[Koha] koha features

[Doug Dearden]

Hello Sebastien,

In reading your post I am reminded of one of the ways we implemented koha.  We are using it to catalog archived images that have been scanned.  Like your users, our need was for better searching capabilities to find the images that were needed.  The connection to the image files was then accomplished using the 856 $u field - URL.  A URL in this field is a clickable link in koha, and could be set up to point to your daisy files.  Perhaps I am oversimplifying your needs as the public key infrastructure might add some complexity, but from your description I think this is an easy fit into koha.  You may not need all the features, but being able to import bibliographic data and have full search capabilities sounds like the big plus.  If the connection to the correct file is a URL address then you're done.  I got some help from the list to format the URL on the record so that it could be easily redirected later using a simple change in the Apache configuration, in the event the files needed to be moved to a different server. 

I would suggest you talk to your librarian about MARC.  I found that once I had a good handle on how it worked I saw how to easily implement Koha to fulfill our needs.  I think you would find the same.  You will need to hone your linux skills, but you may not need to do any heavy perl programming.

Best,

Doug

>>> Sébastien Hinderer <Sebastien.Hinderer at snv.jussieu.fr> 4/22/2009 8:06 AM >>>
HI Zeno, many thanks for your two e-mails and for all the good questions
raised in this one.

> why do you want a library management system ?
> Do you need to setup circulation policies ?

No, I think this we don't need.

> Do you need to catalague  serials ?

I don't know what serials are... I'm not a librarian myself, rather
computer scientist.

> Do you need to manage acquistion  ?

Perhaps. One thing I have in mind is that the acquisition module ould be
used to mnage the file requests submitted to publishers and awaiting to
be processed by them.

> If from Koha you need only catalogue and Opac with 'simple' metadata,
> well Koha is too much for you. You probably do a best choice if you 
> select a software like Greestone or Dspace.

Well, one of the complains from our readers is that the present
catalogue is not searchable enough. They say that they have to know
preisely what they want to read to find it.
We thought that, among other things, using koha could solve this
problem.

> Koha, IMHO, is ok if you want:
> -- to catalogue with full MARC21/UNIMARC set of metatda

As far as I understand things,yes, this is something we want.However, I
have to say that I do not fully understand why this is important.

> -- do you want an Opac with specific indexes on your data. Is not easy 
> but with Zebra you can index every field/subfield do you want

This may perhaps turn out to be interesting.

> -- a Z39.50 / SRU server is good extra for you

Yes, I think this is interesting for us. We want to provide a
standard-based way for other libraries to consult our catalogue and so
on. Also, I think we'd like to be able to import bibliographic
information easily, and in my iunderstanding this is an other reason why
koha is interesting for us, i.e. it is marc-based, which makes us able
to import data from the french national library, e.g. Does this make
sense ?

> -- To use an authority to catalogue is a good extra for you

I think this is also the case, but I don't feel qualified enough to be
more affirmative on this.

> In fact you still  have many work to do on Koha to gain your gaols.
> Do you need inside (or you need to pay):
> -- People with good Library Science knowledge (exp. on Z39.50)
> -- People good on Linux and with good dev skills on perl

Oh well, I'm the one supposed to do all that.
Linux knowledge is okay, knowledge about development in general, too,
though I'm less familiar with Perl than with other languages like OCaml.
My Library science knowledge is almost inexistant, but we have a
librarian working full time inour organization.

As mentionned before, any comments will be warmly appreciate, so please
donot hesitate to say everything this e-mail inspires to you.

Thanks much in advance,
Sébastien.
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