Re: [Koha-devel] Some script ideas on version 3

[Joshua Ferraro]

On Thu, Mar 16, 2006 at 05:52:12PM +0200, Tümer Garip wrote:
> Hi all,
> I don't know whether everything is set for v3 KOHA but here are some
> food for thought.
No, not set completely yet.

> In our library we use LC classification and callnumbering.
> 
> 1- For this the item call number is constructed from MARC21 field 050a
> and 050b plus ant other local addition.
> KOHA has a system preference for putting only one subfield into
> itemcallnumber. Couldn't we have it so that if we write 050ab it
> actually parses and reads both subfields or maybe even better 050a,XXXb
> for real flexibility.
In fact, aren't there cases where a library uses two or more different
item call numbers for different collections? For instance, NPL uses
Dewey for non-fiction but fiction uses a locally-constructed method.

So in addition to needing to parse multiple subfields it should also
support multiple mappings ... Any suggestions for how to handle that?

> 2- Inventory reports are supposed to order the books as they appear on
> the shelf. For us (LC) order goes like this:
> 
> AB1.5 C25 2004
> AB1.5 C203 2004
> AB5 .C203 2004
> AB41 .C203 2004
> AB234 .C203 2004
> (just samples not real callnumbers)
> This sorting is a litte complex that letters are sorted as text and
> numbers as numbers.
> 
> While KOHA sorts them as a text field and we have
> AB1.5 C203 2004
> AB1.5 C25 2004
> AB234 .C203 2004
> AB41 .C203 2004
> AB5 .C203 2004
> 
> To be able to achieve the LC sort order we had to write a parsing
> routine to item callnumber and add 5 more fields to items table.
> 
> If this is an issue for others as well may be we can incorporate it in
> official release with a system preference whether to use this sorting or
> not.
Yes!!! Please do. 

> I need to know whether it is useful to you so we can start tweaking this
> module which is not on our priorities list.
What kinds of tweaking would be necessary?

Cheers,
-- 
Joshua Ferraro               VENDOR SERVICES FOR OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE
President, Technology       migration, training, maintenance, support
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