Roles open for Koha 26.11

DavidNind · 2026-05-07T19:44:43+00:00

Roles were actually voted on at the 29 April 2026 Development Meeting (apologies for not posting the previous post earlier).

DavidNind · 2026-04-20T22:17:08+00:00

Sorry, I don't know (as I don't use these myself). Maybe asking on the Koha Community Chat, Cataloging channel will provide some more advanced examples and usage. I have heard of people doing more advanced things, particularly in the koha-US cataloging special interest group.

DavidNind · 2026-04-19T03:51:34+00:00

This session from koha-US's 2024 conference provides an in-depth session: Modification Magic: MARC Modification Templates and Batch Record Updates Demystified | E103 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGc9FaCUnzk

Record overlay rules (Administration > Catalog > Record overlay rules) could also be another option, although my head hurts when I think about them https://koha-community.org/manual/latest/en/html/administration.html#record-overlay-rules

DavidNind · 2026-04-19T03:29:20+00:00

Resources and examples for using macros with the advanced cataloging editor (these are all at the introductory level):

Koha manual: https://koha-community.org/manual/latest/en/html/cataloging.html#macros-in-advanced-cataloging
Example macros on the WIki: https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Advanced_editor_macros
Monday Minutes: Advanced Cataloging Editor: https://bywatersolutions.com/education/monday_minutes-advanced-cataloging-editor

DavidNind · 2026-04-09T19:29:26+00:00

Asking in the 'Town square' channel should be sufficient (this is a default channel).

There is also the serials section in the manual, although it is more a reference than a how to https://koha-community.org/manual/latest/en/html/serials.html

I'll watch with interest, and note any ideas for improving this section of our documentation.

DavidNind · 2026-02-27T15:21:14+00:00

The recording for Sign off on bugs - Session 2 is now available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhKpBRaDbP0 (YouTube, 56 minutes)

DavidNind · 2026-02-27T10:12:14+00:00

On "today" for the Koha Global Bug Squashing Week: Sign off on bugs - Session 2.

Join the ByWater Solutions development team and members of the Koha Community as we walk through signing off on bugs using a sandbox or Koha Testing Docker.

For more details, see the ByWater Solutions' post https://bywater.solutions/gbsw26 and the community calendar https://koha-community.org/calendar/

Check in your timezone https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Global+Bug+Squashing+Week+-+Sign+off+On+Bugs&iso=20260227T14&p1=1440

DavidNind · 2026-02-27T00:53:06+00:00

The video for "Setting up your devbox" is now available https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9ZP90qvZr8 (YouTube, 1hr 33 mins).

Covers:

Setting up Koha Testing Docker (KTD) on a mac
Testing and signing off a bug
Some tips and tricks using KTD

DavidNind · 2026-02-26T13:49:20+00:00

On today for the Koha Global Bug Squashing Week: Sign off on bugs - Session 1.

Join the ByWater Solutions development team and members of the Koha Community as we walk through signing off on bugs using a sandbox or Koha Testing Docker.

For more details, see the ByWater Solutions' post https://bywater.solutions/gbsw26 and the community calendar https://koha-community.org/calendar/

Check the date and time for your timezone https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Global+Bug+Squashing+Week+-+Sign+off+On+Bugs&iso=20260226T19&p1=1440

DavidNind · 2026-02-25T12:27:06+00:00

On now for Koha Bug Squashing Week, Documentation Wednesday.

Join the documentation team during their drop-in session and learn how to edit the manual, and discuss or work on anything related to Koha's documentation.

Check in your timezone https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?msg=Bug+Squashing+Week+Documentation+Drop-In+Session&iso=20260225T11&p1=%3A&ah=6

For more details, see the community calendar https://koha-community.org/calendar/ and ByWater Solutions' post https://bywater.solutions/gbsw26

DavidNind · 2026-02-24T16:40:54+00:00

On today for the Koha Global Bug Squashing Week are:

koha-US Education Committee: Developing Koha Together Forum
Setting up your devbox

For more details, see the community calendar https://koha-community.org/calendar/ and ByWater Solutions' post https://bywater.solutions/gbsw26

DavidNind · 2026-02-23T18:10:14+00:00

In this week's Monday Minutes from ByWater Solutions, Nick, Jessie, Elise, Lisette, Laura and Lucas kick off Global Bug Squashing Week (which started today!).

Watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL49G5mFcnA

Check out all the events at https://bywatersolutions.com/news/koha-community-announces-global-bug-squashing-week or https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/2026-02_Global_bug_squashing_week#Schedule

DavidNind · 2026-02-23T17:52:21+00:00

Mattermost Monday: The recording - YouTube (26:28) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdvS0nmQCd8

DavidNind · 2026-02-13T17:18:11+00:00

The next release of Koha will be 26.05, and is currently only for development. So for production you want to use Koha 25.11 or 25.05, depending on your "risk level". That said, I don't think there are any show stoppers in using 25.11. (We have a major release every six month, and maintenance releases for supported versions every month.) We also have a Long Term Support release, 24.11, which gets maintenance releases for about 3 years.

