Koha 3.0 Roadmap
Development and Management Team
- (JF) Joshua Ferraro => 3.0 Release Manager
- (TG) Tumer Garip => 3.0 Release Assistant
- (PP) Paul Poulain => 2.2 Release Manager
- (CC) Chris Cormack => Quality Assurance Manager
- (RG) Russel Garlick => Documentation Manager
- (RH) Ryan Higgins => Translation Manager
- (GC) Galen Charlton => Biblio.pm, Installation, etc.
- (JA) Joe Atzberger => Dates.pm, etc.
- (OL) Owen Leonard => Interface Designer (HTML coder)
- (CM) Cindy Murdock => Testing
- (KH) Kyle Hall => Developer
- (MJ) MJR => KohaInstaller
- (HDL) Henri Damien Laurent => Developer
- (AF) Antoine Farnault => Developer
- (TD) Thomas Dukleth => MARC21, UNIMARC adviser
- (SY) Sylvain => developer
- (OZ) Osmoze => Testing, bug reporting
- (ID) Indradg => LiveCD Manager
- (AN) Anonymous => Sponsors found, pending acceptance
Features
MAJOR FEATURES
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Replace marc-* tables with Zebra | PP | |
Completed | Apache2 with mod_perl2 support | PP | |
Completed | Replace use of Net::Z3950 with Perl-ZOOM | TG | |
Completed | UNICODE and general encoding issues | PP / THD | (JF: Koha now correctly handles MARC-8 to UTF-8 conversion for MARC21 records and manages the leader accordingly.) MARC-8 to and ISO 5426 to UTF-8. DB&tmpl are done. Not handling external imports (z3950) yet |
Architectural Study Recommendations
(see http://www.kohadocs.org/Koha_architecture.html)
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Implement logging of action taken at the database level. | HDL & AF | done & systempreferences added to activate or not the logging for 5 actions |
Completed | Enhance the data integrity by implementing constraints in the database schemas. | PP | misc/updatedatabase improved. Warning : the handling of integrity has to be improved : when some data is not deleted because of integrity constraint, koha says nothing, the user just sees that the data has not been deleted |
No Sponsor Yet Found | Divide the Perl Scripts into more functional detached modules with clear interfaces and responsibilities. | ?? | |
No Sponsor Yet Found | Implement a role management module. | ?? | |
DEVELOPMENT TOOLS
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | New Website | Everyone | Still some things to clean up, etc. |
Completed | Move from Sourceforge to Savannah | Everyone | note. |
Planning | LiveCD Creation | IND | One of the final steps before release. (This has been already done.) |
OPAC
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Amazon.com integration | JF | jacket-covers and reviews, etc. using amazon API |
Completed | spellchecking queries based on database entries | JF | Zebra has fuzzy searching |
Completed | patron reviews and ranking | CC | (reviews only) |
Completed | highlight search terms in results pages | TG | note. |
Completed | search history | TG | 2 history : session-lasting & long duration, like book bag & virtual shelves |
Completed | Move a bookbag to a virtual shelf & a virtual shelf in bookbag | AF | (although it has to be improved to move all items in 1 clic) |
In Process | patrons can manage their own reading history | AF | so they can delete it if they want, but should be paramaterized so libraries can decide how to handle history. |
Planning | PDA stylesheet | OL | note. |
Planning | People who borrowed this book also borrowed these other books | CC | Big problem for french libraries, as they can't keep track of personal datas and there's no way to do this anonymously. We will workaround the problem by adding a feature for patrons : they can (on OPAC) click to say "I want that Koha keep my reading history forever", and also to say "I want to clean IMMEDIATLY my reading history" -- Chris has found a way to attach the data anonymously to the bib record |
Completed | distinguish between 'status' and 'availability' | AN | See KohaStatuses |
Planning | bulk reserves from bookbag | CC | note. |
Planning | grab ISO images of CDs and hosted on a web-server | ID | using loopback and autofs and linked to MARC field 856 u (for CDs accompanying books) |
Unsponsored | Reserve rules like issuing rules | ?? | The idea being to be able to place reserves on a branch/itemtype/borrower category basis, like for issuing rules (PP) |
Unsponsored | member id cards from within Koha (print out the actual card) | ID | note. |
Completed | Reserves : send a mail or a SMS when a reserve is available | TG | This needs to be merged into HEAD from rel_TG |
Cataloging and Acquisitions
MARC Frameworks
No Sponsor yet Found | add new visibility columns to biblio (and auth) framework. | No developer yet found | note. |
No Sponsor yet Found | add default ordering to biblio and authority framework. | No developer yet found | note. |
No Sponsor yet Found | add ability to manage indicators in the same way as subfields . | No developer yet found | plugins, authorized values, treat indicator positions separately. |
Completed | default values for subfields. | PP | note. |
Cataloging
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
In Development | New professional cataloging client | PP, JF, AN | This is the [[1]] project, which will supplement the default MARC editor in Koha ; release 1.0 of [[2]] should coincide with Koha 3.0 |
Acquisitions
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Suggestion : reject explanation | AF | In suggestions, add a field to specify why the suggestion is rejected. This field being manually filled or selected in a list (driven in parameters) |
Planning | Fix budget-based acquisitions | CC | (again!) |
Planning | Variable VAT | ?? | Handle various VAT rates. In France, VAT depends on itemtype (serial/monography) and bookseller (EU - nonEU) |
Planning | EDI or related technology for automating the purchasing process, etc. | CC, RH, MJ | Baker and Taylor support; Ebsco support. |
