Library Database

[Nicole]

Hello Friends,

I have been trying to develop a database for our public
library which allow us to catalogue and retrieve book
information. So far I am nearly finished. The thing is
that we live in a poor country and do not have the finance
to purchase a Library Circulation database.

My underlying question is that some people have told me
not to use Microsoft Access to create the database because
it sucks. We have like 40,00 books in our collection at
the moment and would really like to get some advice on the
matter. What do you guys think?

Thanks and bye.

Nicky

 

[Roger Carlson]

The "suck"-value of any database product is inversely proportional to the
skill of the developer creating the application. In other words, a skilled
developer can make a great application in Access and a poor developer can
create a real dog using Oracle.

Access is the best database application that you can buy for a couple of
hundred bucks. SQL Server or Oracle require servers, server software,
special skills to administer, etc. Lots of time and money. MySQL is free
(at least it used to be) but you still have to develop the application in
something else. Access has the database engine, application generator, and
a reporting tool, all in one package. Besides that, if you have MS Office
Professional, it's the best database product that you already own.

Don't worry about what people say.

 

[Kevin3NF]

Anyone who gives advice like that should not be listened to, unless they
gave specific reasons pertinent to your application.

40K records is nothing. Access can handle that.

How many users? Any internet users or all local to the library? Spread
across branches, or all on the same LAN?

--
Kevin Hill
President
3NF Consulting

www.3nf-inc.com/NewsGroups.htm

 

[Chris]

Hello,

First, if you are nearly finished, then there is no reason
to switch it.

40,000 records is well within the range of Access, even
with your records for checkouts and card holders.

The problems that people have with Access are:
No online backup. Everyone has to be out of the database
to do backups
No Transaction Logging. If your database crashes, you can
only restore your last backup. Any information recorded
since then is lost.
No Multithreading. This is not a big deal with few users.
Designed for 5-10 concurrent users.
Access makes it easy to create a bad design, but then
again, so does anything else.
It is not seen as a high level language. Okay, sure,
whatever.

Other than using MSDE for the backend, which still only
holds 5 concurrent users, your best bet for the backend is
MySQL or another cheap RDBMS. Then, I would use Access
for the front end due to rapid development.

It will be easy to move to a true backend at sometime in
the future. Start with Access, see how it goes, and if
you need to upsize, you certainly can.


Chris

 

[Rolls]

Do you plan to use an Access database to maintain a list of books available
to be borrowed, and be able to track loaned books by borrower, reserved for
future bowwowing, overdue, etc.?

This sounds like a suitable use for MS Access. You could probably put your
catalog on the web for public reference if you wanted to.

No problem!

 

[Rolls]

bowwowing = borrowing. Sorry, been watching too much Elmer Fudd.