Koha: FAQ

We are pleased to announce the release of a new system preference for Koha:IndependantSuggestions.This system preference allows you to limit suggestions that you see in acqusitions to your branch only. This is an alternative to the system preference IndependantBranches (which also alllows this but restricts the visibility of other items as well).When ordered through acquisitions, Suggestions are now also ...

Yes. Koha supports OAI/PMH. Trove can harvest your catalogue directly. You can define rules for inclusion.

Alternatively you can export MARC for manual upload to trove.

The patron profile form in the Koha Staff Client and the OPAC allows for considerable detail to be recorded about library users.Some of this such as Date of Birth and Gender is irrelevant to most libraries and makes the form more complicated and distracting than it needs to be.These fields can be selectively hidden in both the Staff Client and the OPAC if they are not used by your library. Follow these simple steps:To hide the DOB and gender fields in the ...

Other networks using Inter-SearchNetworks using Inter-Search include GLASS (GLINN/LOTTS network), LILLI (Legal Inter-Library Loans Interchange), ALLA Victoria (Legal Libraries), Qshare (QLD government/organisational) and ALIES (Australasian Libraries in Emergency Services) and of course GratisNet (Health/Medical).
Joint network memberships are available - the first joint network membership is 50% of the annual fee. Subsequent network memberships are free. Membership ...

The desktop library system is software that runs on your Windows PC which can operate both standalone and connected to your Koha/DSpace system. If your internet connection is down temporarily, circulation transactions will be stored and forward to Koha or DSpace.On this screen once you have set it up (contact us for information on accessing the configuration options) you will be able to search your Koha catalogue using the Search field at the ...

Users may be prompted with a popup / warning upon attempting to download the file: Select 'Show more' and 'Keep anyway.' Users also may encounter a warning from Windows Defender like the following upon completing the file download: The file itself may need to be downloaded again once it has been 'allowed' by the antivirus software.Users may also encounter a warning such as this from Microsoft Defender SmartScreen: First launching of the ...

Adding itemsItems can be added and removed from the 'cataloguing' menu, accessible from the main menu. Once an item has been added, it will appear as a blank entry on the top of the list of item entries with an auto generated catalogue ID. Details can be added by entering text into the corresponding field. These details will be automatically saved. You can add different types of items by selecting the 'Item Types' tab. Select an item type and ...

We have implemented a function allowing patrons to reset their password from the OPAC home page. Using industry practice for self-service password reset, it will email the patron a personalised link which they can use to change their password. This password reset option can be added to the list of useful links in the OPAC sidebar which are specified in the opacnav system preference.Patrons who have forgotten their password and click on the ...

Open up the StandaloneLMS program and access the configuration screen to input the following information to configure the program for your library. (If you do not remember how to access the configuration screen just ask.)


Koha Staff Client Web Address: This is the address for your Koha staff client, and usually has the word admin in the beginning. You do not need to input the "http://"
Koha Admin User & Koha Admin: These fields are for the ...

The StandaloneLMS software is a program created at Prosentient to simplify on- and off-line self checkout. It requires a Windows computer and access to a Koha installation hosted by Intersearch.



Download StandaloneLMS.zip.
Open .zip file on the computer you wish to use as a self-checkout terminal.
Open "Release" folder.
Doubleclick StandaloneInstall.msi (if a warning comes up about an unverified publisher, click Run).
On the Welcome to the ...

The Batch Item Modification tool on the Tools page can be used to make a consistent change to a batch of Koha item records represented by a list of barcodes.

A typical application for this sort of tool is when you need to change a subset of the data in a particular field from one value to another.



In this downloadable case study a librarian wishes to change the home library for all the items in a branch which is ...

To run the StandaloneLMS program for Koha, navigate to the folder where you installed it on your self-checkout machine (the default is called Prosentient Systems Pty Ltd/StandaloneLMS) and run the StandaloneLMS.exe.



On this screen once you have set it up (contact us for information on accessing the configuration options) you will be able to search your Koha catalogue using the Search field at the top of the screen. You can type ...

Absolutely! Instead of specifying a value in the WHERE section of a SQL statement, (e.g. WHERE status=’7’), you can insert a parameter by encasing a question or statement in brackets, (e.g. WHERE status= Please, enter a status number ), which will prompt you for a value each time you run the report.





In some cases, you can choose a value from a drop-down ...

Budget/fund tracking On the Acquisitions homepage you will see a table of your active funds showing a breakdown of what has been ordered or spent against them. Whether the amounts include tax or not is controlled by the CalculateFundValuesIncludingTax system preference. Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ section of the Administration module (table id: accounts). Use the ‘Expand all’ link to see all your funds and sub-funds. ‘Collapse all’ will show only first level funds. ‘Hide inactive budgets’ will hide budgets that are not currently active (such as previous years’ budgets). ‘Show inactive budgets’ will show budgets that ...

Cancelling orders Note Staff members must have the order_manage permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to cancel orders. If the item cannot be found anywhere you can cancel the order by clicking ‘Cancel order’ or ‘Cancel order and delete catalog record’ to the far right on the basket page or the receiving page. This will prompt you to enter your reason and confirm cancellation. Note The cancellation reasons drop-down menu are populated by the ORDER_CANCELLATION_REASON authorized values category. If there aren’t any authorized values in that category, it will be a free text field instead of a drop-down menu. You will also see that the item is cancelled if ...

Claims and late orders Note Staff members must have the order_receive permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to manage and claim late orders. The ‘Late orders’ link on the acquisitions main page leads to a report where all orders can be filtered to find the late orders. Upon clicking on the link to ‘Late orders’ from the Acquisitions page you will be presented with a series of filter options on the left hand side. These filters will be applied only closed baskets. Order date: this filter limits the results to orders from baskets closed more than this number of days ago. This defaults to 0, meaning all orders from closed baskets are shown in the list. Note The ...

EDI process Previous sections explain all ordering options, this section pulls out the parts related to EDI or EDIFACT ordering to help those who are using EDI for some or all of the ordering process. EDI allows order files to be sent between vendors and Koha. When the files are processed the order information is loaded directly into Koha. The full workflow is outlined below. Note Libraries do not have to automate the full process and not all vendors support all functions. For example a library might use QUOTE and ORDER files but carry out manual invoicing/receipting. Or a library may create the basket on Koha either manually or from a file of MARC records but send the order back to the ...

Invoices Note Anyone with one of the acquisition permissions (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to invoices. However, it is necessary to have specific invoice permissions to execute actions on invoices: the order_receive permission to create invoices, the edit_invoices permission to edit invoices, the merge_invoices permission to merge invoices, the reopen_closed_invoices permission to reopen closed invoices, or the delete_invoices permission to delete invoices. When orders are received invoices are generated. Invoices can be searched by clicking on ‘Invoices’ in the left of the Acquisitions page. After a search, the results will appear to the right of the search ...

Managing purchase suggestions You can create purchase suggestions via the staff interface either for the library or on the patron’s behalf from their record. Depending on your settings in the suggestion system preference, patrons may also be able to make purchase suggestions via the OPAC. Note Staff members must have the suggestions_manage permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to view and manage purchase suggestions. If staff members have the suggestions_manage permission but not any of the acquisitions permissions, they can access the suggestion management tool from ‘Suggestions’ under the ‘More’ menu in the header bar. When a suggestion is waiting for ...

