Copy Cataloging Workflow in Koha: Step-by-Step Guide

Copy cataloging is the practice of importing an existing bibliographic record from an external source rather than creating one from scratch. For many standard published materials, it can reduce manual cataloging time substantially compared with creating every MARC record from scratch.

This guide covers the complete copy cataloging workflow in Koha, from setting up Z39.50 sources to importing, editing, and saving records.

What Is Copy Cataloging?

When a library receives a book, DVD, or other item, it needs a bibliographic record in the catalog. Copy cataloging means:

1. Search an external library database (Library of Congress, OCLC) for an existing record
2. Import the ready-made MARC record into Koha
3. Adapt it locally (add your call number, barcode, location)
4. Save — done

Compare that to original cataloging, where your staff creates every field manually — a task requiring significant training and 15-30 minutes per item.

When to copy catalog:

• Any commercially published book with an ISBN
• DVDs, CDs, audiobooks from major publishers
• Most government documents and academic publications
• Items already cataloged by another library anywhere in the world

When to do original cataloging:

• Locally-produced materials (institutional reports, newsletters)
• Extremely rare or unique items not found in any database
• Items in languages not well-covered by major databases

For most libraries, 85-95% of new acquisitions are candidates for copy cataloging.

Prerequisites

Before copy cataloging, you need at least one Z39.50 server configured in Koha. See How to Add Z39.50 Servers in Koha for setup instructions.

Recommended starting servers:

• Library of Congress (lx2.loc.gov, port 210, database LCDB) — free, 20M+ catalog records
• OCLC WorldCat (zcat.oclc.org, port 210, database OLUCWorldCat) — 600M+ bibliographic records, requires OCLC membership

Step 1: Open Cataloging Module

1. Log in to the Koha staff interface
2. Click Cataloging in the top navigation menu
3. Click New record (or use a fast-add framework if configured)

Alternative entry point — via Acquisitions: If you’re adding received items through the Acquisitions module, Koha will offer Z39.50 search when you go to catalog an order. The workflow is the same from Step 2 onward.

Step 2: Launch Z39.50 Search

On the new record form:

1. Click the Z39.50 Search button (usually near the top of the form, labeled “Z39.50/SRU”)
2. A search dialog opens showing your configured Z39.50 servers
3. Servers with the Preselected checkbox ticked are pre-checked — others you can tick manually
4. You can search multiple servers simultaneously by checking more than one

Tip: Pre-select your top 1-2 servers (see server configuration) so staff don’t need to tick boxes each time.

Step 3: Search for the Record

Search by ISBN (Fastest — Use When Available)

1. In the Z39.50 search dialog, find the ISBN field
2. Enter the 13-digit ISBN from the item’s barcode or title page (e.g., 9780316769174)
3. Click Search
4. Results appear in seconds — usually just 1-3 matches for an exact ISBN

Why ISBN search is best:

• Exact match — no ambiguity
• Returns the correct edition, not just the same title
• Fastest query type (usually <1 second)

Search by Title + Author (If No ISBN)

If the item has no ISBN (older books, pamphlets, government documents):

1. Enter the first 3-5 words of the title in the Title field
2. Enter the author’s last name in the Author field
3. Click Search
4. Browse results and match by edition and publication year

Tips for title searches:

• Shorter is better: "managing library" instead of "managing the modern library"
• Skip articles at the start: search "old man sea" not "the old man and the sea"
• If too many results, add a year range to narrow down

Search by Other Fields

Field	Use case
Title	When no ISBN is available
Author	Find all works by a specific person
Subject	Find records by topic (less common for copy cataloging)
Standard number	ISBN, ISSN, LCCN
Any	Broad keyword search across all fields

Step 4: Review and Select a Record

Search results show a list of matching records. For each result you can see:

• Title and Author
• Publication year
• Publisher
• Source server (which Z39.50 server found this record)

Before importing, check:

1. Correct edition — Make sure the year and edition match your physical item
2. Correct format — Don’t import a record for the hardcover if you have the paperback (different ISBNs, sometimes different pagination)
3. Record quality — Library of Congress records tend to be more complete; OCLC records vary by contributing library

To preview a record before importing, click the title or a “View MARC” link if available.

To import, click Import or the record row’s action button.

