[Koha] Software error

[BWS Johnson]

Kia ora!


>>  I would like try use MARC21 and Unimarc in the same system. So I do like
>>  this "1.MARC Bibliographic framework
> 
> I'm fairly sure that's a bad idea and not possible. The differences
> between them (in terms of Koha internals) is a lot more than just the
> MARC type. My natural instinct from the bit quoted would have to be "run
> away screaming" :)
> 
> Probably not related to the error you're getting though.
> 
> Most likely you've got your system set to something (say, MARC21) and by
> trying to add data in UNIMARC format you're missing out some required
> fields, or they're being parsed in quite a different fashion, such that
> it breaks.
> 
> Even if you fixed that in Koha (which would be a huuuuge job), you'd
> still have to deal with the fact that Zebra would hate you forever.
> 

    This was my initial reaction, too. Then I turned it over in my head a few times, and there are occasions where I could think having data in both MARC21 and Unimarc would be handy. Places in Europe, say for the UN, might want to have both with good reason. So this is proper thinking in terms of saving the time of the reader. 
    I think the sticking point isn't at having both, but at having both try to occupy a single Koha at a single point in time. I wonder if one might work about the very nasty logical and bibliographic errors that are bound to result in executing this idea by having parallel Koha servers. One could be twiddled to have the parameters for MARC21, one could hold Unimarc. The tricky bit, perhaps, might be synching patron data and item data so that folks knew when summat was out. It would be important to have this element so that folks didn't have to consult 2 catalogues to get their information. 2 records related to a single item is challenging, but I don't think I would pigeon hole it as impossible. Highly improbable and difficult (read costly) to execute, definitely.
    From a cataloguing perspective, I'd imagine it might be useful someplace larger, so logistically, I can see having a Unimarc cataloguer and a MARC21 cataloguer and never the twain need meet. (Not that one couldn't do both of course.)

Cheers,
Brooke