Welcome / Opening Room: Audimax

Koha in the UK: Challenges, changes and celebrations for UK libraries

• Fiona Borthwick (Open Fifth)

Room: Audimax As UK libraries are very seldom able to attend KohaCon, we would like to represent them in our presentation. We will give an overview of the library industry in the UK and discuss some of the pressures and priorities they face across the different sectors we support. We will share knowledge from our customer base and include details of how they are using Koha, what features or changes they love, and those they would like to see in future. Our presentation will build upon the challenges in the UK library space, what their goals are, and how Koha has been used to achieve them efficiently and provide value for money. We shall also use some examples of functionally developed specifically for the UK libraries and / or being used in slightly unique ways.

One Koha, 1,300 Libraries: Architecture and Extensions of Türkiye’s National Public Library System

• Merve Yavuzdemir (Directorate General for Libraries and Publication)
• İsmail Karaca (Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Culture and Tourism - Directorate General for Libraries and Publication)

Room: Audimax # One Koha, 1,300 Libraries: Architecture and Extensions of Türkiye’s National Public Library System --- ## Abstract One of the largest centralized Koha deployments in the world is the national public library infrastructure operated by the Directorate General for Libraries and Publication under the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye. In Türkiye, more than **1,300 public libraries**, ranging from small rural branches to major urban libraries, are managed through a single centralized Koha infrastructure serving over **7 million users**, managing more than **30 million items**, supporting the daily operations of over **9,000 library staff members** across the country, and maintaining around **6 million bibliographic records** within its shared national catalog. In **2025 alone**, the system recorded more than **16 million circulation transactions**, illustrating not only its size but also its intensity of daily public use. Operating at this scale required rethinking Koha not simply as an integrated library system, but as a strategic digital infrastructure capable of supporting public service continuity, national identity verification, security, data quality, and institutional interoperability. A standard Koha installation was transformed into a highly customized and secure platform capable of operating at national scale. In this context, the system has been strengthened through identity verification with **MERNİS**[1], single sign-on through the **e-Government**[2], SMS-based and staff-level two-factor authentication, phone-verified patron transfer workflows, and controlled processes designed for institutions with higher security requirements. Through the e-Government, citizens can also interact directly with the library system by registering for library membership, tracking their borrowed items, and updating their registered library information, allowing Koha services to be accessed as part of Türkiye’s broader digital public services infrastructure. The main architectural extensions and modules developed in response to Türkiye’s institutional needs include centralized pre-cataloging workflows, integration with **KAŞİF**[3], the specially developed library automation program used by the National Library of Türkiye, a customized discovery interface, Turkish offline circulation tools, inventory and bulk stock management modules, API user management, a support and ticketing system, institutional library management tools, automated statistical reporting for **TÜİK**[4], and a browser-based inventory counting application that modernizes annual stocktaking outside Koha through camera or barcode-scanner input, manual entry, bulk `.txt/.xlsx` upload, ISBN mis-scan detection, and one-click handoff to Koha returns. Together, these developments have supported standardization across the national network while preserving flexibility for local operational needs. Concrete field stories demonstrate secure patron mobility across branches; prison-library workflows for incarcerated users, including controlled transfer scenarios where standard SMS verification is not applicable; service continuity in rural and mobile libraries under low-connectivity conditions through offline-first tools; and governance patterns for managing a heavily customized national fork without losing operational stability. These examples also reflect a broader before-and-after transformation from fragmented local workflows to a standardized national model, showing how a single open-source platform was adapted to highly diverse institutional environments, including prison libraries and libraries affiliated with other ministries. This case demonstrates concrete success stories and transferable lessons: how a centralized open-source model reduced licensing costs, standardized workflows, improved data quality, and enabled cross-border technical cooperation with **Azerbaijan and Moldova**. Beyond the technical architecture itself, the experience offers reusable lessons for the wider Koha community in identity integration, offline circulation, security-sensitive patron flows, and API-oriented public-service design. It also provides an honest account of the trade-offs involved in sustaining a large national fork over time, including extension debt, documentation, dependency tracking, upgrade discipline, and governance complexity. These lessons are discussed through a three-part governance perspective covering **product governance**, **operational governance**, and **release governance**, and are further summarized on a companion project page: https://ismailkaraca.com.tr/onekoha1300libraries --- ## Keywords Koha; national public libraries; open-source library infrastructure; centralized library systems; e-government integration; library automation; offline circulation; digital public infrastructure; library governance; interoperability. --- ## Explanatory Notes [1] **MERNİS:** The Central Civil Registration System of Türkiye, the national population database where the civil records of citizens and foreign residents are maintained, updated, and shared electronically. [2] **e-Government (e-Devlet Kapısı):** Türkiye’s national digital public services portal used here for secure single sign-on and for user-facing library services such as membership registration, borrowed-item tracking, and updating registered library information. [3] **KAŞİF:** A specially developed library automation program used by the National Library of Türkiye and integrated into this wider Koha ecosystem. [4] **TÜİK:** The Turkish Statistical Institute, whose annual library statistics support service planning and national library policy.

