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Koha: The ‘gift’ that keeps on giving
The word ‘koha’ comes from the Maori, meaning a gift or donation. But within the meaning of the word is also an
unspoken understanding of responsibility – that this gift is meant to be savored, enhanced, shared with others –
in effect, ‘returned’ many times over.
The Horowhenua Library Trust conducted a long search for a system to replace their old, worn, outdated program. Rosalie Blake,
Head of Libraries, said “as we read through the pile of proposals… we got more and more depressed.”
The new systems were expensive to purchase, and showed high running costs; support and telecommunications charges were huge.
They sought advice from a local company called Katipo Communications, with whom they had worked for many years. Katipo offered
a proposal to create a new open source system, and with much discussion and some trepidation, HLT agreed to commit to the
project. (Blake, 2003)
One of the main benefits of creating an open source product is that the work is shared, and everyone who adds or makes improvements
to the software can pass it on. The users support each other. The more who work on it, the better it becomes. After months
of writing, testing, evaluating and rewriting, the first version of Koha was released to the internet community under a General
Public License (see www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt). Over 1000 people downloaded the software to check it out, and ‘have
a play’. “There are quite a lot of people out there criticizing, making suggestions, asking for enhancements…
and also volunteering to help. Our development community now includes contributors on four continents, and Koha is available
in several languages. (Blake, 2003)
The original requirements for the Koha program were fairly basic – that it run at a reasonable speed, be easy for staff
and patrons to use, have a graphic interface, require little upgrading of hardware, and provide decent financial reporting
in addition to standard library applications like circulation and holdings maintenance. Sticking to free and fast, they built
Koha using Linux, MySQL database, and Perl programming.
The original framework of the Koha software has been enhanced, and now includes modules for the Z39.50 and MARC standards.
The 2.0 version has been tested and released as a stable product, downloadable from www.koha.org. (There is no Windows-compatible
version available at this time.)
Open source aficionados may want to keep abreast of other systems, like OpenBook (based on Koha) which is being developed
by Learning Access Institute (www.learningaccess.org/) and a program called Avanti that is scheduled to be released in a Beta
version sometime in the next few weeks (http://home.earthlink.net/~schlumpf/avanti/).
“Open Source”, for all its benefits, does not equate with “totally free”. While the software itself
is generally available for free, there are other costs to be considered. “It is best to think of it as ‘free to
change’ rather than ‘free of cost’. It is possible to set up a functioning system without spending any money,
but you will spend more time on the implementation…” (Hedges, 2003).
One of the biggest challenges in the implementation of a program like Koha is the lack of documentation and support. (Sargent,
2003) A library planning to invest in Koha will either need staff with a solid background in IT systems, or a budget that
includes a hefty chunk of funds for installation, training and tech support. Still, according to Cindy Murdock, Network Administrator
for the Meadville (PA) Public Library, “overall, it can save a library money on software costs, licensing fees, and
hardware.” (Murdock, 2003) Even with the cost of professional installation and training, most users begin saving over
the cost of commercial software within two years.
So, what are the benefits of an Open Source system like Koha?
• The user has the source code, hence the freedom to modify the program, changing, adding or deleting features to suit
their own needs – and can contribute or request additional features.
• There are no purchase or user licenses or fees
• Often less demanding of system resources, avoiding the expense of or need to upgrade equipment constantly.
• Stability and security of the systems used
• Support and communication among all members of the open source community
• Because of its on-going, communal ‘cooperative’ nature, open source software is “future-proofed”
against a business failure, and consequent lack of support or development
Of course, there are also disadvantages to consider:
• Documentation, manuals often lag behind developments
• May need outside tech support for installation, training, set up
• Irregular pace of new development
• Not always compatible with commercial systems
Commercial vendors do a better job of providing documentation, manuals and training, making the process less stressful and
scary by walking a client through the entire process. The software is well-known and tested; though it more expensive and
less flexible, it ‘feels’ like a smoother, safer transition. For many libraries, the commercial software vendor
is a good option.
Overall, I would recommend the Koha program for libraries that either have a capable and committed Systems Librarian, or similarly
skilled staff, or that have a budget for professional installation and training. The program itself, in the demo versions
I tried, is attractive and easy to use, but the detailed installation instructions require a higher level of technical expertise.
If the library director, staff or trustees are apprehensive about taking on such a responsibility, Koha may not be the best
choice.
If you are interested in a detailed description of the program and its features, plus links to more resources, a complete
evaluation of Koha follows the brief bibliography below.
