[Koha] Self Checkout

[Roger Horne]

On Wed 15 Aug, Andrew Yager wrote:
> 
> Hi,
> 
> A couple of weeks ago there was some discussion about a self checkout  
> module that went something along the lines of "there was one, but it  
> doesn't work, there's a workaround but anyone can borrow to anyone...  
> etc..."
> 
> Has anyone written their own or updated the old module to work with  
> the 2.2.x codebase since then, or prior to then but missed the email?
> 
> If you have one and are willing to share please let me know. Failing  
> that, I think I'll be engineering one in the coming weeks,
                               

It would be wonderful if you or someone else did. As I understand it, koha
is intended for use in libraries of all sizes. Large public lending
libraries naturally have two main concerns: theft of books, and extracting
fines from borrowers who return books late.

Reference libraries don't have the second of these concerns: since books are
not lent. There is a third type of library which is perhaps half way beween
the two: the private professional library.

I am a lawyer. There are about 50 of us here and we have quite a few
thousand books: I haven't a clue how many, since there is no printed list.
The books owned by us communally are on bookshelves in corridors, open rooms
and so on. Most of us also own our own books which we may or may
permit others to borrow. We may have many copies of some books.

Anyone here can remove books them without physical restriction.
However, no-one will steal them. The reasons for wanting to install ILS
software are to find where books are in the two buildings we occupy, and if
they are not on the shelf, to find out who has got them.

So what we need is the ability for people to be able to check out books and
to check them in themselves from their desks. ie they will find out where the book
is, go to the relevant shelf and get it, return to their desk and check it
out. (Barcodes are also irrelevant unless each of us is to acquire a barcode
reader.) 
     
I am sure that there are may thousands of similar libraries. The lis-law
mailing list has a large number of subscribers: some are from the huge law
libraries but many more run libraries in small firms. And there are many
firms who do not have a librarian at all who are not on the list.

Roger
-- 
Roger Horne
roger at hrothgar.co.uk
http://www.hrothgar.co.uk/YAWS/