Implementing the Koha integrated library system at the Independent University, Bangladesh. A practical experience
| Pages | 642-658 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-04-2012-0036 |
| Date | 30 September 2014 |
| Published date | 30 September 2014 |
| Author | Nur Ahammad |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Librarianship/library management,Library technology |
Implementing the Koha
integrated library system at the
Independent University,
Bangladesh
A practical experience
Nur Ahammad
Library, Independent University, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explain how the author carried out the implementation of the
Koha open-source integrated library system (ILS) at the Independent University Bangladesh (IUB)
Library, stated how much easy it is to implement Koha in a library and encouraged library professionals
to implement Koha in their libraries.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper describes the author’s practical experiences regarding
implementation of the Koha open-source ILS.
Findings – Koha has those functionalities which can fulll the library automation need of the IUB
Library. That is why Koha is selected. Other librarians can easily implement Koha in their libraries.
Practical implications – This paper will help librarians to implement Koha in a practical way to
their libraries. The author implemented Koha at the IUB Library within three months, and the author
used migrated data from Computerized Documentation System/Integrated Set of Information System to
MARC-21 for books and made new MARC-21 records for movies.
Originality/value – The author is the youngest library professional who implemented Koha at a
private university library in Bangladesh. This will inuence librarians to learn Koha and implement it
in their libraries.
Keywords Library automation, Bangladesh, IUB Library, Koha, Open-source ILS
Paper type Technical paper
Introduction
After Bangladesh was freed in 1971, there were various challenges to overcome. One of
the challenges for librarians was keeping up with the international standards in the eld
of library and information science. It is well-known that without libraries, a nation
cannot develop itself. Thus, many librarians in Bangladesh are working to bring their
libraries up to international standards. The paper reports on a successful
implementation of the Koha integrated library system (ILS) at the Independent
University Bangladesh (IUB) Library. The term “integrated library system” refers to
having all library functions under one system and Koha is one such ILS. By using the
Koha ILS, librarians can manage all library functions, such as acquisition, cataloguing,
circulation, serials control, online public access catalogues (OPAC), patron management
and reports. This paper is unique in that the Koha ILS implementation was carried out
without the help of any information technology professionals.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0264-0473.htm
EL
32,5
642
Received 9 April 2012
Revised 4 August 2012
1 November 2012
3 January 2013
Accepted 28 January 2013
The Electronic Library
Vol. 32 No. 5, 2014
pp. 642-658
© Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-04-2012-0036
Koha is an open-source ILS. The main features of open-source software are that it
is free and the source code is available for all to use. Anyone can edit and develop the
source code. Koha also has Library 2.0 features. That is why Bangladeshi librarians
are interested in using Koha ILS in their libraries, but they are facing some
difculties in implementing it. For example, questions about the installation of Koha
on Linux servers, conguring Koha and especially cataloguing with Koha are
common issues. Cataloguing questions are frequent, as there is no institution in
Bangladesh where librarians can take lessons about MARC 21, machine-readable
catalogue records and full-featured ILS. Nowadays, open-source options are
becoming popular in many countries. Ribeiro (2007) noted that Asian governments
believe that open-source software will help increase technological innovations and
functioning to boost the economy. At present, there are about ten academic libraries
using Koha in Bangladesh, but there is no public library using Koha yet. Day by day,
interest is increasing regarding Koha and other library technologies among
librarians in Bangladesh.
Independent University Bangladesh library
IUB is one of the top private universities in Bangladesh and was established in 1993.
A second campus was established in Chittagong in 1999, making IUB the rst
private university in Bangladesh to extend its teaching facilities to the port city of
the country (IUB, 2011). There are six schools in IUB: the School of Business, the
School of Engineering and Computer Science, the School of Environmental Science
and Management, the School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, the School of
Public Health and the School of Life Science. These schools offer undergraduate and
master’s programmes in different subjects. The Cybermetrics Lab listed the IUB in
their ranking of the top 100 universities (2008). It was rst among all private
universities, third among all universities after Bangladesh University of
Engineering and Technology (BUET) and Dhaka University (DU) for Bangladesh
and in the 75th position on the Indian subcontinent (Cybermetrics Lab, 2008). IUB
has collaborative arrangements for research, faculty and student exchange, as well
as curriculum development, with a variety of universities and organizations,
including McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada; Harvard; University of Colorado
at Boulder; Brown University; the Higher Education Consortium of Urban Affairs
(HECUA) in Minnesota; Middlesex University in the UK; Pokhara University in
Nepal; and Can Tho University in Vietnam. Additionally, IUB has memberships in
a number of international academic associations, such as the American Association
of University Administrators, Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacic,
the International Association of University Presidents and the International
Association of Universities (IUB, 2011).
The IUB Library provides a gateway for students, faculties and staff to access
information. The library has nearly 30,000 book volumes, and subscribes to more than
100 journals and periodicals. There is online access to Emerald, JSTOR, Oxford
University Press journals, Agora, Hinari, IEEE, WileyIS, EBSCOhost, Springer, CJ,
OARE, ProQuest, Harvard Business Review, PMUSE, Taylor & Francis e-books and
INASP (International Network for the Availability of Scientic Publications), as well as
other, more minor subscriptions. After the implementation of Koha, staff use Koha ILS
and users are getting ILS facilities. The library is also using a Dspace institutional
643
Koha integrated
library system
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