Design and implementation of a university lost-and-found system

Abstract

Traditional lost and found methods, such as posting on bulletin boards and publishing on social media, suffer from problems such as information dispersion, low dissemination efficiency, and poor communication. To address these shortcomings and improve the efficiency of lost and found retrieval on campus, a web-based lost and found system for universities was designed and implemented using a Browser/Server (B/S) architecture, based on Node.js, Express.js, and SQLite. The system mainly includes core functions such as user authentication and verification, lost item information posting and browsing, administrator review, user management, internal message communication, and data statistics. It also incorporates JSON Web Token (JWT) to implement role-based access control, improving system security. In terms of functional design, a standardized information posting mechanism and multi-dimensional search functionality improve information completeness and retrieval efficiency; a built-in messaging module enables efficient communication between users while protecting privacy; and an authentication mechanism enhances platform credibility and reduces abuse.

Experimental and testing results show that the system performs well in terms of functionality, security, and data persistence, operates stably, effectively improves the efficiency of lost and found management on campus, and provides a feasible solution for the informatization of campus public services.