[Koha] Use koha as a reference database

[Steve Sowder]

We have been doing this for  almost a year with a slightly different method.

We have citation data in a Koha database as an add on to our main 
catalog (Innovative's Sierra).
Encore is our discovery platform. It uses Koha's OAI interface to 
harvest records in
the Koha database.   Encore includes the Koha data along the results 
from other sources.

Our Koha also includes sample records from sister libraries to test 
usability as a union catalog.
We are meeting this week to determine if we want to expand this aspect.

One difficulty is loading large datasets.  Koha wants to make all 
records new instead of overlaying any existing records.
We have to revert and try reloading one or more times before it 
recognizes the matched records and overlays them.
I have noted this problem twice before on this listserv but there was no 
response. Its a deal killer.


Steve Sowder                                       Systems Librarian
sowder at andrews.edu                    Andrews University


On 7/9/2015 4:24 PM, mobam wrote:
> Dear koha-community!
>
> This is an amazing project! Thank you all for it!
>
> We somehow want to divert Koha slightly from its intended use – and we asked
> ourselves two questions:
>
> 1. Has anyone ever did the same? (My forum search suggests: no)
> 2. Is it a good idea? Does it make sense? Or are there better alternatives?
>
> First of all, we’re no library and we won’t loan books or any other stuff.
> Basically, we 'just' plan to build a comprehensive database of all relevant
> bibliographic data in a certain field and continually update it with new
> data. This database will mainly contain books, book chapters and journal
> articles and some grey literature. For the last two types, we also want to
> provide pdf files – if they are open accessible and we have author’s
> permisson (if needed).
>
> Why did we choose Koha? The idea behind our decision was to have a multi
> featured user interface, where one is enabled to do professional searches
> within a huge list of literature and where the software also provides
> additional features. Specifically, we were looking for an OPAC, like the
> ones we knew from university libraries. The next rationale for Koha was the
> integrated search function for MARC records, in order to get quality
> bibliographic data very easily. And last but not least, the possibility to
> save or export tha gathered data in a format, that is likely to be used in
> the future, so that the work will not turn out to be for nothing at some
> point.
>
> Do you think, what we are planning to do, is a good idea?
>
> Thanks in advance for answers!
> mobam
>
>
>
> --
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