KohaCon09 and Koha 3.2 and Beyond

Koha 3.2 – What’s in it? – Galen and Paul

  • New acquisitions module
  • Holdings support
  • Circ improvements – configure policy to nth degree!  Woo hoo.
  • Improve stability
  • RFCs – Request for Comments – proposals, ideas, statement saying what we want in terms of functionality
    • programmers, libraries, groups, etc.
    • “Wouldn’t it be nice if Koha had a module to dispatch the library policy to get rid of really obnoxious patrons”
    • Grand cattle call – Interested parties submit proposals, posted to wiki, evaluated and discussed, from chaos comes a list of goals for next release of Koha
    • Need to communicate what you are planning to do and then Do It.
      • We need to share our own list of RFCs on bugzilla or IRC or KUDOS or just on our site!
    • Not all RFCs are implemented – just proposals, not sponsored, tempis fugit
  • New Acquisitions module
    • developed by BibLibre for a customer, working to submit patches, review and testing prior to live
  • Holdings structure – WALDO/LibLime
    • Introduces ‘summary’ records to Koha – bib records and item records (OK for monographs, but bad for serials not so good) – bound volumes – add a layer in between bib and item
    • Support MARC format for holdings display – MFHD – from “holding” to “summary” > not MARC format not necessary, can pretend 842 doesn’t exist.  Optional.
    • How will koha serials subsystem work with auto checkin? Links to update summary statements – doesn’t tie into serials – have a summary record separate from the serial check in/prediction pattern
  • Proxy patrons, fines thresholds, callslips, recalls, hourly loans, email checkout slips – more WALDO circ enhancements
  • Circulate fines in days debarred, Alloy computing (www.alloycomputing.com – Stephen Edwards committer), place hold on multiple items (already up and running!)
  • No Fines – you are debarred a certain number of days, instead! (FRENCH IDEA WE SHOULD STEAL)
  • Hold policy and request improvements (NEKLS)
    • Architectural changes – less complex than imagined – biblio table and items table, adding summaries table that will be weakly linked to bib and items.  Indexing will be extended to include item and holds for zebra to index.
  • ReservsDirect integration with Koha (course reserves for academics)
  • OPAC Enhancements – the ‘pretty stuff’
    • Support enhanced content providers :: Syndetics, LibraryThing, Babeltheque and Tag multiple items
  • Cataloging
    • biblios.net integration – service and embed biblios editor into Koha
    • improve browse indexes – browsing name, title and subject headings.  Current not a ‘complete headings’ browse
    • ISBN 13 normalization – for searching, indexing and matching – index 10 and 13 digit numbers
    • Item bulk status change (GOOD!!!) – BibLibre and LibLime both working on this
    • Brief records, record maintenance and deleted records – WALDO :: attach workflow statuses to bib records (ILL and on the fly cataloging)
  • Serials
    • improved display and prediction pattern management
    • more control over display of recently checked in issues – WALDO
  • Administration
    • Jesse rocks – he fixed the sys pref editor (he’s young and brilliant and in a few years when he can drink, I’ll buy him one)
  • Reporting – improvements to guided reports – add placeholders and template variables (edit statements???)
    • Integer parameter – specify how many days you want to run
    • Save time of library staff, too.  “Makes for happier librarians”
    • We need to get the CKLS report specs in the works! (hope, pray, push at KEGGER)
  • Misc
    • Granular permissions (more) – ex. Tools
    • IE compatibility (WALDO)
    • Overdue report improvement (PISD)
    • OAI-PMH server improvement (Tamil) – metadata farming improvements, protocols, etc.
    • URL checker cron job (Tamil – France)
  • Time Line – not finalized – 3.1 release for testing in early summer :: 3.2 most likely to be late summer or early autumn (future rolls, not freezes > ?)
  • Version numbering system – odd numbers = bleeding edge (3.1), more complete = even (3.2)

Koha Unconference for the Developers – Holiday Inn Board Room this weekend at 8 am

Where are Sys Groups? – Proposed as mechanism to cleanly seperate branches, working with a customer to implement more functionality, but doing more.  Part of it will be in 3.2, some will be available by late summer per commitment to that customer – will it go to 3.3?  Governed by the calendar.

Beyond 3.2

See twitter Search for Kohacon09

People –

  • RM, QA, Docs – ability to take on the task, endorsement, IRC election – “Usually only one person is crazy enough to volunteer” – Chris
  • Being a Manager, requires neutrality – reject patches, etc. if they break things – observe neutrality in respects to the source (commercial v. independent)
  • Koha developed by its users from the creation in NZ in 1999!  Exploded in India, China, North America, Europe and South America – will this lead to more formalized management??  Users Groups (France & US) – lots of interests to balance.

Specs and RFCs –

  • What bugs squashed? What enhancements made? OUR QUESTION – If we’ve contracted with LibLime to write code and there is independent development happening at the same time, do we pay for that or get a refund??
  • In-between projects
  • Galen recommends that KUDOS NOT work on the proprietary vendor model of user groups.  I would say, know that with Koha we can get an independent contractor/programmer to give us what we want!  Whoever contributes the code, has the most say!  Ask for something or find someone to Do it!  Band together to sponsor.
  • Avoid a split between the developers and the users/librarians.  Nag with money…and impress with contributions (and American Peanut butter not found in New Zealand grocery stores.)

Koha Project Time Line –

  • RFCs – schedule developed by RM
  • Wheeling/dealing – input of users groups, vendor clients, developers, funding arrangements
  • RM elected – roles filled
  • Other roles
  • Proposed timeline: interim :: alpha :; beta :: translations :: production :: still more translations
  • Story of a new Feature: Specifications/requirements :: testing :: Contributed to project :: warm fuzzies
  • Head v. Maintenance version – 3.0 will be maintained for about a year after 3.2 is released and many libraries will continue to use ‘old’ versions.  Then a ‘tapering down’ process.

What’s next? 3.4 / 4.0?

  • More features? New architectural revisions? major new features? Still up in the air and debated during developers session over the weekend
  • Users are always dissatisfied (as are good programmers).  New workflows, new features, new interfaces…
  • fashion and impetus
  • RDA (maybe yes, maybe no) (RDA is?? Please fill in for me) ::Linked data :: dismodulation :: OLE :: Web Services
  • Swiss army chain saw (aka PERL) – aquabrowser, viewfind > have libraries put together systems that talk amongst self.
  • Needs:
    • Electronic Resource Management (for academics)
    • Consortia – Koha supports, but many models to accommodate – databases talking together and single database with various types of libraries
    • Resource sharing – trend and economic reality
    • 4.0 – architeture :; mod_perl :: memcached :: moose (up and coming PERL thing)
    • Interfaces:  SIP2, RFID, EDI for Acquisitions, Jangle project interaction (glue together different ILS for resource sharing – ILS talks to Jangle, Jangle translates and talks back to different ILS – research project at this time)

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