I've been working on SQL phrasebooks to enable multiple backend DB support. I would be happy to help with changing these fields around. Since my knowledge of library science is pretty much limited to what I've learned off of this list, could someone step up to the plate to do some research on the type and number of fields needed? ----- Original Message ----- From: Chris Cormack <chris@katipo.co.nz> Date: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 1:29 pm Subject: Re: [Koha] More questions - another 2 cents worth

I think there may be some confusion between a lccn number (library of congress control number) and library of congress call numbers. If I understand correctly, a lccn number is single unique number used to identify a specific title, kind of like a serial number. However, (librarians, please correct me if I'm wrong) lccn numbers are not used for cataloging and shelving books in a library that used the LC system. Instead there are a series of four or five lines of call numbers that are used instead.

Rather than try to explain it, let me refer you to http://www.lib.ksu.edu/instructional/understandinglccn/webcall2.html or http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/education/hcc/library/callno.html for some explanation and samples of LC call numbers.

The problem is that koha doesn't currently have adequate fields of the proper type for storing these four or five lines of information in the database (I think there are such fields in the MARC tables, but not in the basic koha tables). I agree that accommodating the different catalogingsystems is a template issue, but feel that the necessary fields need to be in place in the database tables first. I had actually emailed the development list on this same issue a couple weeks ago (subject: inflexiblefield types for call numbers).

My recommendation would be that we survey as many knowledgeable librariansas possible to find out how many fields are necessary for storing call numbers under the various systems, what the maximum length of each needs to be, and then add those fields to the database tables (unless the programmerscould suggest existing fields that can be used). I think if there were four or five flexible fields for storing call number information, then indeedkoha could be adapted to almost any cataloging system by reworking the templates.

Rob

----- Original Message ----- From: "Chris Cormack" <chris@katipo.co.nz> Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2003 1:20 AM Subject: Re: [Koha] More questions - another 2 cents worth

...

We do have an lccn field in the koha database. And you can load data into it, its currently not displaying or searchable yet though. This is a templating issue, im sure we could change it quite fast.

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