Using Koha for cataloging and classification: a case study

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the ways in which online cataloguing is used to provide twenty-first century library and information services to a university community in a developing country, together with the challenges and prospects of such an application. The paper aims to examine the use of the internet to catalogue and classify library materials in the University of Ilorin Library. It looks at the use of the Library of Congress Catalogue in copy cataloguing. This paper also discusses the use of Koha, a free library integrated software to classify and catalogue library resources in the University of Ilorin Library. Design/methodology/approach – The methods used are participant observation, interviews with the senior librarians in the library and visits to another library that uses Koha software. Periodical and online articles were also used to gather information to support this study. Findings – The major problem is incessant power failure and the library is planning to get a heavy and very powerful inverter and generator that can stop the disruption of work resulting from the intermittent power supply. Another setback in using Koha is that the cataloguing is being done online unlike Biblofile which is done offline. Research limitations/implications – The researchers visited only one university library in the course of the research. This is due to financial constraints. Practical implications – Information communication technology training must be taken seriously for librarians who want to remain relevant in this age of information technology. Originality/value – This study about Koha software usage is the first of its kind to be carried out in the University of Ilorin Library and will be useful to other university libraries.