[Koha] New to Koha list; 852/952 marc problem

[Doug Dearden]

Hi Bernie,

Check this link for some history, and why you need to massage the data to get it into Koha.  Also includes some good guidelines.

http://www.kohadocs.org/holdings.html

You should be able to use MarcEdit to accomplish this.  It will generate a script that you could modify and then use as needed to massage the data automatically for inclusion in the Koha system the public library is running.

As an alternative, you can set up your own Koha server and build a framework that suits you.  See the koha doc for info on frameworks.

Good luck,

Doug in NM

From: koha-bounces at lists.katipo.co.nz [mailto:koha-bounces at lists.katipo.co.nz] On Behalf Of Bernie Levy
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 3:30 PM
To: koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
Subject: [Koha] New to Koha list; 852/952 marc problem

My name is Bernie and I am the IT Specialist for a non-profit historical society which also has a library.  I am responsible for the library's (and other) computers as well as the library software which they use.  This software is Surpass which we have used for years.

For the last couple of years, our city's public library has been kind enough to accept full or partial exports of our database which they then have imported into their system, making it look like our library is a branch of the public library, and displaying our materials in their catalog.  This worked fine until the public library switched to using Koha a few months ago.

Now they are telling me that certain fields, which are all or mostly 852 sub-fields in our system, have to be 952 sub-fields in their system or otherwise they can't successfully import our data.  I do not understand this, especially because Surpass support insists that any fields in the 900 range are non-standard and are user-defined.

I have done an appropriate Google search and turned up a number of hits on the subject but I don't see how or why I have to massage my data before it can be imported into a Koha system.  Thank you.

Bernie in CT
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