A presentation to the KohaCon 10 hackfest. Includes ideas for numerous new features, and improvement to existing features, for the Koha Integrated Library System.

1. Possibilities for Koha 4.0
Ian Walls
ByWater Solutions
for KohaCon ‘10 hackfest, 10-29-10

2. Disclaimer
• These are just my ideas
• They are meant to spark discussion
• They may be naïve, ideological,
impractical or ridiculous
• But I’m going to share them anyway

3. Overview
• Module rebuilds: holds, notices, accounts,
borrowers
• Cross-wiring modules: borrowers/authorities,
borrowers/acq, serials/acq, serials/cataloging
• New features: hourly circ/course reserves,
ERM, biblio relationships, arbitrary metadata
schemas, widgetized staff client, enhanced
circ prefs, mobile interfaces
• Little stuff: ILL, Recalls, more barcode
options, OCLC Connexion

4. Rebuilding Holds
• Primary Key!!!!!
• Multiple holds per title
• Suspension, Netflix-style queue
• “Cost” matrix for branch fulfillment
• Bi-directional linked list v. numeric
queue

5. Rebuilding Notices
• Bring all printed slips under notices
templates
• Priority order for notification method
• On-demand messages
• Librarian can decide which types are
mandatory, and which are user
configurable
• Better SMS/IM support

6. Rebuilding Accounts
• Two tables: accounts and accountlines
• Atomic transactions
• Syspref for grouping transactions by
item or by type
• Pay partially on multiple charges
• Multi-currency (real time exchange
rates)

7. Rebuilding Borrowers
• Keep only core library data in borrowers
table
• Rest of data user configurable like
Extended Attributes
• Hierarchical borrower types
• Borrower Preferences
• Roles to bundle default preferences and
permissions

8. Crossing Borrowers/Authorities
• Optional connection of borrower to their
authority record
• Optionally allow borrower to update
their own authority record

9. Crossing Borrowers/Acq
• Vendors and Vendor Contacts into
borrowers
• Merge accounts and Acq as single
money system
• Allow borrowers to follow suggestions
through Acq process (auto-hold)

10. Crossing Serials/Acq
• Manage subscriptions/renewals in Acq
module
• EDI / ONIX support

11. Crossing Serials/Cataloging
• MARC Format for Holdings Data
support (UNIMARC equiv?)
– Import
– Export
– Search
– Bindery

12. Hourly Circ/Course Reserves
• Base period of minute
• Connect to calendar, notices
• Course Reserves: a list materials pulled
out (temporarily) for special purpose
• Electronic reserves

13. Electronic Resources Module
• New concept: “package” (from ERMI)
• Import holdings from data source
• Built-in Open Link Resolver
• SUSHI statistics
• Handle usage limitations and access
restrictions

14. Biblio Relationships
• Beyond Analytics
• User-configurable relationships
between biblios
• Options Item “pass-through”
• Optional MARC representation
• Could cover FRBR, similar items, and
more

15. Arbitrary Metadata Schemas
• XML-based
• Managed by config file (XML Schema?)
• Mapped to database and index fields by
user
• User defines views (XSLT?)
• Initial schemas to config: DC, MODS,
METS, EAD…

16. Widgetized Staff Client
• For each module’s “home” page, define
blocks of screen real estate
• Have a directory of widgets (easy to
add more)
• Allow staff to drag/drop widgets per
module onto page
• Saved as part of their Preferences

17. Enhanced Circ Prefs
• Like circ rules, but for more things
• Use key/value table; combo of
branch,itype,categorycode gives value
• Default values specified like sysprefs
• Tool to show applicable rules for combo
of inputs

18. Mobile Interfaces
• Both OPAC and staff client
• Optimize for various smart devices
• Connect to camera (if possible)
• Use location/compass to point to
location on stacks

19. Little ideas
• Recalls: all current issues with holds on
them + button to send message
• ILL: like suggestions to user, but
managed in different backend
• More barcode encodings (including QR)
• Multiple LDAPs/Shibboleth support
• Cron scheduling interface in staff client
• OCLC Connexion Gateway

20. I could ramble on…
• But I’m probably out of time
• Discuss! Let’s come up with some
open specifications to work towards

21. Thanks!
Ian Walls
ByWater Solutions
Ian.Walls@bywatersolutions.com
@sekjal