Placing orders To place an order you must first search for the vendor or bookseller and create a basket. Warning If you are planning on using EDIFACT to submit your order you will need to first set up your library’s EDI accounts and EANs. Creating a basket Note Staff members must have the order_manage permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to create baskets and add orders. Note If you’re using EDI for ordering you will want to download your order record from your vendor before starting the process in Koha. To create a basket you must first search for the vendor you’re ordering from. From the vendor search results, click the ‘New’ button and choose ...

Receiving orders Warning You must close the basket to be able to receive items when they arrive. Only items in closed baskets will show as ready to receive. Note Staff members must have the order_receive permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to receive orders. Orders can be received from the vendor information page or the vendor search results page After clicking ‘Receive shipments’ you will be asked to enter a vendor invoice number, a shipment received date, a shipping cost and a fund to subtract that shipping amount from. The receive page will list all items still on order with the vendor regardless of the basket the item is from. Warning Only items from ...

Searching for orders At the top of the various Acquisition pages there is a quick search box where you can perform either a Vendor search or an Order search. Using the Orders search you can search for items that have been ordered with the title or the vendor. You can enter info in one or both fields and you can enter any part of the title or vendor name. Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ section of the Administration module (table id: histsearcht). Clicking the plus sign to the right of the vendor search box will expand the search and allow you to search for additional fields. In the basket search, you can enter any part of the basket name ...

Setting up the acquisitions module Before using the acquisitions module, you need to make sure that you have completed all of the set up. First, set your acquisitions system preferences and acquisitions administration to match your library’s workflow. Before setting your EDI accounts and library EANs, you will need to have entered your vendors. On the main acquisitions page you will see your library’s funds listed. Learn more in the Budget/fund tracking section. ...

Transferring orders Note Staff members must have the order_manage permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to transfer orders. If the item is no longer available from this vendor you can transfer the order to another vendor’s basket by clicking the ‘Transfer’ link to the right of the title on the basket page or the receiving page. This will pop up a vendor search box. From the results you can click ‘Choose’ to the right of the vendor you would like to reorder this item from. You will then be presented with the open baskets for that vendor to choose from. To move the item simply click ‘Choose’ to the right of the basket you would like to add the item to. ...

Vendors Before any orders can be placed you must first enter at least one vendor. Adding a vendor Note Staff members must have the vendors_manage permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to add vendors. To add a vendor click the ‘New vendor’ button on the acquisitions module main page. The new vendor form is broken into three sections: company information, contacts and ordering information. Company information: basic information about the vendor Name (required): this name is the name that will appear everywhere in Koha when referring to this vendor Postal address, physical address, phone, fax, website, account number: these fields are optional and should be ...

Accounting Get there: More Administration Accounting This section deals with the parameters used in managing the patron accounts. Debit types Get there: More Administration Accounting Debit types Note Only staff with the manage_accounts permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this section. This is where you define the manual fees you can charge patrons. When you first get to the page, you will only see the manual fees that are already defined in your system. You can see the default system fees by clicking “Show all debit types”. You can go back to seeing only the manual fees by clicking “Filter system debit types”. ...

Acquisitions The Koha Acquisitions module provides a way for the library to record orders placed with vendors and manage purchase budgets. Before using the Acquisitions Module, you will want to make sure that you have completed all of the set up. Get there: More Administration Acquisitions Currencies and exchange rates If you place orders from more than one country you will want to input currency exchange rates so that your acquisitions module will properly calculate totals. Note Only staff with the currencies_manage permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this section. Get there: More Administration Acquisitions Currencies and ...

Additional parameters Get there: More Administration Additional parameters Identity providers This section is used to define and manage external identity providers for Koha users. This is used when your users come from an external source, such as student management system, active directory, or other similar databases. Get there: More Administration Additional parameters Identity providers Note Only staff with the manage_identity_providers permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this section. Adding an identity provider To add an identity provider, click the ‘New identity provider’ button. Basic configuration Code: ...

Basic parameters Get there: More Administration Important Configure all ‘parameters’ in the order they appear. Libraries When setting up your Koha system you will want to add information for every library that will be sharing your system. This data is used in several areas of Koha. Get there: More Administration Basic parameters Libraries Note Only staff with the manage_libraries permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this section. When visiting this page you are presented with a list of the libraries that have already been added to the system. Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ ...

Catalog administration Set these controls before you start cataloging on your Koha system. Get there: More Administration Catalog MARC bibliographic frameworks Think of frameworks as templates for creating new bibliographic records. Koha comes with some predefined frameworks that can be edited or deleted, and librarians can create their own frameworks for content specific to their libraries. Get there: More Administration Catalog MARC bibliographic frameworks Note Only staff with the manage_marc_frameworks permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this section. Important Do not delete or edit the Default framework since this will ...

Jobs This section is used to manage background jobs. Jobs are tasks that are queued in the system to be treated when the server has the resources to do it, such as batch record modification and others. Get there: More Administration Jobs Note Only staff with the manage_background_jobs permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this section. Managing jobs By default, when accessing the page, you will only see current jobs and jobs enqueued in the last hour. To see all jobs, uncheck the boxes at the top of the page. Current jobs only: uncheck this to include finished jobs Only include jobs enqueued in the last hour: uncheck this to include jobs ...

Patrons and circulation Settings for controlling circulation and patron information. Patron categories Patron categories allow you to organize your patrons into different roles, age groups, and patron types. Get there: More Administration Patrons and circulation Patron categories Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ section of the Administration module (table id: patron_categories). Note Only staff with the manage_patron_categories permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this section. Adding a patron category To add a new patron category click ‘New category’ at the top of the page ...

Plugins This section is used to manage all types of plugins. Important Before using plugins, make sure that they are enabled in the configuration file. Note Only staff with the manage permission, the configure permission, or the admin permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will see this section. See also the tool plugins and report plugins sections. Get there: More Administration Plugins If there are any administrative plugins installed, they will appear under this section. Note Only staff with the admin permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to use administrative plugins. Managing plugins This section is used to view, manage and configure ...

Search engine configuration Once you have switched to Elasticsearch in your SearchEngine system preference, you’ll see a new link for Search engine configuration in the Catalog section of Administration. Here you will manage indexes, facets, and their mappings to MARC fields and subfields. Note Only staff with the manage_search_engine_config permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this section. The page is separated in three tabs: search fields, bibliographic records, and authority records. Important If you change anything in this page, you need to completely reindex your records, otherwise, only records added or edited after the change will be affected. ...

Authorities Authority records are a way of controlling fields in your MARC records. Using authority records will provide you with control over subject headings, personal names and places. Adding authorities Note Only staff with the editauthorities permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to create authority records. To add a new authority record you can either choose the authority type from the ‘New authority’ button or search another library by clicking the ‘New from Z39.50’ button. If you choose to enter a new authority from scratch, the form that appears will allow you to enter all of the necessary details regarding your authority record. You can also ...

