[Koha] Using KOHA for textbooks?

[David Schuster]

Ah textbooks.

I've pondered this as well - and Plano ISD, Plano Texas is looking at this
as well.  Here are a few of my thoughts.

Depending on the number of textbooks you have will impact system
performance.  Currently when you have more than say 200 books on a
particular title record - when you go to check them out it may take a whole
minute for that transaction.  I was very excited about moving the items off
the biblio record for circ transactions as that is what is slowing this down
drastically.  I understand that may have been moved to 3.4 release now?

Duedates - that's something I have on my development list to ponder.  I
would like to be able to set a specific duedate for specific item types. 
Currently if you set a global duedate it is for EVERYTHING.  We currently
check out curriculum materials to teachers but the best we can do for a
whole year checkout is 365 days or change it monthly.  Neither is the best
solution.  What I would like is on the item type for say PROFessional or
CURriculum itype instead of days have an option for days/duedate.  Where you
could put in 45 or 2010/05/18 so it could be 45 days or May 18th of 2010. 
With Textbooks there are 45 day checkouts, semester checkouts, yearly
checkouts so all of that would have to have different item types.

Not to mention how would you get all of those items added to your system ONE
AT A TIME unless you have them barcoded and can export them from another
system.

I know we have some specific textbook functionality under consideration for
development but I am not sure what that development spec looks like as I
have not been in on those meetings.

Sincerely,

David Schuster
Library Technology Coordinator
Plano ISD

Anna Kågedal wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> Is anyone using KOHA for textbooks?
> 
> We have been using KOHA for our schools library books since July and
> it works well. We are now planning to import our textbooks as well, so
> that we have everything in one system.
> 
> However - I suddenly got nervous. Is this a good idea? Anyone have
> experience with this?
> 
> For example - the global due date that you can set in KOHA towards the
> end of a semester - will then affect all books in all libraries if I
> am correct? Or is there a way to put a global due date for only one
> library? This is because we always have one final date to return books
> for the semester for library books, and another for textbooks. And if
> I then set at global due date for the library books - that will affect
> the duedate for textbooks as well.
> 
> 
> Another thing that I've been thinking about:
> Check out date - you would have to specify a due date (since it can't
> be a certain loan period for textbooks, since it is actually a
> specific date when all textbooks needs to be back, regardless of when
> it was checked out) and click "remember for session" for every student
> that you check out books to if .  Or is there a way to set "remember
> for session" - meaning - as long as I am logged in or unclick the
> button - and not as it is now - as long as this is the same patron?
> (Note: we check out all the textbooks to 600 students in 4 days - it
> gets VERY busy - and several small time thieves will severely slow us
> down.)
> 
> Our plan was to create a specific library for textbooks, and combine
> that with a textbook itemtype. The barcodes are also different, and at
> the moment we don't have a Shelving location for textbooks.
> 
> Finally I'd like to take the opportunity now to thank all of you who
> has answered my questions in the past and who answers in the future.
> 
> Anna
> 
> -- 
> ++++++++++++++++++++++++
> 
> Anna Kågedal
> Kodaikanal International School
> Seven Roads Junction
> Kodaikanal 624101
> Tamil Nadu, India
> home phone: +914542247269
> cell phone: +919994535493
> http://boxofbarfi.blogspot.com
> http://twitter.com/kislibrarian
> _______________________________________________
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> Koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
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> 
> 

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