Invitation to Regional Workshop on KOHA – An Open-Source Integrated Library Management Software

15 -18 August, 2022 | Rwanda

• Is your library still using the manual system to deliver services to your clientele?
• Is your university under a heavy load of paying yearly subscription of about $2500 or more for the proprietary library management software?
• Are you looking for an enterprise level library management software that will provide you the tools for a modern digital library?
• Are you looking for a software that will free you from yearly subscription fees?
• Do you want to integrate electronic article surveillance and security on your library premises?

If your answer to any of the above is YES, then this workshop is for you!!!

The Association of African Universities (AAU) warmly invites you to its first 2022 regional training workshop on KOHA, an open-source Integrated Library Management System. The objective of the workshop is to unbundle the KOHA open-source Integrated Library System (ILMS) to participants and institutions.

Koha is an enterprise level web-based ILS, accessible via Z39.50 protocol.  Koha has a highly configurable and adaptable user interface that can also support many languages. Koha has most of the features that would be expected in an ILS, including:

• Web 2.0 facilities like tagging, comment, Social sharing and RSS feeds
• Union catalogue facility
• Customizable search
• Automated Circulation and borrower management
• Self-check-in/check-out capacity
• Full acquisitions module that manages budgets and pricing information
• Ability to handle multiple branches, patrons, patron categories, item categories, items, currencies, and other data
• Reading lists for members
• UNICODE and library standards compliant
• Export/import and backup/restoration facilities
• Offline support
• Integrating security gates and electronic article surveillance

This workshop will also introduce the Linux operating system to the participants to acquaint the participants with the installation of Koha on server class machines and provide extensive hands-on-training for both librarians and the library IT support staff. Participants will be equipped with capacity to manage Koha as LMS at institutions with large collections.

Target Audience 

There will be two parallel sessions for the workshop

1. Librarian Session for KOHA management
2. IT session for installation, customising, and configurations.

The training will be of immense benefit to LIS professionals working in any type of library. The number of participants will be restricted to 30 per session, and admission will be strictly on a first-come-first-served basis. The Workshop will be handled by experts with extensive practical experience in Linux and Koha.

Fee and Registration

The registration fee for the 4-day event is

AAU Members*                                 $500

Non- AAU member institutions         $600

This will cover workshop attendance fee, snacks and lunches, e-training material and other logistics. The registration link is https://event-mgt.aau.org/e/koha2022

* List of AAU members here https://www.aau.org/subs/membership/

Travel, Accommodation and Conferencing

Participants will be responsible for their own accommodation and travel-related costs, such as flights. AAU will support application process for countries that will need visas on arrival but participants from outside (international participants) need to ensure that they leave enough time for host institution to submit their visa applications before they arrive. It is suggested that participants arrive latest on the Sunday evening, as the training starts on Monday morning.

The AAU will deal with the registrations and issue invitation letters for visa and other purposes and will provide all logistics related information to ensure a smooth workshop. 

Contacts

Registration, logistics and visas: Abednego Corletey: acorletey@aau.org

NB: There will be a discussion on a provision now available for hosting for institutions who will need support to host their Koha platform free on the cloud. These institutions will be supported to setup their Koha Library management platforms on the clouds