[Koha] some thoughts about cataloguing and acquisition (important)

[paul POULAIN]

I think i must explain some things about 2.0 version...
The Database exists in 2 forms :
* "standard db" : the DB coming from the 1.2 version
* "MARC-DB" : the MARC one.

A parameter tables maps marc fields and standard-db ones.
The new 2.0 guarantees that both DB are always synchronised. That's why 
it was long to write, and to debug.

But, now we have a big advantage, as the user can decide to use MARC or 
non-MARC interface.
In both cases, the 2 databases are living.

If you choose the MARC one, the parameter tables provides the following 
features :
* support any MARC flavour : just define what 100$a, 200$a... mean
* support what you want in your MARC flavour : 100$a => used 100$b => 
used, but less important, 100$c => ignored

The manual MARC cataloguing tool is ready in 1.3.3, and used by a french 
library in France.

My question was not about marc/non marc, my question was to have advices 
for a deepest separation between acquisition and cataloguing.

I repeat that here, in France, there are almost no librarians that 
enters manually their biblios : universities have a common pool, the 
National Library (BNF) provides a cdrom with 4 millions of UNIMARC 
notices, and Electre provide a commercial one with recent books.

So most ils separate acquisition and cataloguing, as librarians "spend 
not more than 10 mn a week on cataloguing" as mailed me a french 
koha-addict !

Let's continue your answers/ideas/... on this topic, i'll conclude and 
propose something (on the wiki) next week. you'll be informed of my 
proposal when ready, and get the opportunity to comment it too !

Note : i plan to do something SIMPLE (from a developping time point of 
vue) for the 2.0 release which should occur in a month (at least for a 
RC one)
In 2.0.1, I expect to improve it (i WILL improve it if it's funded by 
someone !)

-- 
Paul POULAIN
Consultant indépendant en logiciels libres
responsable francophone de koha (SIGB libre http://www.koha-fr.org)