n.d). NEWGENLIB @ AIGS Information
Center : A Case Study. Bangalore: Acharya Institute od Graduate
Studies.
• Verus Solutions. (2010). NeGenLib: Best Open Source Library System.
Retrieved October 18, 2017, from NewGenLib:
http://www.verussolutions.biz/web/
• Verus Solutions. (2010, June 14). NewGenLib 3.0. Retrieved October 18,
2017, from SlideShare:
https://www.slideshare.net/newgenlib/newgenlib-30-presentation
• Verus Solutions. (2014, January 21). NewGenLib: New Generation in Library
Automation and Networking. Retrieved October 18, 2017, from
SlideServe: https://www.slideserve.com/saxon/newgenlib-ngl
REFERENCES