Koha tutorial on setting up Serials Subscriptions

by Kelly McElligott on May 11, 2017

In this Koha tutorial video we will show you how to set up Serial Subscriptions in Koha.

To learn all about Koha 16.11 view the other videos in this series and make sure to review the manual and the release notes.

Here are some step by step instructions for this tutorial:

1. When creating a subscription, you must have a biblio record for that serial in your catalog.
2. Click on the serial module from the main Koha screen.
3. From here you can search existing Serial subscriptions or create a new one.
4. Click create new subscription.
5. You can enter a Vendor if you use the Acquisitions module or create a new vendor.  Having a vendor entered into a subscription, allows Koha to send the vendor a “Late Issue” notice if the serial does not arrive within the grace period.
6. Search for your biblio record .
7. If your library circulates all issues of the serial, you will want to choose “Create an item record when receive this serial.
8. The next few values to enter are specific to your library- fill those in according to your specific items needs.
9. Grace Period – is if you want to have your vendor notified on a missing or late issue, how long should Koha wait before it send a notice to that vendor.
10. Display to Staff and Display to Public- how many issues would you like the staff and public see.  There is a way to see all of them even if you choose not to show all of them.
11. Next is the Serial Planning- this will tell Koha how often the serial will come and the numbering pattern of the item.
12. Start off with the first serial in your hand. Enter in the first publication date as the issue you are holding.
13. Frequency- how often does this serial come.
14. Subscription length is how long your subscription is for.  Fill this in and Koha will determine when your subscription will end, so that does not need to be filled in.
15. Numbering pattern is how the serial is numbered.
16. In the chart, you will add the information again of the serial you are holding.  The inner counter is how many of these issues came before this.
17. You can test this subscription pattern to see how Koha has taken this data what it thinks is your next subscription date and numbered issue.
18. Save the subscription.
19. Now you will see all the subscription details and you are ready to receive your first serial.
20. Click receive Serial- Koha will pre-populate the date of the issue and the number based on what you entered in the subscription details.
21. Then fill out the item information that is necessary.
22. On the subscription details , you can view the record with received issue attached when clicking the biblio number.
23. You are all done creating your first serial subscription and receiving your first issue.
24. More information can be found in our Koha manual.