How to use Koha

What is OPAC?

OPAC is a gateway of library services. An OPAC provides the users online access to the library’s catalogue allowing them to search and retrieve records from the online catalogue and depending on the underlying library management software, it also offers several other facilities such as online reservation, borrower status checking and so on

How to Perform an Advance Search ?

When you can't find the most appropriate material with a general search, you can move to the Advanced Search page by clicking on the Search option on the persistent toolbar. The Advanced Search page offers many ways to limit the results of your search. You can search using the Boolean operators AND, OR, and NOT; limit by item type; limit by year and language; limit by subtypes audience, content, format, or additional content types; by location and by availability.

Additional Fields/Limits: The first limiting section on the Advanced Search page provides a quick and simple way to use the Boolean operators in your search.

The Advanced Search page also shows the multiple kinds of limits that can be applied to your search results. For date ranges, you will type the year, a range, or a 'greater than (>)' or 'less than (<)' year. For example: 1999-2001. You could also use "-1987" for everything published in and before 1987 or "2008-" for everything published in 2008 and after.
When logged in, you can...

View and renew items checked out

View and renew items overdue

View status of and cancel holds you have placed

View fines you owe

Submit changes to your personal details (like name or address)

Submit a change to your password

View your Reading History (also known as 'Checkout History')

Manage how you're notified by the library of events and due dates

Review an edit your lists

How to use My Account ?

You can log in and access your personal information from any computer, on or off campus.

My Summary: Once logged in, you can see your account summary; how many items are borrowed; when they are due.

Current Fines: Fines tab appears next to the My Summery tab in My Summary, the amount presented is the current fine, which you owe to the library. You can also check the history of your Fines at My Fines tab.

NOTE: If the Overdue tab appears as well, it means that you have overdue item(s) on loan and the fine will continue to increase until you return the item(s) back to the library.

Your Personal Details: In your personal details tab appears next to the Your fines tab in My Summary, Here you can see your personal details like: card number, surname, name contact details. If you want to any change in this part you can contact to details given at footer of this guide.

Change your Password: Change your password tab appears next to Your fines tab, In this tab user can change default password and create new log in password for security purpose.

My Reading History: The My Reading History tab reveals your entire check out history. It could be useful especially when looking for details of item(s) you may wish to borrow again.

Your Search History: You can access your search history via the My Search History tab. Clicking on any of the search phrases will re-run the same search. You may delete your search history at any time by clicking on the Delete your search history link.

Your Purchase Suggestions: You can place your required book(s) purchase suggestions to the library authority using the"Your Purchase Suggetions tab"

Your Messaging: You can stay updated about your won library information through messaging

What is Cart & Lists ?

The library catalog system provides two ways to keep track of your searches and wish list for resources: carts and lists.

Cart

A cart is a temporary holding place for records you are interested in during a search session. In order to add items to your cart, you can do it either from the results list or the page of an individual record, as shown in the previous section. At the results, you can either click at the Add to your cart option from the bottom of each item, or select the item by clicking on the check box, and then click at the Add to: Cart at the top of the results By clicking that button a pop-up window opens with all the details of the selected items. Available options are: Send via email, Download the list, Print, Empty the cart and close the window. NOTE: Once you log out or close the browser, you lose the items in your cart.

Items placed in the cart can be:

– Viewed as a group of items (like a List)

– Printed out

– Displayed in more detail

– Selected or removed

– Sent to any e-mail account

– Placed on hold

Lists

If you want a more permanent location for saving items, use the List feature. You need to be logged in to your personal account. For creating or adding to a list you follow the steps for adding items to the Cart, and you click the Add to a list after having selected the desired items.
The first limiting section on the Advanced Search page provides a quick and simple way to use the Boolean operators in your search.