Koha (software)

Koha is a web-based ILS, with a SQL database (MariaDB or MySQL preferred{{Citation needed | date = March 2022}}) back end with cataloguing data stored in MARC and accessible via Z39.50 or SRU. The user interface is very configurable and adaptable and has been translated into many languages. Koha has most of the features that would be expected in an ILS, including:

• Various Web 2.0 facilities like tagging, comment, social sharing and RSS feeds
• Union catalog facility
• Customizable search
• Online circulation
• Bar code printing
• Patron card creation
• Report generation
• Patron self registration form through OPAC

Koha was created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand, and the first installation went live in January 2000.{{cite web| url= http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/6350 | work = Linux journal | title=Koha: a Gift to Libraries from New Zealand| date=1 February 2003| first=Pat| last=Eyler}}

From 2000, companies started providing commercial support for Koha, building to more than 50 today.{{cite web|url=https://koha-community.org/support/paid-support/ |title=Paid Support | publisher = Koha Library Software Community |access-date=2011-08-18}}

In 2001, Paul Poulain (of Marseille, France) began adding many new features to Koha, most significantly support for multiple languages.{{cite web|url=http://drupal.biblibre.com/en/product/koha |title= BibLibre |url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109220830/http://drupal.biblibre.com/en/product/koha|archive-date= 2011-11-09}} By 2010, Koha has been translated from its original English into French, Chinese, Arabic and several other languages. Support for the cataloguing and search standards MARC and Z39.50 was added in 2002 and later sponsored by the Athens County Public Libraries.{{cite web|url=http://www.myacpl.org/library/koha |title=The Koha Project | publisher = Athens County Public Libraries |access-date=2011-08-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110810055802/http://www.myacpl.org/library/koha |archive-date=2011-08-10}} Poulain co-founded BibLibre in 2007.{{cite web |url= http://www.biblibre.com/en/page/about-biblibre |title=Faites le choix de l'expertise | publisher = Bib libre |access-date=2010-05-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101018170732/http://www.biblibre.com/en/page/about-biblibre |archive-date= 2010-10-18 |url-status= dead}}

In 2005, an Ohio-based company, Metavore, Inc., trading as LibLime, was established to support Koha and added many new features, including support for Zebra sponsored by the Crawford County Federated Library System. Zebra support increased the speed of searches as well as improving scalability to support tens of millions of bibliographic records.{{Cite web |last=Akbar |first=F. |date=2023-08-28 |title=Koha: Empowering Libraries with Open Source Innovation - |url=https://vwsonline.org/koha-open-source-library-management-system/ |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=Virtual World Solutions |language=en-US}}

In 2007 a group of libraries in Vermont began testing the use of Koha for Vermont libraries. At first a separate implementation was created for each library. Then the Vermont Organization of Koha Automated Libraries (VOKAL) was organized to create one database to be used by libraries. This database was rolled out in 2011. Fifty-seven libraries have chosen to adopt Koha and moved to the shared production environment hosted and supported by ByWater Solutions.{{cite web|title=VOKAL, The Vermont Koha Project|url=http://www.vermontlibraries.org/vokal-the-vermont-koha-project |work=Green Mountain Library Consortium|access-date= 9 December 2011}} Another consortium of libraries in Vermont, the Catamount Library Network has also adopted Koha (also hosted by ByWater Solutions). Previously automated Vermont libraries used software from Follett, or other commercial software vendors.{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/vokalvtpublic/ |title=VOKAL VT Public |access-date= 2011-08-18}}

In 2010 the King's Fund, supported by PTFS Europe, completed their migration to Koha after an extensive feasibility study.{{cite periodical |url= https://issuu.com/alissinfo/docs/january2011/9 |periodical= ALISS Quarterly |volume=6 |issue=2 |page=13 |date=January 2011 |title=Koha: Choosing and implementing an open source integrated library management system}}

