What is Koha 2.2?

Koha version 2.2 is a free/libre open source integrated library system (ILS) for automating a lending library. It has all of the basic features needed to run a library, handling:

and most other functions associated with operating a lending library.

Koha.2.2 supports MARC 21 and UNIMARC bibliographic records. While there are still a few ILS products that use their own format for storing bibliographic data, most commercial products have adopted some version of the venerable MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging) record standard. MARC is an early markup language for handling the data and metadata that describe library materials. While there are some who argue that MARC is now outdated -- four decades after it was first developed -- it is by far the most widely used standard for the organization of bibliographic information, and Koha complies with this standard.

Why use Koha instead of a commercial product? The main attraction of Koha is that it is free, since it is open source software. It is best to think of it as "free to change," however, rather than "free of cost." It is possible to set up a functioning Koha system without spending any money, but you will still spend more time on the implementation than you would with a commercial ILS (where you are paying the software vendor to set it up for you), and you will need to have a pretty fair knowledge of web server software (usually Apache) and the Perl programming language in order to configure some parts of Koha. Some knowledge of MySQL is also handy for database maintenance chores. Most libraries should probably plan on investing time, training, and some money before they have Koha up and running. That being said, Koha is still much less expensive than commercial library software, especially when you consider that there are no annual license fees.

The best reason to use Koha is the fact that you will have complete control over your library software and data. Because the entire source code is open, a library can modify Koha to do things as the library wants them done. Commercial systems must aim their research and development for the "middle of the market," where most of their business can be found. But a library that wants to surpass the capabilities of most other libraries will find that Koha provides the freedom to try boldly imaginative innovations in library service.

This book is a guide for Koha users -- in other words, for librarians. It is not intended to satisfy the needs of the computer technicians who are tasked with installing Koha, nor is it intended to offer guidance for extracting data from any ILS currently used by a library and loading it into Koha. Those needs are generally addressed by one or more of the documents available on the Kohadocs website (http://www.kohadocs.org). This book assumes that the basic installation of the Koha software has been completed, and procedures have been developed for migrating any existing data, and the computer technicians have handed the system over to the librarians.

This book tells librarians what to do to configure Koha for use in their library, explains how to use Koha for day-to-day library operations, and provides a glimpse of some of the customization that can be done to make each library's Koha unique.