Export Allegro-C catalog to Koha using OpenRefine

• Jamin Lukas Noetzel (Max-Planck-Institut für Kolloid- und Grenzflächenforschung)

Room: Audimax A report about our transition from Allegro-C to Koha using OpenRefine. In theory, this method can be used to convert any catalog to MARC21.

Keep calm and MARC on - Koha in the K10plus galaxy

• Gerlind Ladisch (Bibliotheksservice-Zentrum Baden-Württemberg (BSZ))

Room: Audimax K10plus is Germany's largest union catalogue with over 1000 academic and research libraries participating and containing over 90 million bibliographic records. K10plus provides central cataloguing, metadata and infrastructure services. Koha is increasingly adopted as an ILS by many K10plus libraries. The presentation discusses the approaches used to connect Koha to K10plus, including bibliographic data workflows, synchronization mechanisms, and the use of standard interfaces to ensure smooth interaction between Koha and the shared cataloguing infrastructure. It aims to contribute practical insights for libraries considering Koha in a cooperative cataloguing environment like K10plus.

Importing GND into Koha

• Thomas Klausner (HKS3)

Room: Audimax One of our customers wanted to import the whole GND ("Gemeinsame Normadatei der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek") into Koha. That's about 10 million authority records! In this talk I show how we did the initial import and the processes to keep the data up to date (via the weekly changes files provided by the German National Library).

Raising the Accessibility Baseline in the Koha OPAC

• Lucas Gass (ByWater Solutions)
• Laura Escamilla (ByWater Solutions)

Room: Audimax The Koha OPAC is highly customizable — but small theming decisions can unintentionally create barriers for users relying on keyboard navigation or readable contrast. This lightning talk focuses on two simple but powerful accessibility tests: Can you navigate the OPAC using only a keyboard? And can you comfortably read it under real-world conditions? By examining common issues such as missing focus indicators, divs used in place of native controls, broken tab order, and contrast failures introduced through branding customization, this session reframes accessibility as interaction quality rather than compliance.

Power to the Patron: Enhancing Administrative Control in Koha

• Jessica Zairo (ByWater Solutions)
• Fiona Borthwick (Open Fifth)
• Nick Clemens (ByWater Solutions)
• Martin Renvoize (Open Fifth Limited)

Room: Audimax The Power to the Patron initiative aims to reduce libraries’ reliance on vendors’ manual backend processes by providing Koha administrators with secure, intuitive tools directly within Koha’s Administration and Tools modules. By shifting key configuration and management capabilities into Koha’s interface, this approach streamlines workflows, improves overall Koha efficiency, and minimizes errors that often arise from extended back-and-forth communication during setup, configuration and credential management. Providing Koha administrators with expanded access not only accelerates implementation and updates but also enhances accuracy and sustainability in system management. This presentation will explore how enabling administrative self-service within Koha can strengthen operational independence while maintaining system stability and security.