In 2011 the Spanish Ministry of Culture began maintenance of KOBLI, a tailored version of Koha{{cite web |url=http://koha.1045719.n5.nabble.com/KOBLI-a-customized-version-of-KOHA-td4290203.html |work=Koha - Discuss |title=KOBLI, a customized version of KOHA |publisher=Nabble |date=2011-04-09 |access-date=2011-08-18 |archive-date=2011-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110819125704/http://koha.1045719.n5.nabble.com/KOBLI-a-customized-version-of-KOHA-td4290203.html |url-status=dead}} based on an earlier report.{{Cite web |url= http://aims.fao.org/tools/kobli-koha |title= Kobli Koha | publisher = FAO | work = Aims |access-date=2013-12-12 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131212073407/http://aims.fao.org/tools/kobli-koha |archive-date= 2013-12-12 |url-status=dead}}{{cite report|url=http://travesia.mcu.es/portalnb/jspui/handle/10421/4711|title=Informe de evaluación del sistema integrado de gestión de bibliotecas Koha para las Bibliotecas de la Administración General del Estado| publisher =Grupo de Trabajo de Catálogo Colectivo de las Bibliotecas de la Administración General del Estado |first1 =Arroyo Fernández |last1 = Domingo|first2 =Sellés Carot|last2 =Alicia|date=27 September 2010}} The project was concluded in 2018.{{Cite web |date=14 January 2023 |title=Koha-Kobli sistema integrado de gestión para las bibliotecas de la AGE {{!}} Ministerio de Cultura y Deporte |url=https://www.culturaydeporte.gob.es/cultura/bibliotecas/servicios-para-bibliotecas/koha-kobli.html |website=www.culturaydeporte.gob.es}}

In 2014 the Ministry of Culture (Turkey) started to use Koha–Devinim in 1,136 public libraries with more than 17 million items and around 2 million active users.{{cite web |url= https://kohapakistan.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/56041518_338716899977823_7558736200381397202_n.mp4 |title=Video to announce a talk about Turkey's Koha installation at PakistanKohaCon19 |website= Koha Pakistan |date=March 2019}} Specialized libraries such as music libraries have adopted Koha because its open-source nature offers easier customization for their particular use cases.{{cite conference | last =Ganseman | first = J |title=Refactoring a Library's Legacy Catalog: a Case Study |conference=IAML 2015 |year=2015 |url= http://wiki.muziekcollecties.be/images/IAML2015_JG.pdf |location= New York City, USA}}

A 2017 Library Technology Reports article claimed that Koha "holds the position as the most widely implemented open source integrated library system (ILS) in the world".{{cite journal |last= Breeding |first= Marshall |date=August 2017 |title=Open Source Library Systems: Koha |journal=Library Technology Reports |volume=53 |issue=6 |pages=9–17 |url=https://journals.ala.org/index.php/ltr/article/view/6405 |publisher= American Library Association}} According to ohloh (now OpenHub), in 2019 Koha had a "[v]ery large, active development team" and a "[m]ature, well-established codebase", with hundreds of contributors and over 20 monthly contributors each month from 2011 to 2019.{{cite web|last=Azevedo |first=Andre |url=https://www.openhub.net/p/koha |title=Koha Library Automation Package |publisher= OpenHub |access-date=2019-08-21}}

In 2009 a dispute arose between LibLime and other members of the Koha community. The dispute centred on LibLime's apparent reluctance to be inclusive with the content of the sites{{cite web |url= http://koha.org/ |title=Koha}} and the non-contribution of software patches back to the community. A number of participants declared that they believed that LibLime had forked the software and the community.{{cite web|author=Joann Ransom |url=http://library-matters.blogspot.com/2009/09/liblime-forks-koha.html |title= Library Matters: Liblime forks Koha |publisher= Google | work = Library-matters |date=2009-09-14 |access-date=2011-08-18}}{{cite web|url=http://www.librarian.net/stax/2967/koha-and-liblime-and-the-letter-and-the-spirit-of-open-source/ | work =Blog Archive | title = Koha and LibLime and the letter and the spirit of open source |publisher= Librarian |date= 2009-08-06 |access-date= 2011-08-18}}{{cite web |url= http://blog.libraryjournal.com/tennantdigitallibraries/2009/09/15/liblime-to-the-koha-community-fork-you/ |title=LibLime To the Koha Community: Fork You! | work = Tennant: Digital Libraries | publisher = Library journal |date= 2009-09-15 |access-date=2011-08-18 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110228054551/http://blog.libraryjournal.com/tennantdigitallibraries/2009/09/15/liblime-to-the-koha-community-fork-you |archive-date= 2011-02-28}}{{cite web |url= http://librariansmatter.com/blog/2009/09/19/the-koha-fork-and-being-the-change-you-want-to-see/ |title= The Koha fork and being the change you want to see |date= 19 September 2009 |publisher=Librarians Matter |access-date=2011-08-18}}{{cite web|url=https://lwn.net/Articles/386284/ |title= Koha community squares off against commercial fork | work = LWN |access-date= 2011-08-18}}{{cite web|url=http://irc.koha-community.org/irclog/koha/2010-02-02#i_381857 |title=IRC log for #koha, 2010-02-02}} A separate web presence, source code repository and community was established.{{cite web|url=https://koha-community.org/ |title= Koha Library Software}} The fork continued after March 2010, when LibLime was purchased by PTFS.{{cite web |url=http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6714841.html |title=LibLime Acquisition by PTFS Marks a New Era for Koha | work = Library journal |access-date= 2011-08-18 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110607110431/http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6714841.html |archive-date= 2011-06-07}}

