NCERTNCERT · Library & Documentation DivisionInnovative & Sustainable Library Practices · NEP 2020
Training Manual 2026–27
Innovative & Sustainable Library Practices
Module04

Governance & Operations · Library Management

Library Management

Strong management turns a library from a store of books into a learning laboratory. This module covers rules and regulations, the library committee, records, circulation, stock verification and weeding — managed sustainably and inclusively under NEP 2020 and NCF 2023.

10 learning objectives8 sectionsModule 4 of 11
Library managementRanganathan’s Five LawsLibrary CommitteeAccession RegisterCirculation managementBrowne SystemRFIDStock verificationWeeding (CREW)Write-offInter-Library LoanKohaOERNEP 2020NCF 2023Shelf List Method

Learning objectives

Tap each objective as you work through the module to track your progress.

  • Understand the meaning, scope and significance of library management in school education.
  • Explain planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling of library operations.
  • Analyse how rules, regulations and policy frameworks support equitable, safe, effective access.
  • Examine the structure, functions and decision-making roles of a School Library Committee under NEP 2020.
  • Apply sustainable, inclusive and innovative practices in acquisition, cataloguing, circulation and maintenance.
  • Evaluate digital transformation — e-libraries, OPACs, RFID, OER — in strengthening services.
  • Assess record-keeping, documentation and accountability mechanisms for governance.
  • Describe procedures and ethics of stock verification, weeding and write-off.
  • Integrate library processes with pedagogy, curriculum and reading-culture promotion.
  • Design context-relevant library policies, workflows and service models aligned with NEP 2020 and NCF 2023.
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4.1

Introduction

School libraries are intellectual, cultural and social nodes that facilitate curriculum, promote reading culture and nurture 21st-century skills. Library management — the systematic organisation of human, financial and informational resources — ensures the library is not a mere repository but a dynamic learning laboratory fostering information literacy, digital citizenship and inquiry.

Management is a continuous process of planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling resources to achieve objectives efficiently. In library science it is both an art (intuition, interpersonal skill, creativity) and a science (systems, processes, measurable outcomes), aligned with Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science (1931). Well-managed school libraries become academic support systems, organisational backbones, skill-development hubs, spaces for inclusion and creativity, and catalysts for reading culture.

4.2

Library Rules and Regulations

Rules ensure equitable access, discipline, safety and optimal functioning — acting as safeguards rather than restrictions, much like traffic rules that ensure smooth, safe movement. They should be clear and simple, user-friendly, flexible, aligned with Ranganathan’s Laws, courteous in tone and inclusive of disability, linguistic and socio-cultural diversity.

Rules fall into three categories: rules to increase library use (hours, membership, borrowing, behaviour, access to restricted materials); rules to protect property (damage prevention, anti-theft, careful handling); and general rules (powers and responsibilities, penalties, grievance redress). Key components cover access and operating hours, behavioural expectations, borrowing and returning, safe and ethical digital use, and safety and security — with safeguarding of young users aligned to POCSO guidelines.

4.3

Library Committee

A School Library Committee aligns services with academic goals and provides governance, oversight and accountability.

  • Composition: Chairperson (Principal/Head), Convener (Librarian), teacher representatives across subjects, senior student representatives, a financial/administrative representative and an optional community/parent representative.
  • Objectives: formulate development and management policies; integrate resources with teaching-learning; guide budgeting and procurement; ensure inclusivity and NEP 2020 alignment; review services; and support staff CPD and reading promotion.
  • Powers and functions: formulate vision and policy; plan infrastructure; approve acquisitions and vendors; monitor stock verification, weeding and write-off; review rules and feedback; ensure ICT integration; and address grievances.

A strong committee makes the library a ‘whole-school concern’, ensuring shared responsibility and collective ownership.

4.4

Library Records and Documentation

Comprehensive records enhance transparency, accountability, continuity and decision-making.

