Koha 3 Library Management System

Koha 3 Library Management System

by Savitra Sirohi, Amit Gupta
Released November 2010
Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
ISBN: 9781849510820

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Book description

Install, configure, and maintain your Koha installation with this easy-to-follow guide

  • A self-sufficient guide to installing and configuring Koha
  • Take control of your libraries with Koha library management system
  • Get a clear understanding of software maintenance, customization, and other advanced topics such as LDAP and Internationalization
  • Written in a style that applies to all Linux flavors and Koha versions

In Detail

Koha is the first full-featured open source library management system that is widely used for efficiently managing libraries. However, setting up and maintaining Koha is no walk in the park. It is not as straightforward as setting up the other popular LAMP applications.

This practical guide provides all the essential information that is needed to make the task of installing and configuring Koha really seem simple and easy. It demonstrates how to set up Koha and its various aspects – installation, configuration, application administration, and data migration. It also covers troubleshooting, software maintenance, software customization, and other advanced topics.

The book starts with installing and configuring the LAMP stack and the Koha application to meet your needs. It then goes deeper into setting up various rules and configuring settings for Koha. It also covers data migration of catalog records, software maintenance, and customization of the application. Chapters are also dedicated to providing an insight into advanced topics such as LDAP integration and Internationalization. Filled with numerous code samples and screenshots, this book will tour you through setting up Koha for evaluation or test purposes. It also includes loads of tips for troubleshooting and maintenance activities.

By the end of this book, you will have gained the knowledge to get the most out of your Koha installation.

A system administrator's manual demonstrating various installation and maintenance tasks for Koha using the Linux shell

