Merging Records
There are a few ways to merge bibliographic records in Koha! Let's break down the options:
Merging Records from a Search
When a staff member searches the catalog in the staff interface, within the results screen, the "Edit" button gives the staff the option, once records are chosen, to merge them! A staff member does need the Edit catalog (Modify bibliographic/holdings data)(edit_catalogue) permission, which would allow them to edit the records.
From this search, once records are chosen from the list, the Edit button will become clickable, and the user can choose the Merge records option to merge these two records:
Merging Records from a Cataloging Search
Another way in Koha to merge records is to use the "Cataloging search" option. This search is only found in the Cataloging module. Click into the Cataloging module, and the green quick actions toolbar will display an option to do a Cataloging search, which will search the catalog and the reservoir.
This search will display the results in a slightly different layout than the standard Search catalog method:
From here, the user will select the records to merge, and click the "Merge selected" button along the top of the results screen.
Let's Merge!
No matter which way a library uses to find the records they wish to merge, the process of actually merging the records is the same.
- Choose the records to be merged.
- Choose which record will be kept and which will be deleted. Koha calls the record that is chosen to be kept the reference record (ref). Koha provides a link to both records, as well as a link to the MARC record:
- The reference record's MARC fields will all be kept by default, as indicated by the checked box next to each field. However, staff can choose not to keep certain MARC fields from this reference record by unchecking the box next to the unwanted MARC field.
- In the image below, Koha has started the merging process by capturing all the MARC fields from the reference record and copying them to the "Destination record". If any of these fields are 'unchecked', they will not be copied over to the destination record.
- MARC fields in the non-reference record are located in the tab to the right of the reference record tab. Staff can choose to add MARC fields to the destination record from the record that will not be kept, as well. This is a true merge, giving the staff the ability to pick and choose which MARC fields from which records will be kept and not kept.
- Once the merge has been submitted, Koha will provide a link and the bibliographic number of the record that was retained, as well as the one that was deleted.
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