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Migrating from Evergreen to Koha: MARC Export Considerations

Key MARC export considerations for libraries moving from Evergreen to Koha, including bibliographic records, holdings, item data, and test imports.

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Migrating from Evergreen to Koha: MARC Export Considerations

Evergreen and Koha are both open-source library systems, but a migration between them still requires careful data preparation.

The most important question is not simply whether you can export MARC records. It is whether the exported records contain the data Koha needs for cataloguing, discovery, and circulation.

What to export

A Koha migration may need:

  • bibliographic records;
  • item records;
  • holdings or copy data;
  • barcodes;
  • branch and location values;
  • item types;
  • call numbers;
  • statuses;
  • local notes;
  • old system IDs;
  • authority records if in scope.

Confirm which data is included in the MARC export and which data may require a separate export.

Bibliographic records

Review core bibliographic fields:

  • title;
  • author;
  • publication data;
  • ISBN/ISSN;
  • subjects;
  • notes;
  • classification;
  • fixed fields.

MARCReady can help identify common quality problems before Koha import.

Holdings and item data

Pay special attention to item data.

Ask:

  • Does the MARC file include item data?
  • Which field contains barcode?
  • Which field contains branch?
  • Which field contains item type?
  • Which field contains call number?
  • Are values compatible with Koha?
  • Are multiple copies handled correctly?

If item data is exported separately, plan how it will be joined with bibliographic records.

Local fields

Evergreen exports may contain local data that needs review.

Create an inventory of local fields and decide whether each should be:

  • preserved;
  • mapped;
  • transformed;
  • removed;
  • ignored.

Testing process

  1. Export a small sample.
  2. Upload it to MARCReady.
  3. Review the repair log and any Kai suggestions.
  4. Export a repaired sample.
  5. Stage it in Koha.
  6. Check records and items.
  7. Adjust mapping.
  8. Repeat.

Common problems to watch for

  • missing item data;
  • branch code mismatch;
  • item type mismatch;
  • duplicate records;
  • encoding issues;
  • local fields not understood;
  • ISBN inconsistencies;
  • incomplete fixed fields.

Next Steps

After Deployment
Post-Installation Setup
Recommended
Security Best Practices
Keep It Running
Monitoring & Maintenance

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