Welcome to the OLA Project Site!

This site provides information on the Online Library Application (OLA), an open-source project on Sourceforge.net. Here, you can try using OLA with our sample database and view the source code by following the link to the left.

Brief Summary of OLA

OLA is a browser-based library database for organizations with a small library (from hundreds to thousands of resources) and a small client base. The software allows users to browse the library collection over the internet, and allows authorized persons to manage sign-in and sign-out procedures, resource adds and updates, and data backups.

The software was originally written for a non-profit organization with a need for such software.

System Requirements

• PHP 4
• MySQL
• can work with many other databases with minor adjustments to SQL statements and ADODB settings

Features

• internet based
• highly graphical
• compatible with Netscape and Windows browsers
• suitable for tracking many types of resources (books, magazines, videos, music, etc.)
• can store a large amount of data about each resource
• borrowers do not have to set up an account
• stores minimal information about borrowers--just the bare essentials
• simple database export function
• template based for easy configuration/customization
• optional gzip compressed output to save on bandwidth
• although designed for small organizations, catalog should scale well to millions of entries

Other Documentation

• license.txt, the GNU general public license
• install.txt, directions on how to install the project on your system
• design.txt, a listing of design decisions

Project Team

• Steve Rawlinson, srawlin@users.sourceforge.net
• Nigel Flear, njflear@users.sourceforge.net

The Sample Database

The sample database is populated with a set of about 100 resources to demonstrate the system in action. You may browse the system passively, plus you may login as a librarian and test the administrative functions (login: admin, password: password).

Below is listed the standard welcome for a new project.

Welcome to the OLA Sample Library!

This sample database holds a collection of about one hundred books, magazines, and newspapers. This document is a sample of a welcome page to visitors of a site running OLA.

Borrowing Resources

Most of the Library resources may be borrowed by the general public for a three-week period. Simply visit our drop-in center and an office volunteer will be happy to help you sign the resource out. It is necessary to leave your name and some contact information to ensure that resources are returned.

Searching the Library

You may view our resources by entering a specific title or author in the Search box, or you may view all titles for a particular category using the Browse box. To look at more information on the resource, click on View link.

Other Resources

If you are looking for a specific title which we don't have, our office volunteers can usually help you track down the resource.

Donating to the Library

Our organization accepts donations of books, magazines, videos, music, and other online degree resources from the general public. If you are interested in donating, please contact us.