[Koha] anonymize circulation history

[Rachel Hollis]

Greetings colleagues, we recently created a test database for our other campus' library staff to trial. Unfortunately, the data that was loaded into the test database was the same messed up data. Fortunately, after making a backup, my geek was able to run both SQL solutions, one on each database. I could then view the results and pick the outcome that I liked best.

I wish I had thought to get screenshots to better show the differences with the two SQLs as applied to our situation. If we had not reissued so many items with anonymous checkout information (NULL values), the other shorter SQL would have been better. For our particular situation, Galen's SQL had better results.

We reissued about 150 items with anonymous checkout information (NULL values) and Galen's SQL linked reissued items to their current borrowers. The other SQL resulted in every item with a NULL to be issued to a fictitious borrower; this affected overdue items and well as items that had been returned or reissued.

Galen's SQL resulted in overdue items with NULL values showing as available in the catalog, those items are no longer on overdue lists and doing an inventory will be beneficial. Informal evidence indicates that there are a small number of items on "permanent loan" and while these overdue items appear as available, they can be updated or removed now. While some data is lost, it is a minor inconvenience compared to what we had.

An interesting discovery after running the SQL is that searches resulting in more than one record where there is a formerly NULL item, the item displays as checked out but the detail view shows the item as available.
Screen shots are at: http://home.earthlink.net/~rhollis/Koha/afterSQL.pdf

Rachel Hollis, librarian
Stevens-Henager College, Boise Idaho Campus


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