Hello:<br><br>I'm sorry about the non-descriptive subject line! <br><br>A short introduction:<br><br>I'm helping the Akshara Foundation [1] implement Koha across their 400 odd libraries in Bangalore and we are working with a developer in Bangalore to do the customizations for us. We have a peculiar set of requirements:<br>
<br>1. The patron database [2] is, as of now, housed externally from Koha as that database exists for other common projects too. We need to find a way for Koha to access that database to be able to pull patron and branch information out of it. As of now, we're looking at exporting the data from the KLP DB (where it is stored) via CSV and importing that into Koha on a periodic basis. <br>
2. The book DB will be stored within Koha but as of now it exists as a set of Excel files. We need to import that into Koha.<br>3. We also need to be able to send the transactional information back to the KLP DB for aggregation and GIS based display.<br>
<br>We're using the Koha 3 Beta.<br><br>Where we need some help is, at this early stage,:<br><br>1. In understanding the data model for Koha wrt to patrons, books and transactions. The last one because we also have transaction collected in Excel sheets.<br>
2. Ways and methods to import xls or csv files into Koha for patrons and books.<br>3. Ways and methods to make available to KLP transactional information so that they can generate reports. <br><br>We've only just begun this project. One additional complication is that out of the 400 libraries a significant number don't have internet access so we also have to think/find a way to have an offline method of capturing transactions. One way we've considered is to use the transaction importer we hope to write to then, on a fortnightly basis, import the xls/csv files that we receive from the offline schools. <br>
<br>Thank you.<br><br>Best,<br><br>Gautam<br><br>[1] <a href="http://aksharafoundation.org/">http://aksharafoundation.org/</a><br>[2] <a href="http://www.klp.org.in">http://www.klp.org.in</a><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>Please read our new blog at:<br>
<a href="http://blog.prathambooks.org/">http://blog.prathambooks.org/</a>