Bibliographic records In Koha, the bibliographic record contains the main information related to the material. This includes things like the title, author, ISBN, etc. This information is stored in Koha in MARC. By default, the record details page displays in the ‘Normal’ tab and shows the most important details of the record. Note The ‘Normal’ tab of the record details page also shows which MARC bibliographic framework was used to add the record. Note Koha supports MARC and UNIMARC. Once this information is saved, item records can be attached to the bibliographic record. Adding records Records can be added to Koha via original or copy cataloging. You can also choose to ...

Cataloging guides Bibliographic record cataloging cheat sheet This section is for MARC21. Tag Label Description Instructions 000 LEADER Describes the record (i.e. surrogate) – is it a record for a monograph? A serial? Click in this field to fill it in. Then set “Bibliographic level” to ‘a’ for articles or ‘s’ for serials. Otherwise, leave everything as is. The value in position 6 influences the type of material in 008. 001 CONTROL NUMBER Accession number. Enter the accession number written inside the item here. For articles and items which do not have accession numbers, leave blank. You can use the autoControlNumber system preference to automatically fill this ...

Exporting data Note Only staff with the export_catalog permission as well as at least one of the editcatalogue sub-permissions (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this tool. Get there: More Cataloging Export Export catalog data Koha comes with a tool that will allow you to export your bibliographic, items and authority records in bulk. This can be used to send your records to fellow libraries, organizations or services; or simply for backup purposes. Exporting bibliographic records At the top of the screen you need to pick what data you’re exporting. If you’re exporting bibliographic records with or without the item information, click the ...

Inventory Note Only staff with the inventory permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this tool. Get there: More Cataloging Reports Inventory Koha’s inventory tool can be used in one of three ways: By creating a shelf list that you can then mark items off on; By uploading barcodes gathered by a portable scanner; By comparing barcodes gathered by a portable scanner or scanned directly to a generated shelf list. Creating a shelf list If you do not have the ability to use your barcode scanner on the floor of the library, the option available to you is to generate a shelf list based on criteria you enter. You can then print it to use while ...

Item records In Koha each bibliographic record can have one or more items attached. These items are sometimes referred to as holdings. Each item includes information to the physical copy the library has. Adding items Note Staff members must have the edit_items permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to be able to add items. After saving a new bibliographic record, you will be redirected to a blank item record so that you can attach an item to the bibliographic record. You can also click ‘Add/Edit items’ from the cataloging search results or you can add new item at any time by clicking ‘New’ on the bibliographic record and choosing ‘New item’ The item ...

Bookings Version This feature was first introduced in version 23.1 of Koha. A ‘booking’ in Koha is another way to reserve an item. A hold is a reservation that joins a waiting list and is filled as soon as the item is available. The item is loaned for the period set in the circulation and fines rules for that library, patron category and item type. A booking is an advance reservation filled for the dates specified. The booking period becomes the loan period. Bookings may be especially useful for items such as models, story sacks, memory boxes, etc. that are used for events and programs at specific dates. Note Staff members must have the manage_bookings permission (or the ...

Check out (issuing) To begin the checkout process you must enter the patron barcode or part of their name. The checkout option appears in three main places: Check out option in the search bar at the top of the staff interface’s main page Check out option in the search bar at the top of the main circulation page Those two options are essentially a patron search. If you only have one result, Koha will automatically go to the patron’s file, in the ‘Check out’ tab. If your search gives you more than one result, it will ask you to choose which patron to check out to. Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ section of the Administration ...

Checking items in (returning) Checking items in can be performed from various locations: the search bar at the top of the staff interface, the ‘Check in’ column in the patron’s checkout summary, or the dedicated ‘Check in’ page of the Circulation module. Koha also offers an automatic check-in feature, which can be set in item types and requires the automatic_checkin.pl cron job. Checking in from the search bar To quickly check in an item, you can select the ‘Check in’ option in the search bar at the top of the page (or press Alt + r, or Option + r on Mac computers), and scan the barcode in the search field. This will check in the item and bring you to the ‘Check in’ ...

Circulating bundles This feature adds the ability to create bundles of items that can be checked out as a single entity. A bundle could for example be a box of related items from your library or a collection of musical scores which need to be circulated together. You create a collection level bibliographic record and add items to it in the usual way. Those items can then be converted to a bundle by adding existing item records to them using their barcodes. The items will remain attached to their original records and be marked as ‘not for loan’. Configuration First you need to make some configuration choices. Item types - you may want to create a separate item type to identify your ...

Circulation reports Most reports can be found via the Reports module, but some of the more common circulation reports are available right from the Circulation module. Get there: Circulation Circulation reports Holds queue This report will show you all holds waiting to be pulled off the shelf at your library. First, choose some filters for the report. Then, the report will be displayed. Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ section of the Administration module (table id: holds-table). To generate this report, you must either have the Build holds queue cron job running, or the RealTimeHoldsQueue system preference must be set to ...

Curbside pickups Koha has an integrated curbside pickup module that can be used to schedule hold pickups by patrons. Get there: Circulation Curbside pickups See the curbside pickup configuration section to learn how to set up curbside pickup. Note Staff members must have the manage_curbside_pickups permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to schedule and manage pickups. Scheduling a pickup Get there: Circulation Curbside pickups Schedule pickup To schedule a pickup, Click the ‘Schedule pickup’ tab Search for the patron for whom to schedule a pickup, with either their name or their card number Warning If ‘Enable for waiting holds only’ is ...

Fast add cataloging Note Staff members must have the fast_cataloging permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to be able to use the fast cataloging option. Sometimes circulation librarians need to quickly add a record to the system for an item they are about to check out. This is called ‘Fast add’. There are two ways to add titles via fast add. If you know that you’re about to check out an item that isn’t in you catalog you can go to the Circulation module and click ‘Fast cataloging.’ The cataloging interface will open up with the short cataloging record: After adding your cataloging data you will be asked to enter item data. Enter the items barcode, ...

Holds Koha allows patrons to put things on hold. A ‘Hold’ is a way to reserve an item. Depending on your circulation and fines rules and hold system preference settings, patrons will be able to place items on hold for pickup at the library at a later date and time. See the section placing holds in the OPAC chapter to learn how to place holds from the OPAC. Placing holds in the staff interface Note Staff members must have the place_holds permission (or the superlibrarian permission) in order to be able to place holds. There are several ways to place holds from the staff interface. The most obvious is using the ‘Place hold’ button at the top of any bibliographic record. You ...

Offline circulation utilities Koha allows for you to continue circulation actions while offline by using any one of three utilities. Offline circulation in Koha Attention The offline circulation module was deprecated in Koha version 23.11. Only the Firefox plugin and Windows tool are now supported. If the AllowOfflineCirculation preference is set to ‘Enable’ the library staff can continue to perform circulation actions within Koha when the system is offline. You will want to visit http://your-koha-staff-client-url/cgi-bin/koha/circ/offline.pl at least once while online and bookmark that page. That is the page you will go to when you are offline. Important The offline interface ...

Recalls The recalls feature allows users to recall items that are currently checked out. Once the recall is confirmed, the borrower who currently has the item checked out will be notified that their due date has been adjusted and they need to return their item. Once recalled items are returned, the recall requester will be notified that their item is awaiting pickup at their specified pickup location. See the requesting recalls section to learn how to place a recall in the OPAC. Setting up recalls in Koha To use this feature: Enable the UseRecalls system preference Set the RecallsMaxPickUpDelay system preference Optionally, enable the RecallsLog system preference Modify the following ...

