Hi Marcus, We've got a number of schools in our shared Koha system. We started using Koha before extended patron attributes were available, so we steered our libraries to using the sort 1 and sort 2 fields of the patron record. We actually format and load the patron records on behalf of our library staff (we don't really like to let them muck around the system). We encourage the libraries to use the year of graduation rather than the grade level. Using grade level requires changing the records every year -- this isn't a huge problem, but it just means more work and more maintenance of the record.
We use sort field 1 for year of graduation and sort field 2 for home room number or advisor name or whatever other information the schools deem pertinent. We have the sort fields display on overdue notices so the librarians can compile them and hand them out and we use the sort fields for reports of all kinds. We thought about using different patron types for each grade level but have shied away from doing that so far. It seems messy. We have talked with some elementary schools who like to control circulation by grade level -- so Grade 1 kids can take 1 book out for 1 week, Grade 2 kids can take 3 books our for 2 weeks, Grade 3 kids can take 5 books out for 2 weeks, etc. If any of these elementary schools end up joining our group and we cannot convince them to give up on the intensity of their circulation policies, then we probably will create patron types by grade level so they can control the heck out of their circulation. I hope this helps. Nora ________________________ Nora Blake MassCat Manager Massachusetts Library System P.O. Box 609 South Deerfield, MA 01373-0241 508-357-2121 x123 866-627-7228 Email: [email protected] AIM: noraatmls -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Magnus Enger Sent: Wednesday, October 05, 2011 3:12 PM To: Koha list Subject: [Koha] Best practice for registering pupils in a school library? Dear Community, Here comes a non-technical question! I have some customers who are school libraries, and I'm wonder what is the best way to register pupils as patrons. I'm thinking sometimes it will be interesting to be able to group them by the year they are in (1. year, 2. year etc), and sometimes it will be interesting to group them by the class they are in (in Norway these will typically be called 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B etc). I'm also thinking that during summer it will be useful to batch delete all the pupils who left at the end of the spring semester. And of course, every summer all the pupils who have not left will have to be shifted up one class. So maybe it's better to avoid the classes alltogether and use the year they enrolled for something? One of the libraries in question has created patron categories based on class, so they have patron types called 1A, 1B etc - I'm not sure what they plan to do when everyone gets shifted up one class at the end of the spring semester... ;-) So again: How are y'all registering pupils in Koha? Best regards, Magnus Enger libriotech.no _______________________________________________ Koha mailing list http://koha-community.org [email protected] http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha _______________________________________________ Koha mailing list http://koha-community.org [email protected] http://lists.katipo.co.nz/mailman/listinfo/koha