Step 5: Review the Imported Record

After importing, Koha loads the MARC record into the cataloging editor. Review the key fields:

Fields to Check

MARC Field	Label	Check
020	ISBN	Should match your item
100/110	Main entry (Author)	Verify name form
245	Title	Verify matches title page
250	Edition	Should match your copy
260/264	Publication info	Publisher, place, year
300	Physical description	Pages, illustrations
650	Subject headings	Check are appropriate

Fields to Add or Edit

Call number (082 or 050):

• Imported records usually include a Dewey (082) or LC (050) call number
• Verify it fits your library’s classification scheme
• Adjust if your library uses a modified scheme

Local fields:

• Any fields your library adds for local tracking, special collections, or OPAC display

Fields You Can Usually Accept As-Is

• MARC 100 (Author name) from Library of Congress records — these use LC Name Authority File and are reliable
• MARC 650/651 (Subject headings) from LOC — these use LCSH and are authoritative
• MARC 020 (ISBN) — should match exactly

Step 6: Add Item Record (Holdings)

After reviewing the bibliographic record, you need to add your copy’s item information:

1. Click the Add item tab or section (usually below the bib record fields)
2. Fill in item-specific fields:
   • Barcode — scan or manually enter the item’s barcode
   • Home library / Holding library — your branch
   • Shelving location — e.g., “General Stacks”, “Reference”, “Children’s”
   • Item type — e.g., “Book”, “DVD”, “Periodical”
   • Call number — copy from the 082/050 field or enter manually
   • Copy number — if this is a second copy, enter 2
3. Click Add item
4. Repeat for each physical copy

Tip: If you’re adding 5+ copies of the same item, use Koha’s Add multiple items option to batch-add by count.

Step 7: Save the Record

1. Click Save (or Save and continue if adding more items)
2. Koha saves both the bibliographic record and item record(s)
3. The item is now discoverable in your OPAC catalog
4. Patrons can find and place holds immediately

Troubleshooting Copy Cataloging Issues

“No results found” for ISBN

Cause: The item may be new (not yet indexed in the database), out of print, or self-published.

Solution:

1. Try a different server (OCLC WorldCat has broader coverage than LOC for some materials)
2. Search by title + author instead
3. If still no results, do original cataloging for this item

Record looks wrong or is low quality

Cause: Record contributed by a smaller library or entered before current standards.

Solution:

1. Search the same ISBN on a different server — Library of Congress records are generally best
2. Edit the fields manually to match your item
3. For authority headings (100, 650), use Koha’s authority control lookup

Character encoding issues (garbled text)

Cause: Mismatch between server encoding and Koha’s expectation.

Solution: See Z39.50 Connection Troubleshooting for encoding fixes.

Z39.50 search button is missing

Cause: No Z39.50 servers are configured, or your user account lacks permissions.

Solution:

1. Check [Administration → Z39.50/SRU servers] — add at least one server
2. Verify your Koha user account has the edit_catalogue permission
3. See How to Add Z39.50 Servers

Copy Cataloging Efficiency Tips

For High-Volume Libraries

Batch processing: If you receive 50+ items at a time, consider Koha’s Stage MARC records tool to import multiple records from a file (MARCEdit export) rather than one-by-one.

Preferred server order: Configure Library of Congress as rank 1, OCLC as rank 2. Staff always search LOC first (fastest, best records), fall back to OCLC for gaps.

Preselect smart: Preselect only your most-used server. Having 5 servers pre-selected means 5 concurrent queries every time, slowing the search dialog.

Record Quality Hierarchy

When multiple records are available from different sources, prioritize:

1. Library of Congress (PCC records, highest authority)
2. OCLC WorldCat — full member records (look for OCLC number in 035 field)
3. National libraries (British Library, National Library of Australia)
4. University libraries (generally higher quality than small publics)
5. Other public libraries

Authority Control After Importing

If your Koha is configured with authority control:

• Run Tools → Link bibliographic records to authority records periodically
• This ensures imported headings are linked to your authority file
• Unlinked headings still display correctly but don’t benefit from authority browse

Related Resources

• How to Add Z39.50 Servers in Koha — Configure Z39.50 sources first
• Z39.50 Server Directory — Browse 200+ verified Z39.50 servers
• Z39.50 Connection Troubleshooting — Fix connection issues
• What Is Cataloging? — Cataloging fundamentals and concepts
• MARC Records in Koha — Understanding the MARC record structure
• Authority Records in Koha — Maintain consistent headings