Renewing checkouts Checked out items can be renewed (checked out for another period of time) based on your circulation rules and renewal preferences. If you allow it, patrons can renew their own items via the OPAC, but sometimes you’ll need to help them by renewing their items via the staff interface. To renew items checked out to a patron, you can do one of three things: renew from the patron’s checkout summary, renew from the search bar at the top of the page, or renew from the ‘Renew’ section of the circulation module. Renewing from the patron’s checkout summary The first way to renew checkouts is to visit the patron’s details page or checkout page and view their ...

Self check-in In order to use the self check-in module, you must first set the SelfCheckInModule system preference to ‘Enable’. Then, you will have to create a patron with the self_checkin_module permission. Note Create a staff patron specifically for this action so that you don’t leave a real staff client logged into a computer all day. You can give this patron only the aforementioned permission so it cannot be used for anything else. Once this is done, you can head over to the self check-in page: http://YOUR_KOHA_OPAC_URL/cgi-bin/koha/sci/sci-main.pl Log in with your staff patron with self check-in permissions Once the computer or kiosk is set and the self check-in user logged ...

Self checkout Koha comes with a very basic Web-based self checkout module where patrons can check out items to themselves. Setting up the self checkout module To enable this module, set the WebBasedSelfCheck system preference to ‘Enable’. To use this module you have to log in as a staff member with the self_checkout_module permission. Note Create a staff patron specifically for this action so that you don’t leave a real staff user logged into a computer all day. Furthermore, the self_checkout_module permission prevents the user from using the OPAC. You can use the AutoSelfCheckAllowed, AutoSelfCheckID and AutoSelfCheckPass system preferences to log in automatically as this ...

Set library By default, you will enter the staff interface as if you are at your home library. This library will appear in the top right of the staff interface. This is the library where all circulation transactions will take place. If you are at another library (or on a bookmobile) you will need to set the library before you start circulating items. To do this, click on your username and logged in library at the top right and choose ‘Set library’ or click ‘Set library’ on the main circulation page. Note Only staff with the loggedinlibrary permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to change the ibrary they are logged in at. This will bring you to a page where ...

Tracking in-house use Many libraries track the use of items within the library. Note This is different from tracking on-site usage. In-house use is the use of items in the library by patrons without them having to check them out. On-site use is the use of items on site that must first be checked out. To learn more about on site usage please review the OnSiteCheckouts preference. Tracking the use of items in the library without checking them out can be done in Koha one of two ways. The first is to create one or more Statistical Patrons. When collecting items that have been used within the library, you will want to check them out to your statistical patron: Instead of marking the item as ...

Transfers If you work in a multi-branch system, you can transfer items from one library to another by using the Transfer tool. Get there: Circulation Transfer To transfer an item, Click ‘Transfer’ on the Circulation page. Select the library to transfer the item to. Scan or type the barcode on the item to transfer. Click ‘Submit’. The item will now say that it is in transit in the ‘Status’ column of the holdings table in the staff interface and in the OPAC. When the item arrives at the other library, the staff member must check the item in to acknowledge that it has arrived and is no longer in transit. The item will not be permanently moved to the new library. ...

Adding courses Note Only staff with the manage_courses permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to add courses. Once you have completed your set up for course reserves, you can start creating courses and adding titles to the reserve list. From the main course reserves page, you can add a new course by clicking the ‘New course’ button at the top left. Your new course will need a department, number and name at the bare minimum. You can also add in additional details like course section number and term. To link an instructor to this course simply start typing their name and Koha will search your patron database to find you the right person. Once the instructor you ...

Adding reserve materials Note Only staff with the add_reserves permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to add reserves to existing courses. Before adding reserve materials, you will need at least one course to add them to. To add materials visit the Course Reserves module. Click on the title of the course you would like to add materials to. At the top of the course description click the ‘Add reserves’ button to add titles to this reserve list. You will be asked to enter the barcode for the reserve item. For each item, you can change the item type, collection code, shelving location or holding library. These changes will only apply while the course is active. ...

Course reserves in the OPAC Once you have enabled course reserves and added courses, you will see a link to course reserves below your search box in the OPAC. Clicking that link will show you your list of enabled courses (if you have only one course, you will just see the contents of that one course). Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ section of the Administration module (table id: course_reserves_table). You can search course reserves by any field (course number, course name, instructor name, department) that is visible in the list of courses. Clicking a course name will show you the details and reserve items. Note You can customize the ...

Setting up course reserves Before using course reserves, you will need to do some set up. First you will need to enable course reserves by setting the UseCourseReserves preference to ‘Use’. Next you will need to have all of your course instructors added as patrons. Next you will want to add a couple of new authorized values for Departments and Terms. You may also want to create new item types, collection codes (CCODE) or shelving locations (LOC) to make it clear that the items are on reserve to your patrons. You will also want to be sure to confirm that your circulation and fine rules are right for your new item types (whether they be hourly or daily loans). ...

Agreements In ERM terms, Agreements describe what electronic subscriptions you can access whereas Licenses are used to describe what you can do with those resources. Note Before you start to create new Agreement records, ensure your staff users have either the superlibrarian or the erm permission and that you have reviewed the ERM authorized values to suit your needs. Also, ensure you have reviewed the ERM system preferences. Create an Agreement record From the ERM Home page click on the Agreements link in the left-hand menu. Get there: More E-Resource management Agreements Use the + New Agreement button at the top of the Agreements table. You are required to give the ...

Data Providers Version This component of ERM was introduced in version 23.1 of Koha. Data Providers (or Data Platforms) are the organizations who provide usage statistics for your electronic resources. This could be a vendor or a platform provider. The data provider record contains information about SUSHI credentials and any COUNTER data which has been harvested from the provider. Definitions: SUSHI (Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative) is an ANSI/NISO standard that defines the model for harvesting e-resource usage data. It is designed to work with COUNTER. COUNTER provides the standard that enables the knowledge community to count the use of electronic resources. ...

eHoldings Definition of terms: Resource A resource is an instance of a title. Consequently a resource would have a separate resource ID for each occurrence of the title in a package. For example: Teise / Law belongs in DOAJ Criminal Justice Abstracts with Full Text etc. Knowledge base (KB) A knowledge base is an extensive database maintained by a knowledge base supplier (for example, EBSCO) that contains information about electronic resources such as title lists and coverage dates, etc. Knowledge bases typically organize the resources provided by a content provider into collections or databases that reflect specific content provider offerings, for example packages of e-journals, ...

ERM home page Get there: More E-resource management Search bar The search bar allows you to quickly search agreement records and (Local) packages or titles. Packages or titles from third-party knowledge bases are not searchable from here; go to the eHoldings instead. ...

Licenses A license explains what you can do with the content you have subscribed to. It is, in effect, the contract or Terms of Use. Get there: More E-resource management Licenses Licenses work alongside Agreements or, if you’d prefer to simply record a list of licenses you have, it can work on its own. Create a license record From the ERM Home page click on the Licenses link in the left-hand menu. Get there: More E-resource management Licenses Use the ‘New license’ button at the top of the Licenses table. You are required to give the License a Name, Description, Type and Status. The status determines if this agreement is active or not. All other fields are ...

