Open Source in Libraries: Trends and Issues at Libconf.com - 0 views
-
Koha is entirely web-based, which creates patron privacy issues, so LibLime restricted Koha access to in-library IP addresses. Koha maintains and displays patron borrowing history records. It was difficult to hide the history while preserving the ability of patrons to view their own borrowing histories. Koha is oriented to electronic communication and has no capability of printing notices to patrons. However the library serves many elderly users who have no ability to manage text messages or e-mail. So the staff must cut and paste notices from a text attachment and physically mail them to those users. Koha’s bibliographic search is completely keyword oriented, making it difficult to find items. The solution was to allow stop words and train patrons to use them. Koha was developed by volunteers and has some quirks in the software. Reports are generated using SQL. Someone on the staff must know how to use it.
-
"Koha is entirely web-based, which creates patron privacy issues, so LibLime restricted Koha access to in-library IP addresses. Koha maintains and displays patron borrowing history records. It was difficult to hide the history while preserving the ability of patrons to view their own borrowing histories. Koha is oriented to electronic communication and has no capability of printing notices to patrons. However the library serves many elderly users who have no ability to manage text messages or e-mail. So the staff must cut and paste notices from a text attachment and physically mail them to those users. Koha's bibliographic search is completely keyword oriented, making it difficult to find items. The solution was to allow stop words and train patrons to use them. Koha was developed by volunteers and has some quirks in the software. Reports are generated using SQL. Someone on the staff must know how to use it."
