GYANKOSHA — Advanced Library Management & Self-Service Platform
Gyankosha is an advanced library management system designed for large academic libraries: unified catalog and circulation, RFID-backed asset tracking, and dedicated self check-in / check-out kiosks so patrons can borrow and return without queueing at a desk. It is built to integrate cleanly with an existing campus ERP—shared master data for patrons, finance, and inventory where policies allow—so the library does not sit as a silo. The team is past paper design and actively in the prototype build phase: core services, kiosk flows, and ERP-facing APIs are being implemented and exercised against real library scenarios at IIT Bhilai.
Role
Lead Developer
Year
2025
Category
Campus Tech
Tech Stack
Node.js
PostgreSQLThe Problem
Traditional stacks split the problem across spreadsheets, manual gate logs, and a catalog that cannot talk to finance or student records. Staff-heavy checkout does not scale at peak hours, and audits drift out of sync with the shelf. Any new system had to respect existing ERP investments: no duplicate source of truth for identity or billing-adjacent workflows, while still giving librarians fast search, reservations, overdues, and self-service at the door.
The Approach
Gyankosha centers on a single circulation and catalog core with Elasticsearch for instant full-text discovery across titles, authors, subjects, and abstracts. RFID readers at kiosks and choke points support self check-in and check-out with sub-second validation against live holdings. Integration adapters expose stable REST contracts toward the campus ERP for patron sync, optional entitlement checks, and reporting hooks—so circulation events can be reconciled with institutional records without forcing librarians into ERP screens. Push-style reminders and a student-facing surface cover reservations, due dates, and availability from mobile. The current milestone is a working prototype: end-to-end kiosk happy paths, catalog APIs, and first ERP sync scenarios are under active development and test.
How it was built
Mapped the legacy library and ERP touchpoints—what must stay authoritative in ERP versus what Gyankosha owns locally for speed and UX.
Specified kiosk-first flows: tap or place item, confirm patron, issue or return, receipt optional—targeting under five seconds for common transactions.
Designed the integration boundary—REST adapters, idempotent sync jobs, and clear failure modes when ERP is slow or unavailable.
Stood up the prototype stack: Node services, PostgreSQL for operational state, Elasticsearch for search, and React for kiosk and web clients.
Implemented RFID read paths and anti-collision handling for high-traffic gates and desk-adjacent kiosks in the lab environment.
Began end-to-end prototype testing with librarians: catalog queries, self checkout, returns, and draft ERP callbacks for patron alignment.
Recognition
Developed in the IIT Bhilai library and campus systems context; positioning Gyankosha as the next-generation layer on top of existing institutional ERP and physical infrastructure.
Impact
Visuals
University library context
Stock photography of a research library—sets the scene for Gyankosha’s campus scale and reading-room workflows (not product UI).
Gyankosha prototype UI
Your build in the lab: catalog, circulation, and flows under active development.
Stacks & holdings
Academic stacks—physical collections and shelf reality the system must track alongside digital records.
Reading & study space
Open reading floor: the environment Gyankosha is designed to support at peak use.
Collection density
Close-up of volumes—inventory, spine labels, and RFID placement all matter for circulation accuracy.
Study hall
Long tables and focused work—patron load patterns that drive kiosk and desk design.