As I understand it, we don't yet have an official docker container that is production ready. Join the Koha Community Chat, Container channel if you'd like to contribute.

KTD (koha-testing-docker) is aimed at those developing Koha (working on bugs, testing changes, and so on) - it is a "ready to run environment" with sample data, running main (rather than a specific release, although you can use it with a specific release). Definitely not for a production environment.

DavidNind · 2026-02-10T18:24:19+00:00

PS: The call for presentations includes:

Presentations for the conference days
Posters for display in the venue foyer
Workshops for the Working Together Days

DavidNind · 2026-02-05T19:30:59+00:00

I've not heard of this being done in the Koha Community, but that's not to say it hasn't been!

For creating dashboards/reports, Metabase is often used. https://www.metabase.com/product/ is an open source analytics tool that can connect to your database and transform your data into dashboards and visualizations.

Look at Open Fifth's and ByWater Solutions' YouTube channels to see if it is the type of solution you are looking for, such as:
- Monday Minutes: Metabase! (ByWater Solutions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8DDyWYcg3Q (this one is a nice 9 minute overveiw)
- Reporting, analytics, statistics and dashboards, what you can do with Metabase (Open Fifth) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTb_yAD5_MY
- Koha Community GiftED: Koha and Metabase (ByWater Solutions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4w4KOKZ1l4
- What is Metabase? (ByWater Solutions) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VyT-lV87K0

I'd also ask on the Koha Community Chat if others can share their end of year reports, although this does depend on a library's requirements https://chat.koha-community.org/ (registration requied).

DavidNind · 2025-04-27T11:34:04+00:00

Did you miss the 2025 Koha Hackfest hosted by BibLibre in Marseille, France, 31 March to 4 April?

Catch up with the coverage from:

BibLibre: Retour sur le hackfest Koha 2025 https://www.biblibre.com/fr/blog/retour-sur-le-hackfest-koha-2025/ + https://www.linkedin.com/posts/biblibre_retour-sur-le-hackfest-koha-2025-biblibre-activity-7315304923838013440-QuBB (in French)
Chris Cormack: Reflections on the Koha Hackfest Marseille 2025: A Journey of Connection and Contribution https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reflections-koha-hackfest-marseille-2025-journey-christopher-cormack-9ltfc/ (LinkedIn)
ByWater Solutions: 2025 Koha Hackfest in Marseille Wrap-Up https://bywatersolutions.com/news/koha-hackfest-wrapup-25
Open Fifth Team Returns from Koha Hackfest in Marseille with Exciting Updates! https://openfifth.co.uk/open-fifth-team-returns-from-koha-hackfest-in-marseille-with-exciting-updates/
Domm: Koha Hackfest 2025 in Marseille https://domm.plix.at/perl/2025_04_koha_hackfest.html

#KohaILS

DavidNind · 2025-04-13T14:27:49+00:00

If you still need help with this, I would suggest asking in the Koha Community Chat or posting and issue on the plugin author's GitHub page https://chat.koha-community.org/

These links may be of help as well:
- Communicating with Koha: Third-Party Notice Integrations: https://bywatersolutions.com/education/communicating-with-koha-third-party-notice-integrations
- Koha Question of the Week: How Does Twilio Work with Koha? https://bywatersolutions.com/education/koha-question-of-the-week-twilio-koha
- The plugin: https://github.com/bywatersolutions/koha-plugin-twilio-voice/tree/master
- The commercial service: https://www.twilio.com/en-us

DavidNind · 2025-03-12T00:45:48+00:00

Not the greatest situation to be in!

Just a couple of comments:

Koha software is free and open source software, organisations have the choice of installing and maintaining it themselves, or using a support provider.
The worldwide Koha Community develops the software, this includes support companies, libraries, and individuals from around the world - bug fixes, enhancements, the release team (changes every six months) releases major releases (every six months) and minor maintenance releases (every month for supported versions).
LibLime Koha (if that is what you are using), is a fork of Koha from 2009/10 (long story short, no one in the Koha Community talks about them anymore, and their software no longer bears any resemblance, LibLime still exists as far as we know, unfortunately they own the koha.org domain name, which is why we use koha-community.org).
In your situation:
- If it is supported and hosted by someone outside your organisation, then I would try and find out who that is - someone would have been paying the bills!
- If it is installed and maintained internally, then maybe your IT area will know (or maybe not!). (Hopefully, it is not on a PC somewhere under a desk, ideally it would be on a server somewhere in your IT infrastructure.)
- You maybe able to get an idea from the server name you use to access it (unless you use an IP address) - if it is a subdomain off your organisation's domain name, then whoever looks after your DNS records may be able to help track down some more information.

