Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst was thrilled to attend two user groups for Koha libraries in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in February 2024. Discover the insights from the event below.
Highlights from Koha user groups, 2024
Auckland University of Technology hosted the first Koha user group at their City Campus in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. The event spanned two days, with the first day dedicated to presentations and discussions while the second day focused on hands-on training and workshops.
1. Koha updates
Koha libraries based in the upper North Island are excited about the new features and enhancements introduced in recent system releases. Additionally, Alex Buckley, Rōpū kohinga Developer, provided insights into the anticipated changes in Koha 23.11 during the presentation.
2. Open source works for any organisation
AUT Open Source Initiatives Lead, Craig Murdoch, presented why open source software works for AUT and repeatedly praised Catalyst’s support on their recent project. Furthermore, he emphasized how open source helps those working with the systems. “It makes you smarter, better at your job, makes you think harder, improves creativity, confidence, and critical thinking” said Craig
3. The benefits of Koha Library Management
The following week, the Parliamentary Library hosted a user group in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington. The session, held in the morning, included presentations and sharing of knowledge. Plus, participants engaged in discussions about how they have expanded the functionality of Koha by:
- Integrating it with other platforms.
- Customising it to meet the specific needs of their organisation.
Koha is open-source and driven by community involvement. And, these meetings highlighted the wealth of knowledge and ideas within the Aotearoa New Zealand Koha community. Additionally, there was enthusiasm for more frequent online meetings and collaboration between these regional events at both user groups.
Rōpū kohinga enjoys hearing how Koha enables organisations to share knowledge and access resources. Plus, there is a warmth in the user group meetings that is unique to the Koha community. Rōpū kohinga looks forward to the next opportunity to discuss Koha over coffee and get kanohi-ki-te-kanohi (face-to-face) with the libraries they work so closely with each day.
Rōpū kohinga at Catalyst
If you have any questions about the work Rōpū kohinga is involved with or would like support with your Koha instance, email our team.
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