SQL reports - struggles and strategies - Creating self paced learning tools for SQL reports in Koha

• Holly Cooper (Interleaf Technology)

Room: Audimax This presentation will describe the experience of creating a self paced learning programme intended to teach library staff how to create and edit SQL reports in Koha. The presentation will cover the initial inspiration for the module, defend the necessity of such an approach, describe the tools used to create the resources and plans for future expansion. This presentation will include examples of the resources created for the module and a timeline of how they have changed through feedback from our clients.

New Koha development : from the customer idea to "pushed to master", many steps

• Laurence Rault (BIbLibre)

Room: Audimax From the idea of a new functionality or improvement for Koha to its integration into the code, there is sometimes a long way. See together how in BibLibre we deal with these steps.

Closed Stacks feature is nearly in your Koha

• Sonia Bouis (Université Lyon 3)

Room: Audimax After explaining why this feature is important for many libraries, especialy in France, a demo of the development proposed to the community and installed in University Lyon 3 will be done. The possible enhancements of this feature will be listed to conclude.

Speed up your setup: A proof-of-concept for better onboarding

• Aleisha Amohia (Catalyst)

Room: Audimax When we onboard a new Koha library, we spend a large chunk of our training time just helping them set it up. The Koha Administration module is a beast, with its many sections and settings. Then, there are nearly 1,000 system preferences to wade through which determine how your Koha looks and behaves. We love how configurable Koha is, but it can be an intimidating and overwhelming process - especially for busy staff, who need a library system that just works. Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst have been dreaming of ways to simplify the setup of a new Koha. We've found there are steps we take to set up any Koha that doesn't need all the bells and whistles. So, we built a proof-of-concept that automates much of this process for us. At this point it works for one profile - a small lending library, run by volunteers or staff with no formal library qualification - but more profiles could be added to make onboarding different types of libraries more efficient. This intent is not to replace the Administration module; instead it is to make getting started feel more accessible to those who simply need a good library system. Aleisha Amohia, Rōpū kohinga Technical Lead, will discuss the considerations they made when building this profile and demonstrate how the tool works, using a Koha implementation for schools in Tonga as a case study.

Foundations Update

• Andrew Auld (Open Fifth Limited)

Room: Audimax The Koha Charitable Foundation, introducing the new board, bylaws and the first priorities of the Foundation.

Refreshing Acquisitions: Lessons from Two Years of Planning, Mapping, and Migration Preparation

• Jonathan Field (Open Fifth Limited)
• Jessica Zairo (ByWater Solutions)

Room: Audimax This presentation explores the process of planning a major refresh to Koha’s acquisitions module and the collaborative effort that lead the change. Over the past two years, a dedicated workgroup conducted a comprehensive analysis to evaluate current limitations and identify opportunities for improvement. The team focused on organizing requirements across all types of libraries, documenting workflows, and designing a roadmap for modernization. Key components of the work included writing transition plans, developing data mapping strategies, and preparing migration scripts to ensure that existing acquisitions data could move accurately into the refreshed system. Attendees will learn how the workgroup structured its long-term planning effort, coordinated with the community, and translated complex acquisitions processes into practical worflows. The session will provide an overview and roadmap for deployment.

ILL Improvements

• Pedro Amorim (Open Fifth)
• Lisette Scheer (ByWater Solutions)

Room: Audimax Overview of improvements to the ILL module, especially the ISO work. Overview of future plans to continue the ILL improvements.