Table of contents

  1. Koha 3 Library Management System
    1. Table of Contents
    2. Koha 3 Library Management System
    3. Credits
    4. About the Authors
    5. About the Reviewers
    6. Preface
      1. What this book covers
      2. What you need for this book
      3. Who this book is for
      4. Conventions
      5. Reader feedback
      6. Customer support
        1. Errata
        2. Piracy
        3. Questions
    7. 1. Installing the Software Stack
      1. An orientation to Koha's installation
        1. Koha's architecture
        2. What do we need to install?
        3. Installation tools
          1. Package manager
          2. Make utility
          3. CPAN shell
          4. Git
        4. Choosing between Linux Perl packages and CPAN modules
        5. Choosing a Linux distribution
        6. Getting help—Koha's community resources
      2. Preparing for installation
        1. Server prerequisites
        2. Downloading Koha and switching to a branch
          1. Cloning Koha
          2. Checking out a branch
        3. Preparing a list of installation packages
          1. System packages
          2. Perl modules
          3. Debian/Ubuntu package lists
        4. Setting up repositories or sources
          1. Configuring the CPAN shell
      3. Installing Koha's software stack
        1. Installing packages using the package manager
          1. Installing packages from the Linux prompt
          2. Installing packages using shell scripts
          3. Installing packages using dselect
        2. Installing Perl modules using CPAN
        3. Troubleshooting CPAN installations
        4. Setting up Koha's MySQL database
        5. Configuring Koha's installation: Makefile.PL
        6. Completing Koha's installation
      4. Summary
    8. 2. Configuring the Apache2 Web Server
      1. Understanding Apache2 configuration
        1. About Apache2
        2. Apache2 virtual hosts
        3. Name-based or IP-based virtual hosts
        4. Apache2's configuration folder
        5. Koha's default Apache2 file
        6. Koha's virtual hosts
        7. Virtual host configuration
      2. Preparing for Apache2 configuration
        1. Configuration plan
          1. Two host names
          2. Hostname with two ports
          3. IP address with two ports
          4. Two IP addresses
          5. Standalone machine
        2. Configuration prerequisites
      3. Configuring Apache2 web server
        1. Creating a symbolic link to koha-httpd.conf
        2. Enabling Apache2's Rewrite module
        3. Configuring the listener
        4. Editing the OPAC virtual host
        5. Editing the staff client virtual host
        6. Enabling Koha's virtual hosts
        7. Restarting Apache2
      4. Troubleshooting configuration problems
        1. Rewrite module not enabled
        2. Incorrect or missing Directory directive
        3. Unable to connect to MySQL
        4. Listener not setup
      5. Summary
    9. 3. Installing Koha's Zebra Search Engine
      1. About Zebra
      2. Koha's Zebra related components
        1. Zebrasrv—the Zebra query and retrieval server
        2. Rebuild_zebra.pl—the Zebra index maintenance program
      3. Installing Zebra
        1. Installing Zebra packages
        2. Installing Koha with Zebra
      4. Testing Zebra
        1. Testing zebrasrv
          1. The zebrasrv command
          2. Invoking zebrasrv with Koha's configuration file
        2. zebrasrv daemon
          1. Zebrasrv daemon on Debian or Ubuntu
          2. zebrasrv daemon on openSuSE
        3. Rebuilding Zebra
          1. Creating or recreating indexes
      5. Using Koha without Zebra
      6. Summary
    10. 4. Koha's Web Installer, Crontab, and Other Server Configurations
      1. Executing Koha's web installer
        1. Understanding the web installer's functions
        2. Understanding how to execute the web installer
        3. Understanding optional data available for import
          1. Settings for MARC frameworks
          2. Other data
        4. Executing the web installer
        5. Launching Koha
      2. Configuring the crontab
        1. Editing the crontab
        2. Setting up environment variables
        3. Generating advance notices
        4. Generating overdue notices
        5. Sending e-mail messages
        6. Calculating fines
        7. Rebuilding Zebra indexes
        8. More crontab examples
      3. Ensuring Koha starts automatically on server reboot
        1. Auto-starting Apache2
        2. Auto-starting MySQL
        3. Auto-starting Zebra server
      4. Configuring the correct SAX parser
      5. Setting up environment variables for the Linux shell
        1. Setting up KOHA_CONF environment variable
        2. Setting up PERL5LIB environment variable
        3. Setting up persistent environment variables
      6. Summary
    11. 5. Configuring the Cataloging Module
      1. A first look at Koha's cataloging configuration tools
        1. MARC frameworks
        2. Authority Control
        3. Authorized values
      2. Preparing a configuration plan
        1. Identifying Authority Control rules
        2. Identifying frequently cataloged types of material
        3. Identifying MARC field sets for each type of material
        4. Identifying mandatory fields
        5. Identifying Authority Control rules
        6. Identifying fields to control using authorized values
      3. Implementing our configuration plan
        1. Configuring authorities system preferences
        2. Configuring Authority Types
        3. Configuring authorized values categories
        4. Editing authorized values
        5. Special authorized values
          1. Library
          2. Item Type
      4. Configuring MARC frameworks
        1. Editing MARC framework list
        2. Creating a new framework
        3. Editing fields and subfields
          1. Editing labels of fields or subfields
          2. Making a field or subfield mandatory
          3. Advanced constraints
          4. Hidden fields and subfields
          5. Bringing fields or subfields under Authorized Value or Authority Control
      5. Summary
    12. 6. Configuring the Circulation Module
      1. Patron categories
        1. Identifying patron categories
        2. Creating patron categories
      2. Item types
        1. Identifying Item types
        2. Creating Item types
      3. Circulation and fine rules
        1. Identifying circulation and fine rules
        2. Creating circulation and fine rules
      4. Configuring the calendar and calculation of due date and fines
        1. Calendar and fine calculation
        2. Calculation of due dates in Koha
        3. Preparing to configure the calendar and fines and due date calculations
        4. Editing the calendar
        5. Editing system preferences
      5. Due and overdue notices
        1. Preparing to configure due and overdue notices
        2. Editing notices
        3. Editing notice triggers
      6. Configuring holds
        1. Preparing to configure holds
        2. Editing holds preferences
      7. Summary
    13. 7. Configuring Other System Preferences