Authorities
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Complete | create zebra database for authorities. | TG & HDL | |
Planning | auth_group | No developer yet found | the idea being that you can search for NAME as a group and it will find PERSONAL NAME, CORPORATE NAME, etc. |
No Sponsor yet Found | Merge frameworks for authorities and biblios | No developer yet found | Might get pushed to 3.2 |
No Sponsor yet Found | map a behavoir in authorities to a subfield code | No developer yet found | for example, in unimarc, use $3 for authid, in marc21 use $9; in unimarc, use ?$ for linkid in marc21 use $0 -- the user can specify in the framework what the subfield is linked to in auth_header. |
No Sponsor yet Found | add linkid, summary, marc to auth_header. | No developer yet found | note. |
No Sponsor yet Found | copy biblio framework changes to authority framework. | TG | note. |
No Sponsor yet Found | summary building for authorities. | No developer yet found | as discussed at koha dev week, there are special problems when building a summary. |
Members
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
In Process | Drop down list for parishes (institutions)(patron needs to be able to be assigned to multiple parishes. | CC | Print (or view) History of items checked out from an institution (would be nice to be able to sort by date of reservation, patron or by title); Select which institution checking items out for; Institution list add and modify, reassign; |
| Add a "group" feature | ?? | The user (patron or librarian) can define groups, and invite other ppl in their groups. The groups would be used for grouply private virtual shelves or other various things |
Catalogue
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Add something to let the library build the biblio summary itself | PP | depending on itemtype |
Planning | support for management and display of MARC indicators | AN | note. |
Planning | default value insertion into MARC editing tool | AN | note. |
Planning | Management of new items | AN | Creation of a statute " innovation ", related to the specimen. Creation of a moulinette to position this attribute according to the date of acquisition. Posting of a graphic indicator announcing that the specimen is an innovation in the OPAC. Modification of the rules of loan to hold account of this attribute. |
Planning | batch modify item statuses | AN | Creation of a new page allowing to seize a statute (and can be other elements) and to apply it to the flight specimens which one seizes the bar code. This page must be accessible in sub-menu from small Catalogage. |
Planning | Add a validation level | AN | Creation of a new page + a new user flag to allow some users to validate input on the catalogue before integration. |
Serials
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Serials Enhancements | KAT | see http://wiki.liblime.com/doku.php?id=kohaserialsspec |
Completed | borrowers alert | PP | borrowers can be alerted by a mail when the library recieve a new issue of a given subscription. The alert is by mail and based on the letter system (see below) |
Completed | Routing List | PP / KAT | The library can define a list (from borrowers or manually) to print everytime it recieve a new issue. The list is printed to be attached on the issue. Note that this feature just print the routing list, it don't follow where the issue is at a given time |
Planning | Imports notes BNF | AN | ? remove existing notes ? Import all the fields ? Bond with acquisitions ?; Require a thorough analysis; PP : Problem of the timeout Apache to be regulated. For the recovery of the local fields, to see Marc ::Record |
Planning | Imports Authorities BRANCH | AN | To import with the flight of the notes of BnF authority |
Planning | Serial numbering | PP | Introduce non numeric numbering sequences. I think I can do this quite easily, through a new table, where the library could define any alphabetic sequence, with a number for each entry, the number being replaced by the text (for example : 1=spring 2=summer 3=fall 4=winter to have 2005-Fall, 2005-Winter, 2006-Spring, 2006-Summer ...) |
Circulation
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Bonds between cards readers parent/enfant | SANOP | To create a bond between the card of the children and the card of the parents. Avoid seized again co-ordinates and allows to send to the parents the possible correspondences. |
Completed | Overdue Notices | SANOP | I suggest having 3 levels for each branch/borrower category. For each category, the library could define : the number of days before the letter is sent (see below), the letter sent, if the borrower is suspended. |
In Process | A way to store Video meta data (# of showings & # of viewers) | CC | Probably use a 'reviews' or 'issue notes' field to acomplish this |
In Process | ability for patrons to place future reserves on items. Patron to select the beginning date, the ending date would be calculated based on policy settings. Ability to make future reservations for patrons that would be for a customized period of time | CC | Probably use a 'reviews' or 'issue notes' field to acomplish this |
Planning | review current loan rules matrix | AN | Nature réservable of the specimen, Loan of the specimen prolongeable, Ergonomics of the rules of loan With the new additions with the rules of loan it will be perhaps necessary to redo the layout of the parameter setting for loan rules. |
Planning | Improved item status handling | ?? | not tied to MARC record except for export |
