Manage Digital Library

Manage Digital Library

Manage e-books, digital resources, and electronic materials in your library. The digital library extends traditional catalog management to support online access and downloads.

Time required: 10-15 minutes per resource

Prerequisites

• Library Manager role
• Digital Library module installed (Enterprise)
• File storage configured for uploads
• Access permissions set for digital content

Overview

The Digital Library enables:

• E-book uploads and management
• PDF and document hosting
• Online reading access for students
• Download tracking and limits
• Integration with physical catalog

Steps

Step 1: Access Digital Resources

1. Go to OpenEduCat > Library > Digital Resources
2. Click Create to add a new digital resource

Step 2: Enter Resource Information

Field	Required	Description	Example
Title	Yes	Resource name	”Introduction to Machine Learning”
Resource Type	Yes	Type of digital material	”E-Book”
Subject	No	Academic subject	”Computer Science”
Author	No	Content author	”Dr. Sarah Johnson”
Description	No	Summary of content	”Comprehensive ML guide…”

Step 3: Upload Digital File

1. Click Upload File button
2. Select the file (PDF, EPUB, etc.)
3. Wait for upload completion
4. Verify file appears in attachments

Supported Formats:

Format	Use Case
PDF	Documents, textbooks
EPUB	E-books with reflowing text
MOBI	Kindle-compatible books
DOC/DOCX	Word documents
MP4	Video lectures
MP3	Audio materials

Step 4: Configure Access Settings

Field	Description	Example
Access Level	Who can view	”Students and Faculty”
Download Allowed	Enable downloads	Yes/No
Max Downloads	Download limit per user	3
View Online Only	Restrict to browser viewing	Yes/No
Expiry Date	When access ends	2025-12-31

Step 5: Set Availability

Option	Description
Published	Visible in catalog
Draft	Hidden from users
Restricted	Requires approval
Archived	Removed from active list

Step 6: Save Resource

Click Save to publish the digital resource.

Linking to Physical Books

Connect digital versions to physical copies:

1. Open an existing book in Media catalog
2. Go to Digital Resources tab
3. Click Link Digital Version
4. Select or upload the digital file
5. Save the connection

Managing E-Book Collections

Create Collection

1. Go to Library > Configuration > Digital Collections
2. Click Create
3. Enter collection name (e.g., “Engineering Textbooks”)
4. Add resources to collection

Assign to Courses

1. Open the collection
2. In Courses tab, link relevant courses
3. Students enrolled in courses get automatic access

User Access and Downloads

View User Activity

1. Go to Library > Digital Access Log
2. Filter by user, resource, or date
3. View:
   • Access timestamps
   • Download counts
   • Reading duration

Reset Download Limits

1. Find user in access log
2. Click Reset Downloads
3. Confirm reset

Field Reference

Digital Resource

Technical Field	UI Label	Type	Notes
name	Title	Char	Required
resource_type	Type	Selection	e-book, video, audio
file_ids	Files	Many2many	Uploaded attachments
subject_id	Subject	Many2one	Academic subject
author	Author	Char	Content creator
access_level	Access Level	Selection	public, student, faculty
allow_download	Download Allowed	Boolean	Enable downloads
max_downloads	Max Downloads	Integer	Per-user limit
state	Status	Selection	draft, published

Portal Access (Enterprise)

Students access digital resources via portal:

1. Log into student portal
2. Navigate to Library > Digital Resources
3. Browse or search catalog
4. Click resource to view or download

Troubleshooting

File upload fails

Check:

• File size within limits (usually 50MB)
• Supported file format
• Storage space available
• Browser allows uploads

Users cannot access resource

Verify:

• Resource is published
• User has correct access level
• Download limit not exceeded
• Resource not expired

Download count not updating

Ensure:

• Tracking is enabled
• User is logged in
• Download completed successfully

---

Related: Add Books | Issue Books | Configure Digital Library