SLiMS is an acronym for Senayan Library Management System. It was originally developed by the Ministry of National Education Library to replace Alice (http://www2.softlinkint.com). Its primary purpose was to give the Ministry of National Education Library the freedom to use, study, modify, and distribute the software used. SLiMS was released under the GPL license, and its development is now carried out by its user community.

Origins

After operating for more than 50 years, for various reasons, the Indonesian Library Management System (BC Indonesia) Library, which had for many years been the mainstay of library services in Indonesia, had to close. BC Indonesia's management then took the initiative to donate the management of its library assets to a government institution. In this case, the government institution deemed appropriate for its field and strategically located was the Ministry of National Education (Depdiknas). The donated not only the collection but also the collection shelves, hardware (servers and workstations), and systems, including the library administration management application (Alice).

Over time, the management of the Depdiknas Library began to encounter several obstacles in using the Alice system. First, there were limitations in adding new features. These include: serial management requirements, online cataloging, and report customization, which frequently change based on needs. Adding features, if you request an official module from the Alice developer, requires significant additional funding. Furthermore, there's no official distributor in Indonesia, requiring support from the UK. Furthermore, several requirements require expensive infrastructure, such as a dedicated public IP address, to enable Alice to be online.

At that time, to meet certain needs (primarily report customization), attempts were made to directly access the database stored in DBase format. This was hit-or-miss because the data structure was proprietary and complex, and the number of records was high. To study the database structure, an attempt was made to contact the Alice developers via email, but there was no response at all. This led to a second problem: the difficulty of studying the inner workings of the Alice software. Because Alice is a completely closed proprietary system, everything was highly dependent on the vendor. Significant funds were required to obtain official services for customization.
One of the main duties of the Ministry of National Education (Depdiknas) Library is to coordinate the management of libraries within the work units under the Ministry. In practice, there is often a need to distribute library system software to these various units. This led to a third problem: the difficulty (or impossibility) of redistributing the Alice system. Alice is software whose license does not allow the Depdiknas Library management to redistribute it freely. Everything required permission and involved additional costs.
In November 2006, the library faced a fundamental problem. The Alice system suddenly became unusable. It turned out that the Alice software used all this time was implemented on a rental basis. No wonder the cost had seemed relatively cheap. Every year, users had to pay again to extend the lease. What was worrying was the fact that the library had to store all its important and critical information in a system it never truly owned. If they forgot or chose not to pay the rent, access to their own data would be lost. It was ridiculous. It was practically suicide to remain dependent on a licensed system like that.

Ultimately, the management of the Depdiknas Library reviewed the use of the Alice system. Some of the key points included:
Alice was indeed reliable, but it had many limitations. While the rental cost was relatively low, any need for additional support—whether simple or complex—was entirely dependent on the Alice developer based in the UK. The total cost, when added up, was not cheap.
The proprietary licensing model used by the Alice developer did not suit the conditions of most libraries in Indonesia. Furthermore, as the coordinator for many libraries within the Ministry, the Depdiknas Library management had a vested interest in being able to freely manipulate the software they used.
Storing important and critical operational data in proprietary software on a rental basis was considered absurd and a threat to the independence and sustainability of the library itself.
Alice ran on the Windows operating system, which is also proprietary, while the Depdiknas Library management wanted to switch to open-source operating systems (such as GNU/Linux and FreeBSD).
The issue of national foreign exchange reserves being wasted to pay for software that was never actually owned.
The bottom line: The Depdiknas Library management wanted to use software that provided and guaranteed the freedom to: use, study, modify, and redistribute. The Alice license did not allow for this.
After deciding to migrate to a different system, the next step was to either find an existing system or develop the necessary system themselves. Several criteria had to be met:
It must be released under a license that guarantees the freedom to: use, study, modify, and redistribute. The open-source license model (www.opensource.org) was considered the most ideal and appropriate.
The technology used to build the system must also be open-source.
The technology had to be relatively easy to learn for the Depdiknas Library staff, who come from a librarian education background, such as PHP (scripting language) and MySQL (database). Failure to master the technical side would result in falling back into developer dependency.

The next step was to conduct a comparison of open-source library systems available on the internet. Some of the software tested included: phpMyLibrary, OpenBiblio, KOHA, and Evergreen. The Depdiknas Library management felt that the existing software was not a good fit for several reasons:
Poor application and database design, or a lack of serious implementation of sound application and database development principles (phpMyLibrary, OpenBiblio).
The use of technologies that were difficult for the Depdiknas Library management to master (KOHA and Evergreen were developed using Perl and C++, which are relatively more difficult to learn).
Some were no longer active or had not released a new version in a long time (phpMyLibrary and OpenBiblio).
Since no suitable system was found, it was decided to develop their own library system application. In the world of software development, one best practice is to assign a "codename" to the development process. A codename is different from the application name itself and usually varies by version. For example, the codenames "Hardy Heron" for Ubuntu Linux 8.04 and "Jaunty Jackalope" for Ubuntu Linux 9.04. For the initial version (1.0) of the application to be developed, the Depdiknas Library management gave it the codename "Senayan." The reason was simple: it was initially developed at the Depdiknas Library located in Senayan. Furthermore, the Depdiknas Library already had a brand as "library@senayan." Later, because the name "Senayan" was felt to be a good fit and had strong marketing value, it was adopted as the official name of the library system application.