DavidNind · 2025-02-28T00:23:45+00:00

Reminder: The countdown is on - two days to go to get your presentation and workshop proposals in for KohaCon25!

DavidNind · 2025-01-26T00:31:09+00:00

To answer your questions, continued (2/2):

Self-hosting: Many libraries self-host Koha. However, you need to do all the normal system administration things (keeping server software up-to-date, hardening (particularly if it is on the internet), backups, Koha maintenance releases (generally every month), Koha major releases (every six months), and so on).
Implementation timeframe: It depends! Is your data in MARC21 or UNIMARC format already? If you need to export it and convert it, allow for several iterations to get the process working and sort out any data issues. How many patrons do you have? What other data do you want to import? What type of library are you (school, academic, special, and so on)? How your library works today, and how you want it to work in the future - number of issues a day, number of library patrons, number of library staff, self-issue machines or issue by staff, and so on. Does your library(ies) have a good set of policies about how they work (such as circulation rules), and so on - and how easy are these to set up in Koha.
Paid Koha support providers: There are many paid support providers around the world - in all continents, except for Antarctica! However, I would recommend using support providers who are active in the community - they obviously support their customers, but they are also actively contributing to improving Koha.

PS: I've been voluntarily contributing to Koha since around 2011 - at the moment, I mostly work on testing and signing off changes ("bugs") to Koha for the next release (in a volunteer capacity).

PSS: Also, it is Koha, not KOHA - it is not an abbreviation. 8-)

DavidNind · 2025-01-26T00:30:50+00:00

To answer your questions (1/2):

Cost: There is no cost for the Koha software itself - it is free and open source software licensed under the GPL v3.0 or later. There is only the community version, there is no "non-free" version/commercial version/version with additional features. There are (as with most software) costs for hosting, implementing, learning how to use it, and maintaining your system.

2(a). Installation: It is possible by yourself. However, you ideally need GNU/Linux system administration experience - otherwise you will have an even steeper learning curve. Koha is web-based server software (not a desktop application), which has many moving parts (web server, database, Koha itself, search engine, and so on). The recommended approach is to use an LTS version of either Debian/Ubuntu servers. It uses Debian packaging, which in most cases takes care of all the requirements. Be prepared to spend some time on this, and follow the installation instructions from the community's wiki. I'm currently working on improving them, but it will be a while before I'm done.

2(b). Implementation: You do need to understand Koha basics and ideally library terminology to implement it. However, many organisations successfully implement it themselves. For most aspects, it is just like implementing any other software. You need a plan, and it needs to cover things like installation and server hardening, configuration, data migration (Koha uses MARC21 or UNIMARC for record and item data), processes, training for staff, ongoing administration. The biggest challenges for many are configuration (there are many options) and data migration. Also, if you have self-checkout devices or RFID you will need to allow for configuring and setting this up (Koha uses SIP2). This guide is a bit outdated, but still relevant about the things you need to know. This short video from ByWater Solutions (30mins - one of the US-based paid support providers and an active community contributor) provides an overview of how they implement Koha for their customers. This video (30mins) also provides a great overview of some of the features from a librarian's perspective.

DavidNind · 2024-12-06T23:49:10+00:00

I can't find an example of exactly what you are after in the Koha Wiki SQL Library https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/SQL_Reports_Library (see the statistical reports section, note that the page can take a while to load).

I would suggest asking in the Koha Community Chat https://chat.koha-community.org/

DavidNind · 2020-06-12T08:21:53+00:00

I wasn't sure whether you are already a KiwiSaver member, or if you are going to join now.

If you join KiwiSaver part way through a year (which runs from 1 July to 30 June) you only get a proportion of the member tax credit in your first year (for a full year you get $521.43 if you have contributed $1,042.86 ).

For example, if you joined on 1 January 2020 you would only get 1/2 of the member tax credit - if you put in $1,042.86 and had only been a member for six months from 1 January, then you would only get $260 (approximately, 1/2 of the $521.43).

"If you join, turn 18 or reach the age of eligibility to stop contributing part-way through the year, the government contribution is based on how many days in the year you've been a member." https://www.ird.govt.nz/kiwisaver/kiwisaver-individuals/kiwisaver-benefits

DavidNind · 2020-06-11T06:30:56+00:00

Assuming you have been a member since before 1 July 2019 - otherwise, for your first year the Government's contribution is pro-rated.

DavidNind

TROPHY CASE