Library is a place where knowledge resources are acquired, processed and preserved for the stakeholders and the future generations. The advent of information technology in the library management made its work more efficient and exhaustive. The purchase of readymade, vendor-based software is much expensive, so that a normal library having insufficient funds cannot go for its automation. But the emergence of open source movement made it possible to apply the library management software for its day-to-day activities with much impressive. SLIMS is one of the best open source software, which can be a boon to such small, under budget libraries. This paper highlights the characteristics and essentials of this software in the small libraries, like schools and public libraries.