MARCReady — AI-assisted MARC Preparation for Koha Migrations

MARCReady is a catalogue preparation tool for libraries moving to Koha, cleaning older catalogue data, or converting spreadsheet-based records into MARC. It helps identify common MARC record problems, assists with field mapping from spreadsheets and other exports, and lets librarians review suggested changes before exporting MARC21 or MARCXML files for Koha import.

What MARCReady does

• Accepts multiple input formats — upload MARC21 binary, MARCXML, MRK, CSV, TSV, Excel, or JSON files.
• Assists with field mapping — Kai, the MARCReady assistant, suggests how spreadsheet columns or JSON fields can map to MARC fields and subfields.
• Highlights common MARC issues — review potential problems such as invalid indicators, empty subfields, ISBN formatting issues, character encoding problems, and incomplete fixed fields.
• Keeps librarians in control — review suggested changes before export.
• Exports standard formats — download reviewed records as MARC21 binary (.mrc) or MARCXML (.marcxml) for Koha import.

Who MARCReady is for

MARCReady can help:

• Libraries preparing a migration to Koha.
• Libraries with existing MARC records that need review or cleanup.
• Small libraries with catalogues stored in spreadsheets.
• School, church, museum, and special libraries moving away from informal catalogue systems.
• Koha consultants and migration partners preparing data for client projects.
• Libraries that want to check export quality before planning a full migration.

Supported input formats

See Supported input and output formats for full details.

What Kai helps review

Kai reviews your records and suggests corrections for common MARC problems, including:

• Invalid indicators — indicator values that do not match expected MARC21 usage.
• ISBN formatting — ISBN cleanup and normalisation suggestions where appropriate.
• Duplicate fields — repeated fields that may need review.
• Empty subfields — subfield codes present but containing no useful data.
• Character encoding issues — common encoding artefacts that can cause display problems.
• Incomplete Leader and 008 fields — missing or malformed fixed-length fields that may affect import and retrieval.

Kai suggests repairs rather than applying every change automatically. The librarian reviewing the session decides which suggestions to accept before export.

How to get started

1. Visit app.kohasupport.com to upload a sample file and preview suggestions.
2. Review the suggested repairs and field mapping Kai produces for your data.
3. Export reviewed records when you are satisfied with the results.

For information on plans and usage, see the pricing page.

Note: MARCReady is designed as a preparation tool. Librarians should review exported records before importing them into Koha. No automated process can account for every local cataloguing convention or institution-specific decision. Human review remains an important part of any migration workflow.