Developing Senayan
Before starting the development of Senayan, several application design decisions had to be made. These design aspects were crucial, particularly for making decisions based on various inputs from the community. They included:
First, Senayan is an application for library administration and content needs (Library Automation System). Senayan is designed for medium to large-scale requirements. It is suitable for libraries with large collections, numerous members, and large staff counts within a networked environment, whether local (intranet) or internet-based.
Second, Senayan was built by observing best practices in software development, specifically in source code writing, documentation, and database design.
Third, Senayan is designed to be compliant with library collection management standards. For cataloging standards, it meets at least the AACR 2 level 2 (Anglo-American Cataloging Rules) requirements. As the need for compliance with library standards continues to evolve, the Depdiknas Library management and Senayan developers are committed to continuously developing Senayan to keep pace with these standards.
Fourth, Senayan is designed to also serve as middleware for other applications to utilize the data stored within it. To achieve this, Senayan will provide a web service-based API (Application Programming Interface).
Fifth, Senayan is a cross-platform application, both in terms of the application itself and how it is accessed. Therefore, a web-based foundation is the most appropriate choice.
Sixth, the technology used to build Senayan must be proven to be installable on many operating system platforms, be open-source, and be easy for the Depdiknas Library management to learn. It was decided to use PHP (www.php.net) as the web scripting language and MySQL (www.mysql.com) as the database server.

Seventh, it was decided to develop a custom PHP library specifically designed for the needs of building a library automation system. Well-known PHP libraries like PEAR (pear.php.net) were not used to ensure total mastery of the technology and to maintain simplicity. This library was named "simbio."
Eighth, to accelerate the development process, certain necessary modules or functions deemed too time-consuming or complex to develop from scratch would utilize existing open-source software. Examples include: flowplayer for multimedia support, jQuery for AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) support, genbarcode for barcode generation, PHPThumb for on-the-fly image generation, tinyMCE for the web-based text editor, and others.
Ninth, to uphold the open-source spirit, the development process of Senayan is carried out using open-source-based infrastructure. For example: Apache for the web server, CentOS and OpenSUSE for production servers, Ubuntu Linux for the developers' environment, and Git for source code management.
Tenth, Senayan is released to the general public under the GNU/GPL version 3 license, which guarantees users the freedom to study, use, modify, and redistribute the software.
Eleventh, the developers and the Depdiknas Library management are committed to continuously developing Senayan, making it a premier example of open-source library software based in Indonesia and a proven model for successful open-source development.
Twelfth, the Senayan development model is open-source, meaning everyone is welcome to contribute—whether through programming, templates, documentation, or other means. Naturally, there is a mechanism to determine which contributions are suitable for the official release. This refers to the document... (ADD ERIC S. RAYMOND'S WRITINGS).

Senayan Development Model
The development of Senayan was initially initiated by the Depdiknas Library management. However, today the Senayan Developer Community (SDC) plays a more significant role in its advancement. The following points represent the culture built into the development of Senayan:
Meritocracy: Anyone can contribute. Those who contribute the most receive greater privileges than others.
Concern for Library Development: Contributors are expected to have a background or interest in library and information science (e.g., working in or managing a library). This ensures a "sense of librarianship" is embedded in every developer and user. Currently, all Senayan developers are librarians or have a background in Information and Librarianship.
Release Early, Release Often, and Listen to Your Customer:
Release Early: Every fix or new feature is released to the public as quickly as possible so the community can find bugs and report them for immediate fixing.
Release Often: Providing frequent updates "forces" developers to stay creative. It also assures users of the software's sustainability. Between November 2007 and July 2009, 18 official versions were released.
Listen to Your Customer: Developers accommodate user needs reported via mailing lists or bug tracking systems, provided they align with the design roadmap.
Documentation: The developers believe good documentation is vital for successful implementation. A dedicated team ensures that manuals stay up-to-date with the latest releases.
Senayan Developers Day: To accelerate development and build camaraderie, developers meet at least once a year to conduct "coding sessions" together.
Senayan Features
As an Integrated Library Automation System, Senayan includes the following modules:
Cataloging Module
Compliance with AACR2 standards.
Create, edit, and delete bibliographic data (AACR2 Level 2).
Supports various formats: monographs, serials, audio-visuals, etc.
Supports saving bibliographic data from the internet.
Barcode support and item management for multiple copies.
Supports XML data exchange using MODS metadata standards.
Built-in printing for item barcodes and spine labels.
Z39.50 protocol support to fetch catalog data from the Library of Congress.
Management of lost, damaged, or under-repair collections.
Authority control for authors (individuals, organizations, or conferences).
Role-based access control for staff.
OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) Module
Simple and Advanced search.
Supports Boolean Logic and CQL (Common Query Language).
XML-based Web Services.
Mobile device compatibility.
Displays collection status, return dates, and reservation info.
Displays book covers, electronic attachments, and audio/visual files.
Hyperlinks for author and subject-based searches.
Circulation Module
Efficient and secure check-out/check-in processes.
Reservation/Hold features with reminders.
Fines management with flexible installment payments.
Reminders for blacklisting problematic members or expired memberships.
Integrated calendar for calculating loan periods and fines.
Support for specific non-standard holidays.
Customizable membership types and loan rules.
Loan history tracking.
Membership Management Module
Supports diverse member categories with varying loan limits and durations.
Barcode reader input support.
Stores user preferences or "subject interests."
Transactional reminders and detailed member profiles.
Member search by ID or name.
Member card creation with barcodes.
Stocktaking (Inventory) Module
Partial or gradual inventory processing without closing the library.
Efficient workflow with the option to automatically delete data for items confirmed as lost.
Report Module
Reporting for all available modules.
Reports for titles, items/copies, membership, and classification.
Late return and usage statistics.
Printer-friendly designs and comprehensive data filters.
Easy-to-learn API for creating custom reports.
Serial Control Module
Subscription management.
Kardex data management.
Tracking for upcoming and existing issues, including irregular schedules.
Other Modules
Multilingual interface support via Gettext.
Support for non-Latin characters in data entry and searching.
Senayan Development Roadmap
SENAYAN will continue to be developed by...