In November 2011, LibLime announced they had been granted a provisional trademark on the use of the name koha in New Zealand by Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand.{{cite web |url= http://www.liblime.com/ptfsliblime-granted-provisional-use-of-koha-trademark-in-new-zealand |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120223110830/http://www.liblime.com/ptfsliblime-granted-provisional-use-of-koha-trademark-in-new-zealand |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-02-23 |title= PTFS/LibLime Granted Provisional Use of Koha Trademark in New Zealand |publisher= Liblime |access-date= 2012-06-25}} The Koha community and Catalyst IT Ltd (NZ) successfully appealed against the provisional trademark grant, with a decision handed down in December 2013{{cite web|url= http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/morningreport/audio/2579603/koha-trademark-case-won-by-nz-developers |title=Koha trademark case won by NZ developers|date= 11 December 2013}} and with LibLime to pay costs.{{cite web|url=http://www.itwire.com/business-it-news/open-source/62619-koha-wins-trademark-stoush-with-us-defence-contractor|title=iTWire - Koha wins trademark stoush with US defence contractor |first= Sam|last=Varghese}}{{cite web|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=11172076|title=Koha trademark battle settled|date=13 December 2013 |via= New Zealand Herald}}{{Citation | url = http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/document/pdf/201350/KOHA%20Decision%20of%20the%20Commissioner%2091.pdf | year = 2013 | title = NZIPOTM 47 | work = NZ herald}}.

Koha releases follow a regular, calendar based, pattern with monthly maintenance releases and bi-annual feature releases.

Each Koha release has a version number that consists of the year and month number of the release.{{cite web |url=https://koha-community.org/about/release-schedule/ |title= Release Schedule|publisher=Koha Community|access-date=28 April 2020}} Koha 22.11 was the first release with Long Term Support / LTS.{{cite web |url=https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/Koha_Versioning#LTS_Releases |title=LTS Releases (2022-)|publisher=Koha Community|access-date=20 January 2025}}

• 2000 winner of the Not for Profit section of the 2000 Interactive New Zealand Awards{{cite web |url=http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/CC256CED0016AD1ECC2569810006EAE0?Opendocument | work = Computerworld | title = News | place = New Zealand |publisher= Fairfax |date=2000-10-24 |access-date=2011-08-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120314124343/http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/CC256CED0016AD1ECC2569810006EAE0?Opendocument |archive-date=2012-03-14}}
• 2000 winner of the LIANZA / 3M Award for Innovation in Libraries{{cite web|url=http://lianza2009.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/library-idol-its-the-3m-award-for-innovation-in-libraries/ |title= 'Library Idol' – It's the 3M Award for 'Innovation in Libraries' | work = LIANZA Conference 2009 Blog | via = Word press |date=2009-10-07 |access-date=2011-08-18}}
• 2003 winner of the public organisation section of the Les Trophées du Libre
• 2004 winner Use of IT in a Not-for-Profit Organisation Computerworld Excellence Awards{{cite web |url= http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/6C696179245321F5CC256EBD006E50BC?Opendocument |title= News | work = Computerworld | place = New Zealand |publisher= Fairfax |date=2004-06-28 |access-date=2011-08-18 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120314124438/http://computerworld.co.nz/news.nsf/news/6C696179245321F5CC256EBD006E50BC?Opendocument |archive-date=2012-03-14}}
• 2014 Finalist Open Source Software Project New Zealand Open Source Awards{{cite web|url=http://www.nzosa.org.nz/categories |title=Award Categories|access-date= 2014-11-20 | publisher = NZ Osa}}

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