Monday, July 25, 2022

Add library location on OPAC using Google map

 The location of the institute/library can be embedded on OPAC interface. Users strange to the campus can find the location of the library using Google Maps app in mobile. Follow the steps below to add the location on OPAC interface.


Find the location from Google Maps

Visit https://www.google.com/maps

Search your institution/library name,

Click on the share button.

Click on embed a map tab.

Copy the code.

Display of location on OPAC

Koha offers many places for customisation on OPAC. Copy and paste the code anywhere in OPAC.
For example, Koha > Administration > Global System Preferences > OPAC > OpacNav it display map on left side of the OPAC.

The map can also display on the left side of the OPAC. To display the map on the right side of the OPAC, goto, Tools > News > New Entry > Display location > OpacNavRight

Change the width and height of the map in the script,


If you would like to give a box around the map, paste the map script in the middle of the code. Then copy and paste the entire piece of code.




<html>
<head>
<style>
p.two {
  border-style: solid;
  border-color: blue;
</style>
</head>
<body>
<p class="two"> 


Paste the Google Map code here

</body>
</html>


Save the content. Check the result by visiting the OPAC.

Send messages in queue immediately

 Koha user can send messages in queue due to various reasons. Certain messages in Koha set to send in midnight. Often libraries running Koha on desktop machine shut down PC after working hours. In this situation, messages can't send. If you are also hurry to send messages generated at once, apply following commands:


1. Load environmental variables

sudo su
export PERL5LIB="/usr/share/koha/lib" 
export KOHA_CONF="/etc/koha/sites/library/koha-conf.xml"

2. Push messages in queue

cd /usr/share/koha/bin/cronjobs
./process_message_queue.pl

Warning: When executing the process_message_queue.pl, the library personnel should ensure that no one is trying to check in / out items.

Google Input Tool: an alternative for Google Indic Transliteration in OPAC

 1. Install Google Chrome browser and install Google Input Tools from the following link,

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/google-input-tools/mclkkofklkfljcocdinagocijmpgbhab?hl=en

2. Enable regional languages

Google Input Tools extension appears on the browser page.

Click on the Google Input Tools extension button and select Extension Options. Select your languages and close the window.

Close the window after selecting the language.

3. Usage of Input Tools
Click on Google Input Tools button on the toolbar and select the language. Write in the search box.

Display logo on Koha staff client login page

Displaying institution logo on Koha staff client is part of beautification. Even though library staff who log in the staff client sees the logo, everybody believes that it enhances the branding. 

A system preference, stafflogininstructions available for this purpose. This feature available since the release of Koha version 18.04. 

How it works

Copy the logo to htdocs

Prepare the logo image and put it in an internal folder or in an external server. You can place the image in the folder, /usr/share/koha/opac/htdocs to save in the Koha server. Apply the following command to copy the logo image from the home folder to htdocs.

sudo cp mgu-logo.jpg /usr/share/koha/opac/htdocs

Replace the file name (mgu-logo.jpg) match with the logo name with you.

Add image details in stafflogininstructions

Open Koha Staff Client, visit and find Administration > Global System Preference > Staff Interface > StaffLoginInstructions.

Otherwise, find the specific option by using the search feature in Administration > Global System Preferences. Put the term, StaffLoginInstructions in search box and find.

HTML tag to display logo

<center> <img src="http://127.0.1.1/mgu-logo.jpg" style="width:45%; height:45%;"> </center>

Change the IP (http://127.0.1.1/mgu-logo.jpg) match with yours. Save the settings. Sign out from Koha Staff Client and check the login page.

Favicon for Staff Client and OPAC

Favicon stands for Favorite Icon. It can display on the website tab. Favicon is a small icon and acts as a website identity. Koha users can display favicon on Staff Client and OPAC. The favicon file extension is .ico.

How it works
Prepare a favicon file with the extension .ico. Many ways we can convert an image to .ico. Either using image processing software like GIMP / Photoshop or using favicon online generators.

Copy to /usr/share/koha/opac/htdocs.
sudo cp fav.ico /usr/share/koha/opac/htdocs
Here is the URL of favicon copied to /usr/share/koha/opac/htdocs. 

http://127.0.1.1/fav.ico

The favicon can be store in a remote server and give the URL.
Visit the search box at Administration > Global System Preferences 


Search for the term, favicon.
Give the URL of the favicon to each box and save.

Open Staff Client and OPAC. See the favicon on the browser tabs.

Data migration: bulk check-in

 

Bulk check-in using .koc (Koha Offline Circulation) file is easy to use the method. It is helpful while Koha trial runs for data migration from the old version of Koha or other software. This method also can apply to other contexts. The following steps discuss how to prepare the .koc file for bulk import of check-in entries.


1. Export report of desired checked out books

Koha > Report > Create from SQL

Use following SQL query to build a report for the purpose,

SELECT issues.issuedate,items.barcode 
FROM issues 
LEFT JOIN borrowers ON borrowers.borrowernumber=issues.borrowernumber 
LEFT JOIN items ON issues.itemnumber=items.itemnumber   
LEFT JOIN biblio ON items.biblionumber=biblio.biblionumber
WHERE items.homebranch =<<Branch|branches>> AND issues.issuedate BETWEEN <<Between Date (yyyy-mm-dd)|date>> and <<and (yyyy-mm-dd)|date>> ORDER BY issues.issuedate DESC

Download the report as a CSV or ODS (Open Document Spreadsheet) file.

2. Prepare the .koc file

Open the checked-out report file and add a new column to the mention transaction type.
Copy the contents in three columns. See the sample CSV file here.


Download and open the sample .koc file from here.
Copy and paste the contents below the first line in the .koc file.


Save and close the file.

3. Import the .koc file

Goto Koha > Circulation > Offline circulation > Upload offline circulation file (.koc) 
Find and upload the .koc file. Don't worry, if the screen show time out.

Goto Koha > Circulation > Offline circulation > Pending offline circulation actions
Select all the entries and click the Process button.

Installing Multiple Instances of Koha

 I have successfully installed multiple instances of Koha. My Koha installation is based on Ubuntu packages. Installation of multiple instances is very helpful for maintaining different Koha instances on single installation. Follow the instructions,


Add two different port numbers for new Koha instance

sudo leafpad /etc/apache2/ports.conf

Add two new ports,


Listen 8080
Listen 8081

Create new instance

sudo koha-create --create-db instancename

We have created an instance (e.g. smbs) for our School of Management and Business Studies.

Open and edit apache site file add port numbers

leafpad /etc/apache2/sites-available/smbs


Save and close the file.


Restart Apache server

sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

Open Koha staff client and proceed installation post installation process.

http://127.0.1.1:8080

Zebra rebuild

koha-rebuild-zebra -v -f instancename

Find Koha new instance configuration files in

/etc/koha/sites/