Beyond Go-Live: Mastering ERM in Everyday Use

• Michaela Sieber (KIT)

Room: Audimax From Implementation to Operation: More than one year with the ERM (Electronic Resource Management) module in Koha

Bridging the Gap: A Collaborative Finnish Approach to Integrated Electronic Resource Management (ERM) in Koha

• Johanna Miettunen (Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences)
• Christian Nelson (University of Vaasa / Tritonia Academic Library)
• Veli-Matti Häkkinen (University of Jyväskylä)

Room: Audimax Finnish academic libraries have established an open consortium to collaboratively maintain and develop a modular library system with Koha as its central component. As the importance and usage of electronic resources continue to grow in higher education, academic libraries require efficient tools and integrated workflows to manage the acquisition and activation of resources, usage monitoring, and discovery. This presentation introduces a modular, API-driven approach to ERM that streamlines key processes across the resource lifecycle. Core components include the automated activation of electronic resources within the acquisition workflow, harvesting and analyzing COUNTER usage data via the COUNTER API (formerly SUSHI), and visualizing usage patterns in Microsoft Power BI to support informed decision-making. The project also explores enhancements to end-user discovery, including the implementation of EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) and its integration within the VuFind-based Finna search services. By sharing practical outcomes, technical solutions, and lessons learned, this session highlights how collaborative development can advance Koha’s ERM capabilities and improve both staff workflows and user experience.

Automated Screenshots in the Koha Manual

• Marion Durand (BibLibre)
• Philip Orr (LMSCloud GmbH)

Room: Audimax Screenshots in the Koha Manual are now created automatically thanks to an automated workflow set up by Jonathan Druart (@joubu on mattermost). In this presentation, Marion Durand from BibLibre and Philip Orr from the Koha Documentation team will show off the functionality, how it works behind the scenes and how the process can move forward. In a separate demo workshop, interested participants can get started helping out with creating and validating screenshots.

AI: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

• Brian Pichman (ByWater Solutions)

Room: Audimax AI tools are quickly becoming the newest member of the development team... sometimes brilliant, sometimes confidently wrong, and occasionally chaotic. In this talk, Brian Pichman shares how he uses AI as a daily collaborator while working with Koha. From quickly prototyping Koha plugins, exploring new integrations, and “vibe coding” experimental ideas, to debugging scripts and generating documentation, AI has become a surprisingly useful development companion. But the story doesn’t stop at code. Brian will also talk about how AI helps manage the other side of the work: organizing tasks, tracking ideas, planning projects, and generally keeping a busy tech brain from melting down. Think of it as using AI as both a pair programmer and a life operations assistant. This session will highlight real examples of where AI shines, where it fails spectacularly, and how it can help Koha developers and library technologists move faster while staying creative. Expect practical ideas, a few cautionary tales, and at least one example of AI confidently giving the worst possible answer.

AI and OCR Powered Koha Cataloguing

• Muhittin Enes Kale (Directorate General for Information Technologies / Ministry of Culture and Tourism)
• Erdem Acır (Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Türkiye)

Room: Audimax Manual cataloging within the Koha Integrated Library System remains a labor-intensive task, often slowed by repetitive data entry and the persistent risk of human error. This paper introduces a native Koha tool designed to automate the extraction of MARC21 metadata directly from images of book title pages. By allowing librarians to simply upload a photo, the system identifies and populates essential fields such as Author (100), Title (245), Publication Information (260/264), and ISBN (020). To ensure reliable data extraction from real-world photos, the system employs a sophisticated engineering pipeline. It utilizes ImageMagick for preprocessing—addressing common issues like improper orientation, shadows, and uneven lighting through local adaptive thresholding—before passing the image to Tesseract OCR. A key innovation of this research is the transition from traditional regex-based parsing and external API dependencies toward the use of locally deployed Large Language Models (LLMs), such as Qwen. By processing raw OCR text through a local LLM, the system can "read between the lines" to reconstruct fragmented titles and organize bibliographic data into structured, MARC-compatible JSON. This context-aware approach significantly improves accuracy when dealing with noisy data while maintaining data privacy by keeping the entire workflow on local hardware. Ultimately, this tool transforms cataloging from a manual "type-everything" chore into a streamlined "photo-to-verification" model. The result is a faster, more efficient workflow that paves the way for a truly AI-augmented library environment.

