[Web4lib] Koha

[Robert L. Balliot]

I really like the idea of libraries owning their catalogs again. Librarians
have really gotten into a wag-the-dog relationship with vendors. Practically
every intellectual aspect is being outsourced.

I am sure that current library school curriculums are addressing this to a
certain degree. But, when I finished Library School there were cataloging
courses that taught MARC and theory and how to interact with III and Dynix.
There were courses that taught you how to interact with proprietary
databases - Dialog, Proquest etc.  But, there were not any courses that
taught you how to build your own catalog.  I don't think any open source
products such as Koha were available, so it really would not have been
feasible to teach catalog building.

But, why shouldn't librarians be trained to be able to develop systems
independent of vendors?  I have worked with many vendors and heard many,
many, many complaints regarding user interfaces, cost, and stability. Yet,
librarians could only complain and offer more money for solutions to these
proprietary, profit driven systems that may (or may not) suck.

I really like Thomas's idea.  Keep up the good work.  I would like to see
new librarians able to step into impoverished and /or non-automated library
environments and able to offer an in house intellectual solution that does
not involve forever being owned by vendors.

*************************************************
Robert L. Balliot
Skype: RBalliot
Bristol, Rhode Island
http://oceanstatelibrarian.com/contact.htm
*************************************************
-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Cary Gordon
Sent: Friday, September 24, 2010 2:06 PM
To: Thomas Krichel
Cc: web for lib list
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Koha

I don't know much about LibLimes relationship with its customers, but
personally, I would be really hesitant to slam a company by offering
up an unequivocal don't buy recommendation based on something "I read
some time ago."

Thanks,

Cary

On Fri, Sep 24, 2010 at 5:58 AM, Thomas Krichel <krichel at openlib.org> wrote:
>  Nicole Engard writes
>
>> You probably think I'm biased, but I love it (which is why I got the
>> job I have now).  I have used 3 ILSes in my life as a librarian and
>> Koha was the only one I taught myself to use and have written the
>> manual for it.
>
>  But you have to get the one http://koha-community.org.  Don't buy
>  the one vended by LibLime/PTFS. I read some time ago that most of
>  their customers are not happy. I think that was in a tech source
>  report from Marshall.
>
>  If you run Debian, there are packages for koha that make
>  the installation a breeze.
>
>
>  Cheers,
>
>  Thomas Krichel                    http://openlib.org/home/krichel
>                                http://authorclaim.org/profile/pkr1
>                                               skype: thomaskrichel
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
>
>



-- 
Cary Gordon
The Cherry Hill Company
http://chillco.com


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