  • Acquisition records: Budget Allocation Register, Bill Register, Accession Register (a legally significant document recording ownership of each book) and the Acquisition Policy File.
  • Technical processing records: authority files and subject-heading lists for standardised indexing.
  • Circulation records: membership register, loan registers/digital logs, overdue-charge records and binding/repair records.
  • Administrative records: attendance, leave, salary/service registers, duty charts and performance reports.

Digital tools such as Koha, RFID systems and Web-OPACs increasingly automate these records, improving accuracy and efficiency.

4.5

Circulation Management

Circulation determines how effectively materials reach users. Registration enables eligibility verification, user profiling, personalised services and analytics.

  • Charging & discharging systems: Browne, Newark, Register and RFID/automated systems. NEP 2020 encourages digital transformation — RFID self-check kiosks, barcodes and automated reminders.
  • Overdue charges: non-punitive but ensure equitable access (fixed daily fines, grace periods, automatic reminders).
  • Reservation & renewal: ensure fair access to high-demand materials and flexible reading timelines.
  • Inter-Library Loan (ILL): enhances resource sharing via SCERT/DIET networks, e-libraries and digital repositories.
  • Circulation statistics: support acquisition planning, reading promotion, curriculum alignment and identifying under-used materials.
4.6

Stock Verification, Weeding Out and Write-Off

  • Stock verification methods: Accession Register Verification (essential for legal audit), the Numerical Counting Method (quick but lacks bibliographic detail) and the Shelf List Method (highly efficient with OPAC/RFID shelf-reading).
  • Weeding keeps the collection current, accurate, attractive, curriculum-aligned and space-efficient. The CREW standard (Continuous Review, Evaluation and Weeding) recommends removing outdated, damaged, irrelevant or duplicate items.

Reasons for withdrawal include outdated content, irreparable condition, items missing during stock verification and redundancy. A transparent weeding policy must be approved by the Library Committee.

4.7

Sustainable and Innovative Library Management under NEP 2020

  • Sustainable: recycling and repairing books, solar/energy-efficient lighting, digital-resource prioritisation, OER adoption and green-certification practices.
  • Innovative: learning corners (STEM, arts, heritage), mobile library carts, digital displays for new arrivals, maker-spaces, assistive technologies and reading-analytics dashboards.
  • Inclusive: Braille and audiobooks, tactile paths and accessible furniture, multilingual collections and quiet rooms for neurodiverse learners.
4.8

Library Management and Pedagogical Integration

A well-managed library is deeply connected to teaching and learning. Librarians collaborate with teachers to design research-based assignments, support project-based learning, curate NEP-aligned resource lists, provide information-literacy instruction and facilitate reading-comprehension strategies — all central to the inquiry, critical thinking and competency-based education that NCF 2023 emphasises.

Conclusion

Effective library management promotes equitable access, enhances academic support, ensures optimal resource use and builds a culture of reading, creativity and inquiry. A well-managed library is not an administrative unit but a learning hub that anchors the school’s pedagogical vision.

By adopting sustainable, technology-enabled and learner-centric practice — with strong governance, systematic processes, inclusive policies and continuous professional development — SCERT/DIET/SIE librarians can keep libraries dynamic, responsive and future-ready.

References

  1. International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA). (2015). IFLA school library guidelines (2nd ed.). IFLA.
  2. Koontz, H., & O’Donnell, C. (2018). Principles of management. McGraw-Hill.
  3. Larson, J. (2012). CREW: A weeding manual for modern libraries. Texas State Library and Archives Commission.
  4. Ministry of Education. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Government of India.
  5. NCERT. (2023). National Curriculum Framework for School Education (NCF SE). NCERT.
  6. Ranganathan, S. R. (1931). The five laws of library science. Madras Library Association.
  7. Taylor, F. W. (1911). The principles of scientific management. Harper & Brothers.

From learning to practice

Apply & Practise

✎Project Work

1.Library management & NEP 2020.

GuidanceDiscuss how effective management supports curriculum, reading culture, digital literacy and NEP 2020 goals; analyse challenges and propose a school-friendly management model.

2.Library rules & regulations.

GuidanceExplain the need for clear, inclusive rules; develop a rule-set covering access, behaviour, circulation, digital use and safety; show how rules protect resources and promote equitable use.

