Evolution of Koha ILS and its way ahead and Koha OPAC Customization in Latest Version with demonstration
Aug 2024
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Agenda
- Introduction
- History of Koha ILS
-
Innovations we are excited about
- The way ahead
- Demonstration of Koha 24.05 OPAC customisations
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Alex Buckley
- Rōpū kohinga developer at Catalyst IT since 2015
- Based in Nelson, NZ
- Data migrations, new Koha and VuFind implementations, integrations, training
- Keen traveller!
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
History of Koha ILS
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
1999/2000 (origins)
- Y2K bug
- Horowhenua Library Trust (HLT) contracted Katipo Communications to create a new library management system
- Went live 3rd of January 2000. Public started using it 5th of January
- HLT decided to release the software as open source. It was released in June 2000
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Meaning of the name 'Koha'
Māori word and concept.
- Its a gift with the connotation of giving something back.
Really encapsulates the Koha story. HLT gifted the Koha ILS to the world. In return other libraries enhance Koha which benefits HLT
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
2000 onwards (growth)
- 2002: First US public library, Athens County Public library, migrates to Koha
- 2002: Koha community opt to use Bugzilla for reporting/tracking bugs and testing code: https://bugs.koha-community.org/
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
- 2006: First KohaCon held!
2000 onwards (growth)
- 2006: Zebra implemented as search engine
- 2011: Some bibliographic data extracted out of MARC and saved in dedicated database fields.
- 2016: Current Koha version numbering convention introduced
- 2016: ElasticSearch support for Koha
- 2022: Koha staff client (librarian interface) redesign
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Innovations we are excited about
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Koha as a ticketing system
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Added in Koha 23.05 catalogue concerns was a feature for OPAC and staff users to report problems with catalogue data.
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Here's how it works..
Catalogue concerns
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
In 24.05 this functionality has been built out to something approaching a ticket management system
Now you can...
Catalogue concerns
Bug 35628: Add optional statuses to catalogue concerns
1. Go to: Administration > Authorized values
2. Search for the TICKET_STATUS category
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
3. Add some values to the TICKET_STATUS category
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
4. Navigate back to the Catalogue concerns page and click on the 'Details' button for a concern
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
5. Catalog concerns management page contains your new ticket status dropdown
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
6. The catalogue concern now displays with the new custom 'Urgent' status on the Concern management page
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Bug 32435: Add resolution types to catalog concerns
1. Go to: Administration > Authorized values
2. Search for the TICKET_RESOLUTION category
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
3. Create a value for the TICKET_RESOLUTION category
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
4. Navigate back to the Catalogue concerns page and click on the 'Details' button for a concern
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
5. Catalog concerns management page contains your new resolved ticket status dropdown
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
6. Your new status 'Fixed and signed off' now displayed for the resolved issue.
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Bug 35657: Add ability to assign tickets to librarians for catalog concerns
1. When editing a catalog concern you can now choose a patron to assign the concern to
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
2. Now the concern shows as assigned to a patron
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Catalogue concerns
Follow-up enhancements reported:
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Timesaving enhancements
Automate all the things!
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Automation example
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
- dedup_authorities.pl cronjob
Identifies duplicate authority records and you can choose which to remove. The options are:
- Keep most recent of the duplicates
- Keep the duplicate linked to the most biblio records
- Keep the duplicate if it has a PPN (UNIMARC only)
The way ahead
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Greater library participation
What can you, or your library, do to help?
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Share your usage statistics with Hea
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Share your usage statistics with Hea
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Share content with the Koha Community with ManaKB
- SQL reports
- Serial subscriptions
- Vendors
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Share content with the Koha Community with ManaKB
- SQL reports
- Serial subscriptions
- Vendors
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Contribute directly
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Contribute directly
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Register for KohaCon
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
KohaCon 2024
- Date: 23-27 September 2024
- Place: Montréal, Canada (and online)
- Registration: Free
- To register go to: https://2024.kohacon.org/register/
Use Koha in unconventional ways
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
You can catalogue so much more than books with Koha!
Koha is:
- A place for storing information
- A knowledge hub
- An inventory/stock management system for tracking any type of object
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
You can catalogue so much more than books with Koha!
We've seen Koha catalogues of:
- QA/laptops/rooms/equipment.
- Bicycles/deck chairs
- Maps
- Films
- Datasets - galleries, paintings
- Pokemon
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Showcase your catalogue with Koha
Blog: Increase clicks to your Koha
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Translate custom content
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Translate custom content
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Create 'how to' videos
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Be active on social media
Promote the following on social media
- Library news/events/competitions
- New Koha lists
- Recently acquired titles
- Book recommendations/reviews
- Feedback forms
Include your Koha OPAC URL!
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Use patron attribute types
- Enable ExtendedPatronAttributes system preference
- Create patron attributes - e.g. 'NEWS' - Wants to receive a library newsletter
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Use patron attribute types
- Assign patron attribute for Koha patron accounts
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Use patron attribute types
- Run a SQL report to retrieve all patrons with a given patron attribute
- Then generate a mailing list
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Use reports or lists to generate displays
- Use SQL reports to generate coverflow carousel
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
More integration with discovery platforms
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
- Koha can be used for libraries that do not want to use the Koha OPAC (public interface)
- Libraries can use other discovery platforms, as their public interface, for users to search data.
- This provides a single interface that exposes data from many other systems - including Koha
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Example: VuFind
- Open-source library discovery search platform
- First released in July 2010
- Connects with many different library management systems, including Koha
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
VuFind
Harvests catalogue data from Koha using OAI-PMH web service
- Enable the Koha OAI-PMH system preference
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
VuFind
Retrieves real-time data from Koha through API calls
The koha-plugin-rest-di plugin is the connector between Koha and VuFind
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
VuFind
How can we better integrate Koha and VuFind?
- Enhance the Koha-plugin-rest-di plugin
- Write, or sponsor, making more Koha data available to VuFind
- Enhance the VuFind KohaRest driver
- Write, or sponsor, more Koha API calls from this driver (connector file)
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
DEMO: OPAC customisation
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Create a custom page with a form
- Log into Koha staff client
- Go to: Tools > Additional tools > Pages > + New entry
- Make sure to use the text editor
- Change Display location = OPAC
- Add content to 'Default' tab
- Add title = 'Interloan request form'
- Paste in this Content - make sure to replace the
<<ENTER EMAIL HERE>> with the library email address
- Save
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
Add the URL to your OPAC
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
- Copy the URL from the 'Page URL' column - highlighted in the below screenshot
- Edit your existing OpacNav HTML customisation
- Add a URL to your new custom page
See the link to your custom page
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
- The link to the new custom page will display on your Koha OPAC
View your custom OPAC page
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz
- Clicking on it will load your new custom page with a form for requesting interloans.
Thank you for watching!
Alex Buckley | alexbuckley@catalyst.net.nz