      1. Understanding Koha's system preferences
        1. Koha's global system preferences module
        2. Using system preferences
        3. Online documentation
      2. Configuring transactional modules
        1. Configuring patrons preferences
        2. Configuring acquisitions preferences
        3. Configuring serials preferences
      3. Configuring OPAC preferences
        1. Configuring static content
        2. Configuring tools for patrons
        3. Configuring patron access control
        4. Configuring enhanced content
      4. Configuring styling and appearance
        1. Configuring OPAC styling and appearance
        2. Configuring staff client styling and appearance
      5. Configuring general preferences
        1. Configuring messaging preferences
        2. Configuring security preferences
        3. Configuring search preferences
      6. Summary
    14. 8. Test Driving Your Koha Installation
      1. Patrons—create, search, and view patron record
        1. Creating a new patron
        2. Searching for a patron
      2. Cataloging—create, search, and view bibliographic and item record
        1. Creating a bibliographic record
        2. Creating an item record
        3. Searching for the record
      3. Circulation—check-out, check-in, and view circulation history
        1. Checking out
        2. Checking in
        3. Viewing circulation history
      4. Acquisitions—create an order, receive shipment, and view budget utilization
        1. Creating budgets
        2. Creating a vendor
        3. Creating orders
        4. Receiving shipments
        5. Viewing budget utilization
      5. Serials—creating a subscription and receiving the first issue
        1. Creating a subscription
        2. Searching for the subscription
        3. Receiving an issue
      6. Reports—creating a guided report and executing it
        1. Building a report
        2. Using a saved report
      7. OPAC—running a catalog search
      8. Summary
    15. 9. Migrating Catalog Data
      1. An orientation to migrating catalog data
        1. Understanding MARC files
        2. Koha Holdings in tag 952
        3. Holdings in legacy systems
        4. Import tools
          1. MARCEdit
          2. bulkmarckimport.pl
          3. Koha's GUI import tool
        5. Choosing an import tool
        6. Migration process
      2. Preparing to migrate catalog data
        1. Mapping Koha's holdings subfields to subfields in source MARC file
        2. Planning setup of administrative fields in Koha
      3. Migrating catalog data
        1. Setting up values in Koha's administrative fields
          1. Setting up branch codes
          2. Setting up Item types
          3. Setting up collection codes
          4. Setting up shelving locations
        2. Editing the source MARC file using MARCEdit
          1. Swapping subfields
          2. Adding a new subfield
          3. Merging subfields
        3. Importing the MARC file
        4. Using the bulkmarcimport.pl program
        5. Importing catalog records using the GUI tools
          1. Staging MARC records for import
          2. Managing records
          3. Undo Import
      4. Summary
    16. 10. Troubleshooting
      1. Where to get help—community resources
        1. Koha's mailing lists
        2. Koha's IRC chat
        3. Koha's bug tracker
        4. Koha's Git repository
      2. Common problems
        1. Apache2 web server is down
        2. MySQL database server is down
        3. Zebra search not returning any results
        4. Zebra index rebuild not working
        5. Parser problems
        6. Overdues e-mail not working
          1. Reviewing notice triggers
          2. Troubleshooting e-mail problems
          3. Troubleshooting problems with generation of notices
        7. Fines not working
        8. Software bugs
        9. Command line programs—environment variables not exported
      3. Problems with Internet Explorer
      4. Summary
    17. 11. Updating Software
      1. Orientation to updating software
        1. Understanding Koha's software versions
          1. Branches
          2. Heads
          3. Tags
        2. Choosing a version to update to
        3. Understanding components of software updates
        4. An overview of the installation process
      2. Updating the software
        1. Downloading updates using git pull command
        2. Switching to a new software version
        3. Installing the new software version
          1. Running the Makefile.PL program
          2. Installing Perl modules
          3. Completing Koha installation
        4. Configuring Apache2
        5. Upgrading the database
      3. Zebra—rebuilding indexes and restarting the server
        1. Rebuilding Zebra indexes
        2. Restarting zebrasrv
      4. Summary
    18. 12. Customizing Koha Software
      1. An orientation to customizing Koha software
        1. Skills needed
        2. Understanding Koha's application folder
          1. Top level folders
          2. Template files
          3. Relationships between different types of files
        3. Understanding Koha's database
          1. Browsing Koha's database
          2. An overview of important Koha tables
          3. Cataloguing
          4. Circulation
          5. Patrons
          6. Administration
          7. Serials
          8. Acquisitions
          9. Koha's database structure
        4. Using Git to manage software changes
        5. Understanding the software customization process
      2. Customizing Koha software—an example
        1. Creating a development branch
        2. Making CSS changes
        3. Creating a new JavaScript file
        4. Loading the Transliteration JavaScript file
        5. Creating a system preference
        6. Adding the transliteration tool to the display template
        7. Editing the Perl scripts to enable the system preference
      3. Committing changes
      4. Create a patch using Git
      5. Sending the patch to Koha's release manager
      6. Summary
    19. 13. Advanced Topics
      1. Creating and using matching rules for use during catalog imports
      2. Understanding matching rules
      3. Determining search indexes
      4. More information and examples
      5. Using LDAP with Koha
        1. Configuring LDAP
        2. Microsoft Active Directory
        3. Setting permissions
      6. Multiple OPAC interfaces
      7. Installing new languages
        1. Install Locale::PO module
        2. Creating language templates for the OPAC
        3. Creating language templates for the staff client
        4. System preferences
        5. Testing the new language
      8. Setting up a public Z39.50 server
        1. Configuring the listen directive
        2. Configuring the server directive
        3. Configuring the serverinfo directive
        4. Restarting the Zebra server
      9. Summary
    20. Index

Product information

  • Title: Koha 3 Library Management System
  • Author(s): Savitra Sirohi, Amit Gupta
  • Release date: November 2010
  • Publisher(s): Packt Publishing
  • ISBN: 9781849510820