Managing Library Software Development: A Case Study in Developing an Inventory Management System for Off-Site Storage Using an Outside Contractor

Hesburgh Libraries of Notre Dame established an off-site storage facility in 2015, with only one year to transfer 450,000 items. This necessitated the implementation of an inventory management system (IMS) to track the location of and efficiently retrieve individual items. After conducting an environmental scan of other institutions, the library decided to develop an open source IMS and to contract a developer for the purposes of implementing a working prototype. Working with a contractor required a well-planned development process and a close working relationship. This article describes the project management challenges, development workflow, and lessons learned.