Koha to Koha ILL
This articles walks through the steps of setting up a Koha to Koha interlibrary loan instance. The ILL (Interlibrary loans) module adds the ability to request and manage loans or copies of material. Patrons can submit a request via the OPAC from the your interlibrary loan requests tab of their account. Library staff can then review and process those requests. Alternatively, staff can place requests themselves from the staff client.
Set Up
- The system preference for the ILL module, ILLModule, needs to be set to enabled.
- By enabling the ILLModule system preference there is no need to install additional third-party backends. Libraries still can connect to other backends (if you are using a 3rd party service for ILL).
- When configuring the plugin, the target library will be added, ZID (number in the system of the z39.50 target of Andrew's site), ILSDI is the URL to access the other library's interface, the username and password of the patron that has been created to access and place holds (this patron does not need permissions), and finally the framework code of the records that will be created.
- The library/libraries that you would like to connect to will need to be an open z39.50 target. If this library is one of ByWater's partners, they can reach out to us and our systems team can make this happen.
- Once the library is an open z39.50 target, this z39.50 information will need to be entered into the library's Koha site. Setting up z39.50 targets are found in the Admin Module.
- ILS-DI is another system preference that can be turned on. ILS -Discovery Interface is a standard for retrieving information from another library, placing holds, etc. If that library wants this to be allowed- for example placing holds directly on their site. (This was enabled for Andrew's site, so we could place holds on that site).
Create an ILL Request
Fill out the two sections of the request form - Search Koha Partner and Borrower Options. Search Koha Partner will allow the library to enter a keyword, ISBN, ISSN, Title and Author search. This search will be performed on the library that we will be borrowing from. Borrower Options will allow the library to enter the cardnumber, username or surname of the patron that will ultimately receive the ILL material. In addition, a pickup branch is also an option here.
Once this information has been entered in this form, the search will be performed on the library's z39.50 catalog and a lists of results will appear. The results will show which library (partner) has the items, the title, author, ISBN - and then an option to select the desired item.
The final step to finishing this request process would be to "Confirm Request". This will place the hold on the item on the library's site. If this library doesn't have ILS-DI enabled, this request could be processed through email. The option "Place Request with Partners" will provide an email template on which Koha will send the email to request the item.
To see all ILL requests, choose List Requests.
The list of requests will display the title, author, Patron requesting, Bibliographic Record, Branch, Status, and more.
Clicking on the Bibliographic Record link will bring up a newly created bib record that Koha has created in preparing for this item to be received from the lending library. The record is created in the Framework that was configured in the plugin and automatically suppressed from the OPAC. The item has not been created yet and will need to be created when the library receives it.
Lending Library
The lending library will need to set up a Patron which will be the core of this process and the patron's name will be the Borrowing Library's Name. Any holds for this Borrowing Library will appear on this patron's account.
Once a request has been completed on the Borrowing Library's side, the lending library will retrieve this book either when it is returned by a patron or found on the Holds to pull / Holds Queue report. The same process for triggering holds applies, check-in the item and the pop up will announce that this is headed to the Borrowing Library (Patron account that was created for this process). One last step before actually mailing it to the library would be to check it out to the Borrowing Library's account- to keep track of this item in the Lending Library's system.
Borrowing Library
Once the borrowing library has received the item, an item will be created on the existing biblio record with a barcode. A helpful step would be to add text on the item's $3 (materials specified) field to indicate that this is an ILL loan.
Now, the item is then ready to be checked out to the patron!
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