[Koha] Barcode nightmare

[Agnes Rivers-Moore]

We have just migrated 6 libraries. Of those 6, three have more than one 
variant of barcode, two had 4 types. Really a nightmare!

It took us a lot of SQL and Perl script work by a consultant with those 
skills, but it is possible if the size of your collection makes it 
worthwhile. If you have a definable range of numbers that can be changed 
to one type, that can be done with SQL in the table after import, or by 
script editing the 952 fields before import. Better to use the first 
option if you want to import and match other circulation or item 
information after the MARC records are in.
We also have a clever script that allows us to correct the Koha table by 
scanning the barcode, as if we were checking it out - saves the need to 
search for each title and edit the items individually. This was custom 
work, not part of Koha.

I have copied this message to the consultant who did the work for us...

Agnes


Seth Mayo wrote:
> We are gradually getting everything together to move to Koha from
> Alice.  Many of you will remember that back in July I was trying out
> various library systems and decided that Koha was a great system to
> get on board with.
>
> At this time of the year, the nitty-gritty of the system is going to
> start getting looked at.  I have a few questions to ask regarding the
> system but the most important one is:
>
> Is there a way to force Koha to re-write barcodes on the fly?
>
> Situation...
>
> Our library happens to have two barcode formats on books (long story):
>
> Type 1 Example: R36758W 2560
> Type 2 Example: + 2560 013037 6
>
> There are two problems with this - both having to do with our existing
> system (Alice for Windows) not actually cataloguing the whole barcode.
>
> Apparently when the system was set up, the following is what it was
> set up to do (and thus what we need to achieve in Koha since changing
> the barcodes on all the books is not an option):
>
> Type 1 conversion:  R36758W 2560 has been stored as R36758 (string is
> concatenated)
> Type 2 conversion:  + 2560 013037 6 has been stored as R13037 (string
> is rearranged and concatenated - ie. first 4 characters removed
>
> The letter 'W' in the first type is randomised on the barcodes so
> there is no way of recovering it.  The 'R' in the second type is
> simply added to everything.
>
> Any help with any of this would be appreciated.
>
> Seth Mayo
> IT Technical Manager
> Email:  smayo at stpeters.nsw.edu.au
> -------------------------------------------------------
> St Peter's Anglican Primary School
> Howe Street
> Campbelltown NSW 2560
> PH: 02 4627 2990
> Website:  http://www.stpeters.nsw.edu.au
> _______________________________________________
> Koha mailing list
> Koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
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>
>   

-- 

Agnes Rivers-Moore
Assistant Librarian
Hanover Public Library