Reports From the ERM Home page click on the Reports link in the left-hand menu. Get there: More E-resource management Reports Click the ‘Create Report’ tab to create a new report. On the Reports home page, you will see a list of any ‘Saved reports’ and also the ability to ‘Create report’. Create report Usage statistics reports are located under the ERM module rather than the general Koha reporting module because of the unique nature of the statistical data. Select report data Data display (Required) Depending on the nature of the data you are looking at, you have a number of data displays: both monthly and annual counts, with or without totals; counts by ...

Cart The cart is a temporary holding place for items in the OPAC and/or staff client. The cart will be emptied once the session is ended (by closing the browser or logging out). The cart is best used for performing batch operations (holds, printing, emailing) or for getting a list of items to be printed or emailed to yourself or a patron. The cart feature can be turned off in the OPAC using the opacbookbag system preference. If you would like to enable the cart in the staff interface, you need to set the intranetbookbag system preference to ‘Show.’ To add things to the cart, search the catalog and select the items you would like added to your cart and click on the ‘Add to cart’ ...

Lists Create a list A list can be created by visiting the Lists page and clicking ‘New list’ The new list form offers several options for creating your list: Name: the name is what will appear on the list of lists, it is the only required field Owner: this is the username of the owner of the list, the creator is the default owner, but that can be changed later Sort this list by: you can choose how to sort the list (by title, author, publication year, call number or date added to the list) Public: decide if the list is going to be private or public A private list can be seen only by you A public list can be seen by everybody, including OPAC users Allow changes to contents ...

Authority search If the OpacAuthorities system preference is set to ‘Allow’, patrons will be able to search authority records from the OPAC. The authority search is accessed by the ‘Authority search’ link under the search bar at the top of the page. The search form allows patrons to search authorities by type and terms. The results show the headings, the type of heading, and the number of bibliographic records this authority record is used in. If the authority record contains notes, a ‘Notes’ link will appear under the heading. Clicking on ‘Details’ will show the complete record. Clicking on the number of records will do a catalog search for records linked to this ...

Bibliographic record When you click on a title from the search results, you’re brought to the bibliographic detail of the record. This page is broken down in several different areas. At the top of your screen will be the title and the GMD: Below the title the authors will be listed. These come from your 1xx and 7xx fields. Clicking the author will run a search for other titles with that author. If you have an authority file you will see a magnifying glass to the right of author (and other) authorities. Clicking that magnifying glass will take you directly to the authority record. If you have your DisplayOPACiconsXSLT preference set to ‘show’ you will see a material type that is ...

Cookies information You can add information about cookies to your OPAC, with a banner and policy. From the cookie banner, users have the option to accept essential cookies or to view more information. When they click ‘More information’, the Cookies policy pops up. The cookie banner will be displayed on all pages until the user accepts cookies. To set up cookie information: Check whether you use non-essential cookies on your site. Check for analytics tracking code in the OpacUserJS system preference. Move any tracking code you have to the CookieConsentedJS system preference. Decide what text you want displayed on the cookie banner: add it to the CookieConsentBar HTML ...

Enhanced content Tagging Depending on the settings for the TagsEnabled, TagsInputOnList and TagsInputOnDetail system preferences, patrons may be able to add tags to bibliographic records from the search results and/or from the bibliographic records’ detail page. If you are allowing patrons to add tags from the search results list (see TagsInputOnDetail), patron will see an ‘Add tag’ button below each result and a ‘Tag’ option at the top of the screen. To add a tag to one item, click ‘Add tag’, type the tag or tags (separated by commas) in the ‘New tag’ box and click ‘Add’. You will be presented with a confirmation of your tags being added. From the results you ...

Libraries The ‘Libraries’ page shows the contact information (address lines, city, state, zip/postal code, country, phone number, fax number, website) for libraries in the system that are set as ‘Public’. The library name is a link to a specific page for this library. This second page also includes ‘OpacLibraryInfo’ HTML customizations for this library. ...

Lists and the cart A cart is a temporary holding place for records you’re interested in finding during this session. That means that once you log out of the OPAC or close the browser you lose the items in your cart. A list is a more permanent location for saving items. To learn more about lists, check the Lists and cart chapter of this manual, which deal with these features in the staff interface. Lists Patrons can manage their own private lists and find all public lists by visiting the ‘Lists’ section of their account. The ‘Modification date’ column shows when the list was last modified and is helpful for quickly finding out how up to date the list is. Creating lists ...

OPAC self checkout Version This feature was added in Koha version 23.11. In addition to the self checkout module, there is a lighter weight option for libraries with smaller, trusted communities. With this option, patrons are allowed to check out items to themselves through their OPAC account with no oversight from library staff. This self checkout feature can be used on any computer or device with access to the OPAC, as opposed to the self checkout module which is meant to be used on dedicated computers. Once the OpacTrustedCheckout system preference is enabled, logged in patrons will see a ‘Self checkout’ option at the top of the page in the OPAC. Clicking on the ‘Self ...

OPAC self registration If you allow it, patrons can register for their own accounts via the OPAC. If you have the PatronSelfRegistration preference set to ‘Allow’ then patrons will see a link to register below the log in box. When the patron clicks the ‘Register here’ link they will be brought to a registration page. The options on the registration page can be controlled by editing the PatronSelfRegistrationBorrowerMandatoryField and the PatronSelfRegistrationBorrowerUnwantedField preferences. Once the patron has submitted their registration they will either be sent an email to confirm their account (if you have the PatronSelfRegistrationVerifyByEmail preference to require this) ...

Placing holds Patrons can place holds on items via the OPAC if they’re logged in and the OPACHoldRequests system preference is set to ‘Allow’. If the item can be placed on hold, the option to place it on hold will appear in several different places. If the DisplayMultiPlaceHold system preference is enabled, when viewing a list or search results page there will be the option to place hold on multiple items by checking the boxes to the left of the results and clicking ‘Place hold’ at the top. When viewing a list or search results page you’ll see the option to place the item on hold below the basic information about the title. When viewing an individual title you’ll see ...

Purchase suggestions If your library has the suggestion preference set to ‘Allow’, patrons will have the option to make purchase suggestions in several areas in the OPAC. If you are allowing everyone to see the purchase suggestions made by others with the OPACViewOthersSuggestions preference, there will be a link at the top of your OPAC under the search box. There will be a link when the patron finds nothing for their search. There will be a ‘Suggest for purchase’ option in the detailed view of a bibliographic record. And there will be a link in the Your purchase suggestions tab in the patron’s account. Clicking any one of these links will open the purchase suggestion form. ...

Reporting problems If the OPACReportProblem system preference is enabled, patrons will have the option to report problems on the OPAC (broken links or inaccurate information for example). At the bottom of each page is a ‘Report a problem’ link. When the patron clicks on the link, they are brought to a form where they can specify what exactly is the problem. The problem report is sent to the Koha administrator by email (to the address in KohaAdminEmailAddress), and will appear in the OPAC problem reports tool. If the library has an email address, the patron will have the choice to either send the problem report to the library or to the administrator. Note The notice sent by email is ...