Planning | Ergonomics of seizure and rules of management of the readers | AN | To improve ergonomics of seizure of the readers and to prevent certain errors of seizure :1. Search for doubled blooms in the inscription (Name, first name, date of birth; 2. Test of unicity of the login/password; 3. Capital letters with the names and first names; 4. Postal codes pre-filled (customizable by the Library); 5. Addition of one second address, CSP etc...; To make in Javascript the functions purely related to the user interface. The checks requiring a call with the data base will be coded in Perl. Creation of a moulinette allowing to remove the inactive readers. To finalize the analysis with the media library. Should await the " Argentinian code ", which worked over again these aspects. |
Planning | Messages of blocking/releasing of the inscription | AN | To make explicit the messages of blocking and releasing of inscription compared to the rules of management of the media library. Management of the inscription for readers "except library". |
Planning | Revivals and penalties | AN | To manage the "workflow finely " revivals and penalties. |
Planning | Signature of the modifications | AN | To allow the traceability of the modifications of the card reader by the professionals. |
Planning | Category " except Library Location " according to the postal code | AN | To recall to the personnel the financial rules of inscription of a reader not residing in the library location. |
Planning | Journalizing of cancellations of fines | AN | To be able trace cancellations of fines (use C4/Log.pm facilities) |
Planning | NCIP | AN | For self-checkout barcode and RFID machines |
Planning | Cleaning of the data of the loan | AN | To create a program which, every night, cleans the data base by removing information nonnecessary. |
Planning | Management of the lost/stolen documents | AN | To manage the "workflow finely " revivals and penalties. |
Planning | Helped loan | AN | To allow the transactions of loan-return even in the event of unavailability of the network. |
Planning | Off line issues/returns | AN | Allow a computer doing issues/returns off line. Each return could be in a notepad. Each issue (borrower card - barcodes issued) in another one. When the network is back, both files are handled in batch mode |
Documentation
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Formalized Coding Guidelines | SH et al | see http://www.kohadocs.org/codingguidelines.html |
In Process | Create a User Manual | SH | Covering all aspects of Koha use. |
Planning | Finish text for online help | ?? | For Intranet and OPAC. |
In Process | Update all installation guides for new version | JF | note. |
Installation
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
In Process | Packages for major distros | MJ | Debian, Fedora, Mandriva, BSD? |
In Process | New installer | MJ | as outlined here: KohaInstaller |
In Process | web-based (configurator) installer | IND | (like wordpress or moodle) |
Other
STATUS | FEATURE | WHO | NOTE |
Completed | Remove Date::Manip from circulation modules | TG & AF | consumes about 70% of proc for circ |
Partially done | Letter system | PP ? | Libraries often require to have personnal texts in mails they send (to borrowers for late issues for example). Adding a "letter" system in system preferences, to let the library define all their letters themselves, and attach events to a letter |
No Sponsor Yet Found | Consortium Support | ?? | for libraries with more than main->branch distinction. |
No Sponsor Yet Found | Virtual Shelves Improvements | ?? | bulk reserve from VS; sort by title, etc; categorize VSes; filter list of off-limit terms for public and open shelves. |
No Sponsor Yet Found | Revive borrower history feature | ?? | Should be editable by patron (ie what patron sees); Note: this is a privacy issue in US due to the PA |
No Sponsor Yet Found | Revise Koha's self-checkout code | JF | note. |
LibLime | Translate templates into major languages | JF | We have French and English; as many others as possible, but I think we can find translators for at least Chinese, Arabic, German, Polish, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Ukrainian |
Other feature requests and bugs:
- Reserve can't be made on an item until it's in the catalog
Staff can't reserve a specific item (if it's damaged for instance) (sponsored by SAN West, code committed)
- Charges for Damaged/Lost Items:
Problem: Changing the status of a damaged/lost item before returning item off patron's card, permanently puts a charge on that patron's account.
Workaround: Owen: we should not be using the damaged status to set fines. We should always check items in before setting them as damaged. The reason for this is that the fines system doesn’t work well enough to handle them. I think most of us have encountered the patron record that still has a fine on it even though we’ve tried to set it as paid? That function is too buggy to use. The only safe way to have fines set on someone’s account is to add a patron note.
Recommendation: Change status of lost/damaged item. Then, charge goes automatically to patron’s account and then pay from that screen.
Release Schedule
Phase One: Dec 2005=> Jan 15 2006
Perl-ZOOM Development
Finalize plans for stages of Zebra integration
Phase Two: Jan 15=> May 15
Complete Zebra integration (search and manage functions)
Amazon Integration
KohaCon, Koha Developer's Week
Phase Three: May 16=> Release
MARC-8 to UTF-8 Handling (proper leader management for MARC21)
Manage and Store Authorities in Zebra
ISO 5426 to UTF-8 for UNIMARC
Finalize User Comments
Forward-port New Serials Module
New Installer
- Fix budget based acquisitions (or create modular acquisitions)
- Documentation including User Manual and Online Help
- Distribution packaging support (Debian, Red Hat, Windows, OSX)
- mod_perl2 and
Apache2 support
- QA testing
- Bugfixing
- LiveCD
Note: 3.0 is now in QA Testing, please see Koha 3.0 QA Notes