Punctuation Without the Pain : Leveraging Leader/18 in Koha for Cleaner Records

• Mark Hofstetter (HKS3)
• Alexander Wagner (Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY)

Room: Audimax Historically, cataloguers employed punctuation to demarcate and provide context for the various elements of bibliographic data, ensuring its comprehensibility to users, particularly when the data was presented on cards. However, context-sensitive punctuation can often complicate data-related tasks. Consequently, more recently developed formats do not include punctuation. RDA recommends omitting it, and LoC/PCC opt for punctuation-light MARC for storage and editing since 2020. Conversely, library catalogues may contain records with and without punctuation. Marc21 is able to differentiate between these two types of records by leveraging the attributes of leader/18. If set to 'c' or 'n', they instruct the cataloguing system to add punctuation automatically as required. However, if set to 'a' or 'i', it should rely solely on the records data. It is regrettable to note that these attributes are currently being ignored by Koha. Therefore, e.g. following the import of RDA records via SRU/Z39.50, it is imperative to add punctuation manually at the record level in order to ensure optimal display. This issue can be resolved using Kohas MARC::Filter. A suitable filter will allow for the transparent injection of the necessary punctuation for records based on leader/18. Due to its Perl-based nature, the filter is better suited to managing complex situations than the standard XSLT approach used for rendering, which can be unwieldy in certain cases. In this presentation, we will introduce a plugin that operates on the associated hook implemented in Bug 40972 to automatically add the necessary punctuation. Introducing automatic punctuation based on leader/18 will enhance Kohas standard compliance. As more and more RDA-based records enter the systems, this will also become a key issue. Implementation as a plugin allows for straightforward development and swift deployment of the necessary functions.

From Barcodes to Metadata Integrity: A Journey of Data Cleaning in Koha

• Ingrid Schiessl (Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia (Brazilian Institute of Information in Science and Technology))
• Rebeca Dos Santos De Moura (Instituto Brasileiro de Informação em Ciência e Tecnologia)

Room: Audimax This presentation details a large-scale data intervention within the library network of the Brazilian Institute of Museums (Ibram). What began as a straightforward request to populate the barcode field (**952$p**) for a specific set of records evolved into a comprehensive database audit. Our initial strategy of mirroring inventory numbers from `952\$i` to `952$p` was immediately challenged by Koha’s uniqueness constraint. This technical 'roadblock' revealed a legacy of duplicated inventory data across the network, forcing a deeper dive into the catalog’s health. Using **Python scripts for MARC XML manipulation**, we moved beyond simple item-level fixes to address critical inconsistencies in the 245 (Title Statement) and 008 (Fixed-Length Data) fields. This session will demonstrate how we audited thousands of records outside the ILS to ensure metadata precision before re-importing them via Koha’s batch tools. We will demonstrate the workflow used to: - Identify and Resolve Duplicities: Using Python scripts to audit the entire database for duplicate `952\$i` (Inventory) values before migrating them to the unique `952$p` (Barcode) field, across a multi-library network. - XML Manipulation: Processing MARC XML records to clean and standardize metadata with a level of precision that manual editing couldn't achieve - Cross-Field Cleaning: Addressing critical errors and duplicities found during the process in the `245` (Title) and `008` (Fixed-Length Data) fields. - Safe Batch Loading: Strategies for re-importing corrected records into Koha while maintaining database integrity. The session aims to provide practical lessons for librarians and system administrators on how a simple task of updating item-level data can—and should—lead to a more robust and standardized catalog.

Transforming Access to Knowledge: An Empirical Study of Koha Implementations and the Impact of Linked Data in Nigerian Libraries

• BASIRU ADETOMIWA (Redeemer's University)

