Customizing the More Searches Menu on the OPAC in Koha

by Kelly McElligott on Jun 13, 2017

Here is a short tutorial video about how to customize the More Searches Menu on the OPAC in Koha.  There are also step by step instructions on how to do this below.

Here are some step by step instructions for adding  a new search:

1. On the OPAC side of Koha, do a search.
2. The option for “More Searches” is found on the right hand side of the full description of the book.
3. There is a drop down menu for all the searches that are set up in your System Preferences.  
4. To add a new search or to remove a search- go to the staff side of Koha.
5. Go to the administrative module.
6. Under Global System Preferences- OPACsearchfortitle
7. Here you can see the system preference: OPACsearchfortitle and you can click to edit.
8. Editng this system preference will show a text box with the searches that are set up.
9. To add a new link- go to that site and enter a search.  
10. Grab the website link from that website and the search you did.
11. For example: https://openlibrary.org/search?q=book  here is the link I captured in the video with my search of book.
12. Enter

<li><a href=”website here” target=”_blank”>Open Library</a></li>

<li><a href=”https://openlibrary.org/search?q=book” target=”_blank”>Open Library</a></li>

13. Next you will need to replace the search with the language it provided in the System Preferences notes.  Since I searched a title “book”  I will remove book and insert  {TITLE} including the brackets.
14.  The final product should look like this:  

<li><a href="https://openlibrary.org/search?q={TITLE}” target=”_blank”>Open Library</a></li>

17.  Save OPAC Preferences.
18. Go back to OPAC and refresh the screen.
19. Now the Open Library should be in the More Searches drop down.

Here are step by step instructions on how to just remove an option in the More Searches:

(Start at Step 5 from above)

1. On the staff side, go to the administrative module.
2. Under Global System Preferences- OPACsearchfortitle
3. Here you can see the system preference: OPACsearchfortitle and you can click to edit.
4. To remove a link, delete the entire line starting at the <li  and the line that ends with the /li>

Here are step by step instructions on how to remove all the options for More Searches:

1. On the staff side, go to the administrative module.
2. Under Global System Preferences- OPACsearchfortitle
3. Here you can see the system preference: OPACsearchfortitle and you can click to edit.
4. Delete everything in this box.