[Koha] Koha details/features

[Rachel Hamilton-Williams]

hi Randy

>    Perusing the web site I find myself full of questions as to the exact
> capabilities and features of KOHA.  For example, does it handle
> distribution; bar coding, scanning and things like that?  What are its
> exact functions and capabilities?

What's distribution? Is that circulation - issues and returns - if so yes, this 
runs a medium sized public library right now - so issues and returns, various 
branches etc.

Yes does barcode scanning - am surprised by how often this comes up - we 
couldn't imagine that a system wouldn't do it - so don't think to make a big 
deal of it - is like "does it take a keyboard" :-)

we are working to revise the original RFP/spec documents and database 
structure diagrams - as what we planned and what turned out are somewhat 
different.

However it has what we consider to be the "normal" functionality of a public 
library system - ie a system to run a public library :-)

Specifically: catalogue, members (patrons to the USA peoples), circulation, 
acquisitions, opac - is light in the areas of built in reports - we've been using 
a 3rd party report writer which is clunky  - although fine if you know how to 
write SQL queries.

More specifically than that - it doesn't curently import MARC records as 
such - primarily we haven't needed too, but there is a project to do that 
underway that we're hoping to tap into.

It doesn't currently do Z3950 - again not something the people who 
commissioned the system needed right now - so hasn't been written.

It DOES do reserves, fines, overdues, and knows about branches,  and 
definitly if you had 2 schools running it you could merge the catalogues. AS 
it is now they could be two branches of one library - but we also want to be 
able to have a sort of meta library layer that lets them be 2 seperate libraries, 
but have joint catalogue.  

>    Any whacks with a clue-bat, pointers, descriptions of capabilities, and
> other info for a KOHA newbie would be greatly appreciated 

We went public with it about 6 weeks ago and have been blown away by the 
response - so are madly trying to get the documentation etc more accurate 
so we can make it available

cheers
Rachel
_____________________________________________________________

Rachel Hamilton-Williams             Katipo Communications            
WEBMISTRESS                          ph  025 300 825 or +64 04 389 1285 
mailto:rachel at katipo.co.nz           PO Box 7039, Wellington
http://www.katipo.co.nz              New Zealand