Requesting recalls If your library accepts recalls (see setting up recalls for more information), patrons will be able to place recalls on items. The option to request a recall appears in various places in the OPAC: In the results list after a search, the ‘Place recall’ option appears at the bottom of each recallable result. In the detailed record. the ‘Place recall’ option appears on the right side of the screen (or bottom in mobile view) in the options Either of those links will lead to the recall form. Pick up location: the patron can choose where they’d like to pick up their recalled item. Recall not needed after: if the patron not need this item after a certain ...

Search results To search the OPAC you can either choose to enter your search words in the box at the top of the OPAC or click on the ‘Advanced search’ link to perform a more detailed search. If Elasticsearch is used and the OpacBrowseSearch system preference is enabled, you will also see the Browse search option. Note For more on searching check the Searching chapter in this manual. Results overview After performing a search, the number of results found for the search will appear above the results. By default, the search results are sorted based on the OPACdefaultSortField and OPACdefaultSortOrder system preference values. To change the sort order of these results, you can ...

Your account If the opacuserlogin system preference is set to ‘Allow’, patrons can log in and access their account. Once logged in patrons are brought to their account summary. If patrons access the home page while logged in, and OPACUserSummary is set to ‘Show’, they will see a small summary of their account instead of the login fields. If OPACShowSavings is set to display savings in the summary box, this summary section will also contain the savings the patron made by using the library rather than purchasing the items. From any page on the OPAC, clicking on their name at the top right of the page will bring a patron back to their account. Resetting your password If you ...

LDAP Setting up LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) for Koha allows you to store all user information in a central database which is accessed both by your organisation’s Koha instance and for users to authenticate on other existing systems. LDAP is a protocol used for file discovery over networks and network authentication. LDAP configurations are powerful allowing you to customise how Koha and LDAP interact. LDAP can be configured so that new accounts created in LDAP can be synced down into the Koha database, additionally updates to the LDAP user account are synced down to the Koha database. However Koha cannot sync data up to the LDAP server, thus the data traffic when using ...

SIP2 SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is a protocol for communication between devices. In the context of Koha SIP is used for communication between Self Check (SC) machines i.e. self checkout machines, and the Automated Circulation System (also known as ACS which in this case is the server running Koha). SIP communications consist of requests and responses. The self checkout machines are ‘dumb’ and so they send requests to the Koha server which runs logic which determines a particular outcome which is sent as a response message back to the client self checkout machine, and this is then conveyed to the user. Warning Security notice regarding using SIP service: To ensure that your ...

Add a new patron Patrons are added by going to the ‘Patrons’ module. Get there: Patrons Note Only staff with the edit_borrowers permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to add patrons. Once there you can add a new patron. Click ‘New patron’ Note The fields that appear on the patron add form can be controlled by editing the BorrowerUnwantedField system preference. Note Required fields are defined in the BorrowerMandatoryField system preference First, enter the identifying information regarding your patron ‘Salutation’ is populated by the BorrowersTitles system preference Note If you’d like to prevent full names from printing on slips and ...

Add a staff patron All staff members must be entered into Koha as patrons of the ‘Staff’ type. Follow the steps in Add a Patron to add a staff member. To give the staff member permissions to access the staff interface, follow the steps in patron permissions. Important Remember to assign your staff secure usernames and passwords since these will be used to log into the staff client. ...

Add a statistical patron One way to track use of in house items is to “check out” the materials to a statistical patron. The “check out” process doesn’t check the book out, but instead tracks an in house use of the item. To use this method for tracking in house use you first will need a patron category set up for your statistical patron. Next, you will need to create a new patron of the statistical type. Next, follow the steps put forth in the ‘Add a new patron’ section of this manual. Since this patron is not a real person, simply fill in the required fields, the correct library and nothing else. To learn about other methods of tracking in house use visit the tracking ...

Adding patron images You can add patron pictures to help identify patrons. To enable this feature, you must first set the patronimages system preference to ‘Allow’. If the preference is set to ‘Allow’, you will see a placeholder image under the patron’s name on the left of the screen. Click the ‘Add’ button on the placeholder image. You have the option of either uploading an existing picture from the computer or taking a picture with the webcam. To upload an existing image, click ‘Browse’ or ‘Choose file’ to find the image on your computer and click ‘Upload’ to load the image in the patron’s file. Warning There is a limit of 100K on the size of the picture ...

Communicating with patrons Koha offers several options for communicating with patrons, some of which have already been covered in this chapter. OPAC notes OPAC notes are added to the patron’s file through the add patron form or the edit patron form, in the ‘Library set-up’ section. They show up in the ‘Your summary’ section of the patron’s online account in the OPAC. In the staff interface, OPAC notes will be in the ‘Library use’ section of the patron’s file. OPAC messages OPAC messages are added to the patron’s file using the ‘Add message’ button. To leave a message that the patron will be able to see in the OPAC, choose “OPAC - Patron’s name” ...

Deleting a patron account From the ‘More’ drop-down, the patron account can be deleted. Note Only staff with the delete_borrowers permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to delete patrons. There will be an alert if the patron has checkouts, holds, fines or credits. If a patron has current checkouts, the deletion will not be possible. If a patron has outstanding fines, the deletion will not be possible. If a patron has unused credits, the option to delete the patron is possible but there will be a warning. If a patron has existing holds on their account, the option to delete the patron is possible. The hold will be cancelled and moved to the old_reserves ...

Duplicate a patron Sometimes when you’re adding a new family to your system you don’t want to type the contact information over and over. Koha allows for you to duplicate a patron and change only the parts you want to (or need to) change. Open the patron you want to use as your base (the patron you want to duplicate information from) Click the ‘Duplicate’ button at the top of their record All of the fields with the exception of first name, card number, username and password have been duplicated. Fill in the missing pieces and click ‘Save’ Note Clicking in a field that is already populated with data will clear that field of all information (making it easier for you to ...

Editing patrons Patrons in Koha can be edited using one of many edit buttons. Note Only staff with the edit_borrowers permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to edit patron files. To edit the entire patron record simply click the ‘Edit’ button at the top of the patron record. To edit a specific section of the patron record (for example the ‘Library use’ section) click the ‘Edit’ button beside the section. Edit the patron’s file and click ‘Save’. Warning Note that changing your own username will log you out of Koha. Modifying patron passwords Patron passwords are not recoverable. The stars on the patron details page next to the password ...

Managing patron self edits If you are allowing patrons to edit their accounts via the OPAC with the OPACPatronDetails preference then you will need to approve all changes via the staff interface before they’re applied. If there are patron edits awaiting action they will appear on the staff interface dashboard below the modules list (along with other items awaiting action). Note Superlibrarians will see modifications for any branch, other staff will only see modifications for patrons who belong to their logged in branch. When you click the ‘Patrons requesting modifications’ link you will be brought to a list of patrons with requested changes. From here you can ‘Approve’ and ...

Merging patron records If you accidentally end up with one patron with two cards it is possible to merge their records together so that you don’t lose their loan history or holds. In the patron list, check the boxes next to the records you want to merge and click on the ‘Merge selected patrons’ button. Note It is possible to merge more than two records at a time. Select the patron record you want to keep If necessary, click the ‘Compare patrons’ button to see the differences between the different accounts. Click the ‘Merge patrons’ button. The checkouts and statistics will be transferred to the right record and the other one will be deleted. ...

