Koha Evaluation

My scenario is a 4-branch county library---Coastline County Public Library(CCPL).

Pros and Cons

Based on the attribute analysis, we find the greatest draw of Koha is the lower cost (TCO) for an Open Source library system, as well as the freedom from “vendor lock-in”. Another draw is that Koha is full-featured, and scalable for different-sized libraries. Koha development status is stable, and is improving. Furthermore, being an Open Source software, Koha’s source code is open for self-support and reconstitute. Koha maintains an active Developer Mailing List. The transparent nature of Koha software provides a large room for customization and improvement. The major drawback of Koha, on the other hand, is the support challenge and potential costs. Besides, Koha development status is rated “stable” instead of “mature”, and less than mature software implies more risk for the users. Moreover, being an Open Source software, Koha may not find it easy to keep a financial stability. As we know, a financial instability is a risk factor for project instability.

Conclusion

For the libraries like CCPL, Koha’s advantages outweigh its drawbacks. Koha meets the core needs of CCPL in a cost-effective way. It is full-featured, with modules for circulation, acquisitions, cataloging, authorities, searching, serials, and patron/membership management. Koha is the first open-source library automation system; it is free of licensing costs, and its source code is always available for modification. To sum it up, Koha is a choice worth consideration by CCPL management.