3.Library committee & governance.

GuidanceDescribe committee composition and objectives; analyse its role in policy-making, budgeting, acquisitions and accountability aligned with NEP/NCF.

4.Records, documentation & automation.

GuidanceIdentify essential records and purposes; discuss manual-documentation challenges; explain benefits of Koha/RFID and propose a simple record-keeping and automation plan.

5.Stock verification, weeding & sustainability.

GuidanceExplain verification methods and weeding reasons; discuss write-off and committee approval; highlight OER, recycling and energy efficiency for a future-ready collection.

⚒Hands-on Activity · Mock Accession Register and Stock-Verification Blitz

Format Small groups (3–5)Time 35–45 minutes

Objective. Participants correctly record acquisitions in an accession register and execute a shelf-list stock-verification check using standard procedures.

Materials
  • Pre-printed mock accession register sheets (10 blank rows per group).
  • 10–12 physical books or laminated cards with title, author, publisher, year and price.
  • Stamps/stickers to simulate ‘Library Property’ marks; a pre-filled sample register row on chart paper.
  • A checklist card listing standard columns (Acc. No., Title, Author, Publisher, Year, Price, Source, Remarks).
Steps
  1. Setup (5 min): distribute cards, register sheets and checklists; each group elects a ‘librarian’ and a ‘verification officer’.
  2. Accession entry (10 min): the ‘librarian’ enters each book into the register, filling all columns; others cross-check against the checklist and flag errors.
  3. Simulate a donation (5 min): each group receives two ‘donated book’ cards with incomplete data and decides how to record them using the Source and Remarks columns.
  4. Introduce discrepancies (5 min): the facilitator secretly removes one card from each group’s pile.
  5. Shelf-list verification (10 min): the ‘verification officer’ cross-checks every register entry against the physical cards, flagging any ‘Missing – Verify’ and noting any shelf item without a register entry.
  6. Policy note & report out (5–10 min): each group writes a 2–3 sentence recommendation on what the Library Committee should do about the missing item, then shares register, discrepancy and recommendation.
Deliverable. A completed mock accession register, a stock-verification discrepancy report with at least one flagged item, and a one-paragraph Library Committee recommendation.
Debrief questions
  • Which column was hardest to fill accurately, and why does that matter for a legal audit?
  • If the Library Committee received your discrepancy report today, what would be the very next action under the chapter’s procedures?

☑Worksheet & Self-check

Tap an option to check your answer instantly. Short-answer model responses are drawn from the manual’s answer key.

Q1.Who is cited as having formulated the Five Laws of Library Science, which underline user-centred service and continuous improvement?

Answer: C. Library management aligns with Ranganathan’s Five Laws of Library Science (1931), which underline user-centred service, optimal resource use and continuous improvement.

Q2.Which library record is described as ‘a legally significant document recording ownership of each book’?

Answer: C. The Accession Register is explicitly described as a legally significant document recording ownership of each book.

Q3.Three major methods of stock verification are listed. Which is NOT one of them?

Answer: D. The three methods are Accession Register Verification, the Numerical Counting Method and the Shelf List Method; Dublin Core is a cataloguing metadata standard, not a verification method.

Q4.The CREW standard mentioned in the chapter stands for which of the following?

Answer: A. CREW — Continuous Review, Evaluation, and Weeding — recommends removing outdated, damaged, irrelevant or duplicate items.

Q5.What is the composition of a typical School Library Committee, and what is one key function it performs?

Model answer. The committee comprises the Principal or Head of Institution (Chairperson), the Librarian (Convener), teacher representatives across subjects, senior student representatives, a financial/administrative representative and an optional community/parent representative. One key function is formulating policies for library development and management, including approving acquisition lists and monitoring stock verification and weeding.

Q6.What reasons are listed for weeding out library materials, and which body must approve the weeding policy?

Model answer. Reasons for withdrawal include outdated content, irreparable physical condition, materials found missing during stock verification, and redundancy. A transparent weeding policy must be approved by the Library Committee.