Room: Audimax In the wake of increasing digitalization, Nigerian libraries face the challenge of providing efficient and accessible services to diverse user groups. This presentation investigates the empirical outcomes of implementing the Koha Library Management Software across various libraries in Nigeria, drawing on recent case studies and surveys. According to a 2021 study by Adetunji et al., over 60% of Nigerian academic libraries have migrated to Koha, reporting significant improvements in user satisfaction and resource management. Qualitative data reveals that libraries experienced an up to 40% increase in user engagement post-implementation, largely due to enhanced accessibility and streamlined operations. An increasingly important aspect of this transformation is the integration of linked data principles within Koha. These principles enable libraries to interconnect their resources with global data networks, enhancing discoverability and enriching user experience. For instance, a case study from the University of Lagos Library illustrates how linked data implementation resulted in a 30% increase in citations and collaborations, as researchers were able to access and integrate broader resources seamlessly. Through qualitative and quantitative analyses, this study explores the impact of Koha on library operations, user experience improvements, community collaborations, and the transformative role of linked data. It also examines the challenges faced during the implementation process, including the need for technical training and strategies to overcome user resistance. By sharing these insights, the study aims to inform best practices for Koha implementations in Nigeria and advocate for collaborative initiatives that foster open-source solutions. This presentation intends to spark discussions on future directions for Koha and linked data in enhancing library services and accessibility in the Nigerian context, encouraging librarians to embrace innovative technologies for better knowledge dissemination.

From Legacy Systems to Koha: Practical Implementation and Migration Experiences from Ghana

• Daniel Akwasi Afrane (University of Media, Arts and Communication)

Room: Audimax This presentation shares practical experiences from implementing, migrating, and upgrading Koha in academic library environments across Ghana. Drawing from real-world deployments, the session explores the full lifecycle of Koha adoption — including infrastructure preparation, data migration from legacy systems, configuration, customization, staff training, and post-implementation optimization. The talk highlights technical and operational challenges encountered in resource-constrained environments, such as inconsistent metadata, legacy catalog structures, infrastructure limitations, and user adoption barriers. Practical solutions are presented, including strategies for bibliographic data cleanup, managing service downtime, improving workflows, and ensuring sustainable system maintenance through local capacity building. The presentation also examines integrations between Koha and related digital library services such as institutional repositories, web platforms, and authentication systems to create cohesive digital ecosystems. Lessons learned from system upgrades and ongoing maintenance are included to support libraries planning long-term Koha sustainability. Attendees will gain actionable insights, implementation checklists, and practical strategies that can support successful Koha implementations, migrations, and upgrades—particularly in academic and developing-country contexts.

Where are we with AI ?

• Arthur Suzuki (BibLibre SARL)

LLM's and GPT's are around since 2 years now. It's time to look behind our back and see how Koha's dev and Librarians has started to use this new tool. What does it provide to it's users? Did it meet the expectations? what are the current goals and challenges?

Remote Debugging with Visual Studio Code

Avoiding data traps I will show a few examples of data issues I have encountered as the Data Migration Specialist at Open Fifth and the solutions I have come up with. I hope that these might help steer future development in order that we can continue to ensure data tools continue to perform well. I will invite comments from others who may have faced similar situations.

Profiling and performance using NYTProf

• Nick Clemens (ByWater Solutions)

This talk will cover the setup and evaluation of profiling Koha using NYTProf in a plack environment I will show how to use this to improve the code for performance and highlight some performance I have found and fixed after profiling

Bugs for Beginners

• Katrin Fischer (BSZ BW)
• Lisette Scheer (ByWater Solutions)

In this workshop we will work together to make sure you know what to do when you encounter a bug or have a great idea for an improvement to Koha. We’ll start with setting up accounts in Bugzilla and discuss the various fields and different status that play a role in a bug’s life cycle. Then we can work on filing some bugs together and if time permits, we’ll also do some testing of bug fixes using the sandboxes. Please bring along your unfiled bugs and your laptops!

Documentation Workshop: Contributing to the Koha Manual

• Caroline Cyr La Rose (Solutions inLibro)
• Philip Orr (LMSCloud)

Ever spotted a typo in the manual? Found a feature that's poorly documented or missing entirely? This workshop is your chance to do something about it! Former documentation managers will walk you through everything you need to submit a manual update — no experience required. We'll cover the friendly web-based workflow that makes contributing accessible to everyone, and for those already comfortable with Git, we'll also demonstrate the command-line approach. By the end of the session, the goal is for every participant to walk away having submitted their first patch.