Introduction to EBSCO Discovery Service in Koha

by Jessie Zairo on Jan 26, 2023

Integrating EBSCO Discovery Service with Koha connects a plugin and provides your users with a unified interface for catalog and discovery results. This video will show you how EDS integrates right into Koha to make searching simple.

How it works

There are 2 different options for EDS.

1. You can use the EDS plugin (installed and set up through your Koha staff client) and use the Koha OPAC to search both the catalog and the EDS platform. Users will be able to select to search the Discovery (Switch to All Materials) or just search the Catalog (Keyword) search. This is the method shown above in the tutorial video.
   1. EBSCO will send over a survey to begin the process of setting up the information for your plugin.
2. You can have the Koha Catalog harvested via OAI-PMH to send the Koha data from your catalog to the EDS platform. When users go to EDS they will get EBSCO results and Koha results.

RTAC and your Custom Catalog Database

With your EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) subscription and integration with Koha, you may see up-to-date information that advises you of the availability of a resource within the library.

Real-Time Availability Checking (RTAC) advises the user of:

Status:

• Available
• In Library Use
• On Hold
• Checked Out
• Missing
• Lost

EDS can connect to Koha for RTAC through z39.50. ByWater Solutions will work with your library and EBSCO to fill out a questionnaire about the integration. One of the questions involves your z39.50 information.

Read more about EBSCO: Real Time Availability Checking (RTAC)

Patron tutorial

Want to learn more about the patron experience for integration with Koha and EBSCO EDS? Check out Test Drive: Koha Integration with EDS