[Koha] Hi from a total Koha beginner

[Gianfranco Nicola/MFP]

Hi Robin,

Thank you for your answer. In fact, i am just going to extract as much data as possible from the legacy database (which is SQL Server) as a CSV file, then I will try convert it as a MARC file. In Italy, National Libraries use UNIMARC, so I configured my Koha instance that way.

My major difficulty at the moment is to understand how some informations that are stored into the old program's database can be transferred to Koha
For example: the old program associates each book with one or more topics (like "steam engines"; "steam locomotive boiler parts"; "signalling"; "traffic control", and so on); where are to be stored these topics in koha? I can't find any place, at the moment. 

But right now I am wondering if these informations _should_ ever be transferred, because - if I understand right - these topics relates to "classify" a book, whereas registering it in the catalog is just that: "cataloguing" it. And , if I am right, Koha catalogues pre-classified books, and doesn't allow to classify a a book from scratch. Is that right? If not, how to do that? 

Another question is, in the old database books and authors are linked by a many-to-many relation; so, when extracting records, this gives multiple rows in the CSV, each with a different author;  the same with publishers.  How can I handle this?

Thanks in advance,

Gianfranco


Da: "Koha" koha-bounces at lists.katipo.co.nz
A: koha at lists.katipo.co.nz
Cc: 
Data: Tue, 16 Jun 2015 10:50:45 +1200
Oggetto: Re: [Koha] Hi from a  total Koha beginner


> Gianfranco Nicola schreef op ma 15-06-2015 om 20:44 [+0200]:
> > But now I am trying 
> > to figure out how to import data from our legacy software, and how to 
> > teach our  library guy to use this new program, 
> 
> The first step is to get what data you can out of the old system. Only
> once you can see what you can migrate into Koha, is it possible to
> really start doing it. If you're really lucky you'll be able to export
> as MARC (UNIMARC or MARC21 typically. I'm not sure what Italy generally
> uses.) More likely you'll get something that looks somewhat like a CSV
> and you'll have to turn that into MARC.
> 
> > bearing in mind that neither him, nor me, are librarians.
> 
> You'll know a whole lot more by the end of the process :)
> 
> -- 
> Robin Sheat
> Catalyst IT Ltd.
> ✆ +64 4 803 2204
> GPG: 5FA7 4B49 1E4D CAA4 4C38  8505 77F5 B724 F871 3BDF