Bibliography
Blake, Rosalie and Rachel Hamilton-Williams. New Zealand Leads the Way: the Horowhenua Open Source Story WebJunction, October
17 2003; accessed 9/14, 11/14.
http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=1171
Breeding, Marshall. An Update on Open Source ILS Information Today October 2002, Vol. 19: 42-43.
Hedges, Stephen. Nelsonville Public Library: Questions and Answers about Open Source WebJunction, October 20, 2003; accessed
9/24, 11/14. http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=1172
Morgan, Eric Lease. Open Source Application Primer WebJunction Oct 15, 2003
accessed 9/24, 11/14 http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=1170
Murdock, Cindy. Open Source Software in the Meadville Public Library WebJunction, October 20, 2203; accessed 9/21, 11/14.
http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=1174
Edward Sargent. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Mar 24, 2003.
http://www.webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=734
Koha
The main page for Koha software, www.koha.org, is the best place to start research. The site has information about the background
and development of Koha, as well as current happenings. There are also links to library websites where you can experience
the Koha program from a user’s perspective in real time. The site also offers ‘Test Drive’ demos of both
the Member’s Access and Librarian’s Access modules. Because I was warned not to download the program to a Windows
operating system, I had to settle – for now, anyway – on website sources.
Koha 2.0 version currently offers the following features:
• Free/open source software
• Customizable Web-based OPAC and circulation system
• Full MARC21 and UNIMARC support
• Z39.50 server
• Online reserves
• Borrower history (optional)
• Customizable Search
• Full acquisitions, or
• Simple acquisitions (for smaller libraries)
The NPL online public access catalog was quite fast to load, and easy to navigate. The search function was on a par with most
– easy to use, with the usual search parameters, like Title, Author, Keyword, Subject. I could narrow the search by
material type and location as well. I felt the Horowhenua Library and the Koha home ‘Test’ pages were more aesthetically
pleasing than the Nelson Public Library website, but all of the sites were functional.
The Librarian’s Access module gave me much more freedom to explore, and a vastly more detailed sense of how the system
works. The tabs were clearly marked, and sensibly organized. Under each heading were a number of features which allow the
user to set up a variety of tables, input holdings data, and so on – in short, to create the underpinnings that make
the system simple for the end users.
The catalog search function allowed searching by MARC field info, and Boolean query language. I could search by subject added
entry, title, author etc, using various delimiters. The member search function allowed user to view, add, modify and delete
member records.
The Acquisitions module was quite extensive; it included tables for exchange rates (for international use), vendor records,
bibliographic records and more. In this module, I could choose a vendor from the database, order materials, specify the account
to which the invoice should be charged, create a bib record for items ordered, and generate reports for financial records.
Some of the functions, such as having to ‘re-order’ and later ‘delete’ an item to correct or modify
the bib record were rather clunky, and the checkout process seemed a bit lengthier than usual, but perhaps that is in part
due to unfamiliarity, and an incomplete ‘Test’ database.
Under the Parameters tab, I was able to set preferences and parameters for material types (description, loan length, renewable,
applicable fees, etc), MARC information, and authority values. The MARC check feature is STRONGLY recommended – it checks
structure to catch errors that can crash the system.
This tab also allows the user to enter branch information, borrower types and preferences (some of the fields in this function
did not display correctly), and printers and other system components are set up here.
For the most part, Koha is user-friendly, and has many positive features. I would much prefer to have the opportunity to see
the product in action, in real time, before making a firm commitment to the system, but I liked what I could see of it.
Besides the actual installation and set up, which will take some time and expertise, the groundwork of setting up the databases,
system preferences, tables, etc., and the inputting of data will be time and labor intensive tasks as well. From past experience
in setting up new software programs, I can guarantee there will be a period of confusion, with bugs to work out, and trial
and error activity. Even with generous training, it takes time to really become comfortable with a system, and to learn how
to get the most out of all its features. But open source software has superb potential, and developers are responsive to user’s
requirements, issues and suggestions. With more attention to documentation, open source programmers could easily improve the
viability of products. I believe open source software has a valuable place in the library and information science field and,
far from becoming obsolete, will just get better with age.
Resources of interest:
http://www.koha.org/
http://www.oss4lib.org/
http://sourceforge.net/
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.txt
http://www.webjunction.org/
http://www.advogato.org/article/262.html
http://www.tigris.org/servlets/ProjectList
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