Koha Implementation projects: An Experience from Pakistan

Sher Afzal Khan - Chief Librarian, Bahria University, Pakistan

Rida Zehra Hashmi - Web Manager Bahria University, Pakistan

Abstract

The main purpose of this paper is to the authors implemented Koha an Open Source Library Integrated system (ILS) in more than 13 Government and Semi government organization with integrations of RFID within Pakistan. The paper will also encourage the LIS community within Pakistan to implement Koha OS-ILS in their Libraries. This paper describes the author’s practical experience regarding the implantations of Koha Integrated Library Management Systems at public and private institutions in Pakistan.

In the present era digitalized databases are being compiled in majority of the Library services, which are based on information technology as well as resources available in electronic formats. In order to manage all kinds of resources and information, libraries require high quality integrated software, along with cutting edge retrieval tools. However, the high price of such software prevents most of the libraries from using them. So as to deal with this issue, and for the benefit of research scholars and the user communities of libraries, Koha ILS provide solutions to all kind of libraries with zero cost.

The paper is a practical experience of Koha implantations from scratch level, data conversion from different type of software i.e WININS, INMAGIC etc to MARAC-21, Integrations with RFID which is the 1^st experience in Pakistan will help libraries to implement koha in a practical way at their libraries.

The conclusions drawn from this paper relate to the concept of implementing an open source software “Koha”.

This is amongst the ﬁrst implementations of Koha within Pakistan to integrate more than 07 libraries and integrate with RFID. Experience and conclusions from this installation might inﬂuence decisions at other libraries.