Entire Automation System for Libraries

E-Mail: info@easylibsoft.com

Website: https://easylib.net

Dashboard (KPI) and Metrics

1. Overview

The Dashboard (KPI) module in EasyLib provides visual monitoring of library performance through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and metrics. It allows administrators to track library operations, evaluate service efficiency, and analyze trends using customized dashboards.

Dashboards display summarized data such as:

1. Student usage statistics
2. Circulation activity
3. Purchase data
4. Performance metrics
5. Institutional reporting indicators

Each dashboard consists of Goals, and each goal contains Metrics or Queries that generate data for visualization.

2. Accessing the Dashboard Module

Navigate to:

EasyLib ? Dashboards ? Create Dashboards

From this page you can:

1. Create Dashboards
2. Add Queries
3. Import Dashboards
4. View All Dashboard Lists

3. Dashboard List

The Dashboard List page displays all available dashboards configured in the system.

4. Example Dashboards in EasyLib

Student Information Dashboard

Displays student-related library usage information such as:

1. Registered users
2. Active borrowers
3. Department-wise usage
4. Student access statistics

This dashboard helps administrators analyze student engagement with the library.

Balanced Scorecard

The Balanced Scorecard dashboard helps measure library performance using strategic indicators such as:

1. User satisfaction
2. Resource utilization
3. Financial efficiency
4. Service performance

It supports institutional strategic planning.

Dr. Ranganathan Dashboard

This dashboard evaluates library operations based on the Five Laws of Library Science proposed by S.R. Ranganathan.

Possible indicators include:

1. Book usage
2. Accessibility of resources
3. Reader services efficiency

It helps ensure that library services align with library science principles.

Purchase Dashboard

Tracks acquisition-related metrics such as:

1. Books purchased
2. Budget allocation
3. Vendor performance
4. Department-wise purchases

This helps administrators monitor collection development activities.

NIRF Dashboard

This dashboard provides data required for National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) reporting.

Typical metrics include:

1. Library resources
2. Digital access statistics
3. Expenditure on library materials
4. Institutional research support indicators

It helps institutions prepare ranking submissions and accreditation reports.

Library Circulation Dashboard

Displays circulation-related KPIs such as:

1. Books issued
2. Books returned
3. Overdue items
4. Reservation activity
5. Renewal statistics

This dashboard helps evaluate library service usage trends.

Today's Dashboard

Shows real-time daily statistics such as:

1. Today's issues
2. Today's returns
3. New users registered
4. Active visitors

This dashboard helps monitor daily library activity.

Library Performance Dashboard

Tracks performance metrics across specific time periods such as:

1. Annual circulation statistics
2. Resource usage trends
3. User growth
4. Service efficiency

Example periods:

1. 01-Apr-2019 to 31-Mar-2020
2. 01-Apr-2020 to 31-Mar-2021

These dashboards help evaluate yearly performance trends.

Campus Assets Dashboard

Tracks institutional assets managed by the library such as:

1. Equipment
2. Digital resources
3. Furniture
4. Infrastructure usage

5. Understanding KPIs (Key Performance Indicators)

A KPI is a measurable value that shows how effectively the library is achieving its objectives.

Examples of library KPIs:

1. Circulation per student
2. Books issued per month
3. Digital resource usage
4. Overdue rate
5. User satisfaction score

KPIs help management evaluate service effectiveness and improvement areas.

6. Understanding Metrics

Metrics are the numerical values used to measure KPIs.

Examples:

Metrics are generated using database queries configured in the system.

7. Adding a New Dashboard

Steps:

1. Go to Create Dashboards
2. Click Add Dashboard
3. Enter:
4. Dashboard Name
5. Description
6. Save the dashboard.

After creating the dashboard, you can add KPI goals.

8. Adding Goals (KPIs)

Steps:

1. Select a dashboard
2. Click Add Goals
3. Enter:
4. Goal Name
5. Description
6. Query for metric calculation
7. Save the goal.

Each goal represents a specific KPI measurement.

9. Adding Queries (Metrics)

Queries are used to retrieve data from the database.

Steps:

1. Go to Add Queries
2. Write the SQL query
3. Define output format
4. Save the query

Example query:

SELECT COUNT(*)

FROM circulation_transactions

WHERE issue_date = CURDATE();

This query calculates books issued today.

10. Import Dashboard

The Import Dashboard option allows administrators to import predefined dashboards or KPI templates.

This helps institutions quickly set up:

1. Standard library performance dashboards
2. Accreditation dashboards
3. Institutional reporting dashboards

Add Queries

1. Overview

The Dashboard Metrics module in EasyLib allows administrators to create data queries that generate measurable values for dashboards.

These metrics are used to calculate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) displayed in dashboards such as:

1. Student Information Dashboard
2. Balanced Scorecard
3. NIRF Dashboard
4. Library Circulation Dashboard
5. Purchase Dashboard

Each metric retrieves data from the database using an SQL query.

2. Accessing Dashboard Metrics

Navigate to:

EasyLib ? Dashboards ? Add Queries

This page allows administrators to define new metrics for dashboards.

3. Metric Creation Fields

The Add Metrics form includes the following fields:

4. Important Query Requirement

EasyLib requires the main result column to be named total.

This means your SQL query must include an alias called total.

Example:

SELECT COUNT(*) AS total

FROM circulation_transactions

If the alias total is not used, the dashboard will not display the metric correctly.

5. Steps to Add a New Metric

Step 1 – Enter Metric Title

Provide a descriptive name.

Example:

Total Books Issued Today

Step 2 – Enter Acronym Code

Example:

TBI

Step 3 – Add Description

Example:

Displays the number of books issued by the library today.

Step 4 – Write SQL Query

Example query:

SELECT COUNT(*) AS total

FROM circulation_transactions

WHERE issue_date = CURDATE()

Step 5 – Preview Result

Click Preview your result here.

The system will show the output of the query.

Example output:

total

45

Step 6 – Save Metric

Once the query works correctly, save the metric.

It can then be added to dashboards as a KPI.

Import

The Import feature in EasyLib Dashboards allows administrators to import predefined dashboards, goals, and metrics into the system. This helps quickly set up KPI dashboards without manually creating each metric and query.

Importing dashboards is useful for:

1. Setting up standard library KPI dashboards
2. Migrating dashboards from another EasyLib installation
3. Importing institutional reporting templates
4. Quickly deploying predefined performance dashboards

2. Accessing the Import Feature

Navigate to:

EasyLib ? Dashboards ? Import

This option allows administrators to upload dashboard configurations into the system.

3. What Can Be Imported

The Import feature can load the following components:

4. Supported Import Format

Dashboards are typically imported using configuration files such as:

1. SQL files
2. JSON configuration files
3. CSV data files

These files contain dashboard definitions including:

1. Dashboard name
2. KPI goals
3. Metric queries
4. Display configuration

5. Steps to Import a Dashboard

Step 1 – Open Import Page

Go to:

Dashboards ? Import

Step 2 – Select Import File

Choose the dashboard configuration file from your system.

Example file types:

dashboard_kpi_config.sql

dashboard_metrics.json

library_dashboard.csv

Step 3 – Upload File

Click Upload / Import.

The system will read the file and insert:

1. dashboards
2. goals
3. metrics
4. query definitions

into the EasyLib database.

Step 4 – Verify Imported Dashboards

After import:

1. Go to All Dashboard Lists
2. Confirm the new dashboard appears
3. Check that goals and metrics are correctly loaded