Patron information When viewing a patron record you have the option to view information from one of many tabs found on the left hand side of the record. Get there: Patrons Browse or search for patron Click patron name Check out For instruction on checking items out, view the Checking out section of this manual. Staff members can access their own check out screen by clicking their username in the top right of the staff client and choosing ‘My checkouts’ Details Note Staff members can access their own account details by clicking their username in the top right of the staff client and choosing ‘My account’ All patron information will appear in the Details ...

Patron permissions Patron permissions are used to allow staff members access to the staff interface. Important In order for a staff member to log into the staff interface they must have (at the very least) the catalogue permission which allows them to view the staff interface. Setting patron permissions Note Only staff with the permissions permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to set permissions for other staff members. In addition to the permissions permission, only staff with the staffaccess permission will be able to set permission for other staff members whose category is of the ‘staff’ type. On the patron record, click ‘More’ and choose ‘Set ...

Patron search Clicking on the link to the Patron module will bring you to a search/browse screen for patrons. From here you can search for a patron by their name or their card number. Note By default, the search is a ‘Starts with’ search, meaning that you have to search by the beginning of the patron’s name or the beginning of the patron’s card number. You can use the DefaultPatronSearchMethod system preference to change the patron search method to a ‘Contains’ search to be able to search for any part of the patron’s name or cardnumber. Clicking the ‘More options’ symbol to the right of the search box will open up an advanced patron search with more filters including ...

Renew patron account When renewing a patron account you can either edit the the expiry date manually in the patron record or use the ‘Renew patron’ option from the More menu in the toolbar at the top. Using the latter the new expiry date will be calculated using the enrollment period configured for the patron category of the user. The system preference BorrowerRenewalPeriodBase determines if the new expiry date will be calculated from the current date or from the old expiry date. One advantage of using the ‘Renew patron’ option is that it will be logged as a membership renewal in the action_logs table and be visible as such when using the Log viewer or the Modificaton log from ...

Two factor authentication in the staff interface Koha offers two-factor authentication (2FA) for logging into the staff interface. This two-factor authentication uses a time-based one-time password (TOTP). A TOTP is a password can only be used once and is only valid for a limited time. Users wanting to use the two-factor authentication must have an app to generate these TOTPs. Any authenticator app, such as Google Authenticator, andOTP, FreeOTP and many others can be used. Applications that enable backup of their 2FA accounts (either cloud-based or automatic) are recommended. Turn on the two-factor authentication with the TwoFactorAuthentication system preference. Once this is done, the ...

Making a sale Note Only staff with the takepayment permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this module. When you first go in the point of sale module, the left side will show all the items for sale. These are debit types that were marked as ‘Can be sold’. Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ section of the Administration module (table id: invoices). On the right side is the current sale. Click on the ‘Add’ button next to the items to add to the current sale. If you need to change the cost or the quantity, click on the amount on the right side and it will become an input box where you can enter the correct ...

Setup To enable the point of sale module, you must turn on the EnablePointOfSale system preference. If it’s not already done, you must also enable the UseCashRegisters system preference. Make sure you configure your cash registers in the administration module. Finally, you must add items that you will be selling in the debit types section of the administration module. ...

Settings The preservation settings are meant for two types of information: storing the chosen item statuses (set up as NOT_LOAN authorized values) for the workflow; adding new processings that are meant to be attached to trains. Get there: More Preservation Settings General settings In this section, you can set two different item statuses chosen from the NOT_LOAN authorized values category: Status for item added to waiting list: default items.notforloan status for each item entered in the waiting list (beginning of the preservation workflow). Default status for item added to train: default items.notforloan status for any items entered in a train (monitoring of ...

Trains The trains page is the hub of the preservation module. This is where you will create and monitor all your preservation trains. Note The term ‘train’ has been chosen for two main reasons. Firstly, because other terminology - ‘cart’, ‘basket’, ‘batch’, etc. - was already in use for specific features in other Koha modules. Secondly, the term ‘train’ is commonly used by French librarians because the physical book carts look like linked wagons when lined up. Get there: More Preservation Trains This is the list of all your trains. The table contains the following information: Name: the name you gave to the train Created on: the date the train was ...

Waiting list The waiting list is the first step of the preservation workflow. It is to be considered as the Preservation module entrance hall for the items. Get there: More Preservation Waiting list Adding an item the waiting list will update its ‘Not for loan’ status according to the value defined in the preservation settings. As long as its status does not change again, the item will remain in the waiting list. This allows staff to make the item unavailable even though it has not yet been sent away for preservation. Add to waiting list To add items to the waiting list, click on the ‘Add to waiting list’ button. A pop-up window appears, with an input field. Type ...

Custom reports Koha’s data is stored in a MySQL database which means that librarians can generate nearly any report they would like by either using the guided reports wizard or writing their own SQL query. Add custom report Note Only staff with the create_reports permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to create custom reports, either with the guided report wizard or directly with SQL. Guided report wizard The guided report wizard will walk you through a six step process to generate a report. Step 1: Choose the module you want to report on. This will determine what tables and fields are available for you to query. ‘Report is public’ should be left to the ...

Report dictionary The report dictionary is a way to pre-define common filters you’d like to apply to your reports. This is a good way to add in filters that the report wizard doesn’t include by default. To add a new definition, or filter, click ‘New definition’ on the reports dictionary page and follow the step process. Step 1: Name the definition and provide a description if necessary Step 2: Choose the module that the will be queried. Step 3: Choose columns to query from the tables presented. Step 4: Choose the value(s) from the field(s). These will be automatically populated with options available in your database. Confirm your selections to save the definition. Your ...

Report plugins Some plugins that are available can be used to make or enhance reports. Get there: More Reports Report plugins Report plugins Note Only staff with the report permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to access report plugins. From this page, you will see only report-type plugins. See the managing plugins section of this manual to learn how to manage your report-type plugins. Previous Next © Copyright Copyleft - Written by the Koha Community and published under the GNU Public General License.. Last updated on 2025-02- 01:02:54. Built with ...

Statistics reports Statistic reports will show you counts and sums. These reports are all about numbers and statistics, for reports that return more detailed data, use the guided report wizard. These reports are limited in what data they can look at, so it’s often recommended to use custom reports for official end of the year statistics. Note Only staff with at least one of the reports permissions (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to use the statistics wizards. Acquisitions statistics Note These reports are limited in what data they can look at, so it’s often recommended to use custom reports for official end of the year statistics. Using the form provided, ...

Adding a numbering pattern To add new new pattern click the ‘New numbering pattern’ button. Name: this is the name that will appear in the drop-down menu when creating a new serial subscription; make sure it is descriptive. Description: this is to further describe the numbering pattern; this does not appear when creating a new subscription, it only displays in the numbering patterns table (see above). Numbering formula: this is what is used to create the number for each issue. You can use placeholders for up to three variables {X}, {Y}, and {Z} (which can be defined below), as well as predetermined variables: {Day} will be replaced by the date (two digits) {Month} will be replaced ...

Adding a subscription Note Only staff with the create_subscription permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to add serial subscriptions. Subscriptions can be added by clicking the ‘New’ button on any bibliographic record and choosing ‘New subscription’ Or click the ‘New subscription’ button in the serials module If you are entering a new subscription from the Serials module you will be presented with a blank form (if creating new from a bibliographic record the form will include the record number info). Vendor: can be found by either searching vendors entered via the Acquisitions module or manually entering the vendor ID number Vendor information is ...

Checking serial expiration Note Only staff with the check_expiration permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this tool to check serial subscription expiration dates. When adding serials you enter a subscription length, using the check expiration tool you can see when your subscriptions are about to expire. To use the tool, click the link to ‘Check expiration’ on the serials menu. In the form that appears you need to enter at least a date to search by. You can also search by title, ISBN or library. In your results you will see all subscriptions that will expire before the date you entered. From there you can choose to view the subscription further or renew ...

Claiming late issues Note Only staff with the claim_serials permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will have access to this tool to claim late serial issues. Koha can send email messages to your serial vendors if you have late issues. To the left of the main serials page there is a link to ‘Claims’. The links to claims also appears to the left of the subscription detail page If you don’t have a claim notice defined yet you will see a warning message that you need to first define a notice in the Notices and slips tool. Clicking ‘Claims’ will open a report that will ask you to choose from your various serial vendors to generate claims for late issues. From the list of ...

Creating a routing list Note Only staff with the routing permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to manage routing lists. A routing list is a list of people who receive the serial before it goes to the shelf. To enable routing lists, set your RoutingSerials preference to ‘Use’. When on the subscription page you will see a link to the left that reads ‘Create routing list’ or ‘Edit routing list’ Clicking that link will bring you to the form to add a new routing list. From here, click ‘Add recipients’ to add users to the routing list. In the menu that appears you can filter patrons by part of their name, their library, or their patron category. Click ...

Editing a subscription Note Only staff with the edit_subscription permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to edit existing serial subscriptions. To edit a subscription, click on ‘Edit’ and ‘Edit subscription’ from the subscription page. This will take you back to the same form as the one used when creating a new subscription. You can also batch edit subscriptions. To do so, search for the subscriptions you want to change. In the results, check the boxes next to the subscriptions to edit. The link ‘Edit selected serials’ will appear. From there, you can change: the vendor the shelving location the library the item type the public note the nonpublic note ...

Manage serial numbering patterns Note Only staff with the serials permission or any of the serials sub-permissions (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to manage numbering patterns. Every time you create a new numbering pattern in serials you can save it for later use. These patterns are accessible via the ‘Manage numbering patterns’ page. Get there: More Serials Manage numbering patterns This page will list for you the numbering patterns you have saved in the past as well as a few basic patterns. Note If you have upgraded from an old version of Koha (before 3.14) you will see ‘Backup patterns’ listed for patterns. This is how Koha saved your old ...

Managing serial frequencies Note Only staff with the serials permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able manage frequencies. Koha keeps a record of publication frequencies for easy management and duplication. Get there: More Serials Manage frequencies From this page you can view all of the existing frequencies in your system. You can edit, delete and create new ones. Adding a frequency To add a new frequency, click on the ‘New frequency’ button. Description: this is the name that will appear in the drop-down menu when creating a new serial subscription; make sure it is descriptive Unit: this is the unit used for counting the cycle of publication. ...

Receiving issues Note Only staff with the receive_serials permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to receive issues of existing serial subscriptions. Issues can be marked as received from several locations. To find a subscription, use the search box at the top of the Serials page to search for the serial you’d like to receive issues for: From the search results you can click the ‘Serial receive’ button or you can click on the subscription title and then click the ‘Receive’ button. The final way to receive serials is from the ‘Serial collection’ page. To the left of the Subscription summary page there is a menu with a link to ‘Serial collection’ ...

Renewing subscriptions Note Only staff with the renew_subscription permission (or the superlibrarian permission) will be able to renew existing serial subscriptions. If your serial subscription has expired you won’t be able to receive issues. To renew your subscription you can click the ‘Renew’ button at the top of your subscription detail page. Once you click the ‘Renew’ button you will be presented with renewal options. Start date: enter the date your subscription period starts. Subscription length: enter the number of issues, weeks or months your subscription lasts Library: enter the library for which this subscription is, this will only appear if ...

Searching serials Once in the Serials module there is basic search box at the top that you can use to find subscriptions using any part of the ISSN and/or title, as well as a search form in the middle of the page. You can also click the ‘More options’ icon in the search box at the top of the page and click the ‘Advanced search’ link to do a more thorough search of your serials. Note If you have additional fields that are searchable, they will appear in this advanced search form. From your results you can filter by using the search boxes at the bottom of each column and adjust the number of results using the toolbar at the top of the results set. Note If you have a lot of ...

Serial collection Each subscription has a Serial collection page available from the main Serials menu. From this page you can manage additional tasks related to subscription issues such as receiving multiple issues and editing. Clicking the Generate next button will generate the next issue for you and mark the previously expected issue as ‘Late’ automatically. Check the box in the Edit column for one or more previous issues and then click the Edit serials button. This will bring you to the same screen as when you are receiving issues. From there, you can edit the numbering, dates, status, and add notes. ...

Serial statuses When receiving an issue, you change the status of the issue to ‘Arrived’. There are more statuses that can be used to describe serial issues. Note See also: Serials table in the FAQ section. Expected: this is the status that is automatically assigned to a new issue when it is created. It means the issue hasn’t arrived, but it is not late yet. Arrived: this is the status used when receiving an issue. It means the issue has been received by the library. Circulating: this status means the issue is circulating through a printed routing list. It is not assigned automatically, but you can use it to indicate to patrons that it is not currently available. Note This ...

Subscriptions in the OPAC When viewing the subscription in the OPAC there will be several options. You can choose which tab appears by default with the opacSerialDefaultTab system preference. Like in the staff interface, there will be a Subscriptions tab on the bibliographic record. Under this tab will appear the number of issues you chose when setting up the subscription or in your OPACSerialIssueDisplayCount system preference. Clicking the ‘More details’ link will provide you with additional information about the serial history. You can set the default view of the serial history in the OPAC with the SubscriptionHistory system preference. There are two views, brief and full. The ...

Subscriptions in the staff interface Subscription information will appear on bibliographic records under the ‘Subscriptions’ tab Clicking the ‘Subscription details’ link will take you to the Subscription summary page in the staff interface. If you are using the acquisitions module to keep track of serial subscriptions you will see an extra ‘Acquisition details’ tab in your subscription details. Note You can customize the columns of this table in the ‘Table settings’ section of the Administration module (table id: orders). ...

Physical distribution of journals using printed routing lists is not always convenient or necessary.
This downloadable procedure explains how to use a Prosentient enhancement to Koha's Serials routing list function to send patrons an email containing a table of contents for the latest received issue of their favourite journals.

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Koha has extensive online manuals with step-by-step instructions on using the service.

You can find the Koha manuals and resources at http://manual.koha-community.org/

You can review our FAQ. There is also an extensive Koha online FAQ at http://koha-community.org/documentation/faq/

To obtain support for your Koha Library Management System application, go to http://www.prosentient.com.au/index.php/support

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Internet Explorer has anti-phishing settings which provide useful protection when browsing the wider web, but can also considerably slow down access to a heavily used intranet application like Koha when it is hosted off-site. These measures are called the Phishing Filter in Internet Explorer 7 and the SmartScreen Filter in Internet Explorer 8 and 9.

It is possible, but perhaps not advisable, to turn Phishing functions off, as this Microsoft support article on ...