New Serials Module Updates in Koha

by Kelly McElligott on Oct 1, 2018

Batch Renewals

With the 18.05 release, libraries will now have the ability to batch renew subscriptions [7910] . This is very helpful to expedite this process when many times multiple subscriptions do have same expiration date/month. Below is the process for batch renewing of subscriptions:

• From the serials module, choose the Check Expiration option.
• This will allow a search to be performed including Expiring Before (this is a mandatory field)
• Once a date and if necessary more information is filled out, Koha will produce a list of all serials that have an expiration date before the date in the Check Expiration field.
• From this list, the library can choose an individual subscription to renew, however now there is the ability select all or multiple subscriptions and renew.
• A pop-up window will display a success message “Subscriptions Renewed”. If one subscription is accessed after this renewal, the renewal date will be updated per the Subscription details subscription length.

Receiving Multiple Serials

Also with the 18.05 release, the ability to set the received date to today when receiving multiple serials has been added [18327]. Prior to this, when receiving multiple issues, the date was set at the publication date and not the date that was received. The process of this is:

• Once a subscription has been entered into the system, through the serial collection option on the left hand side.
• This display will show all issues that have not been received and the status of the issues.
• The published date will display as the date they were expected in this view prior to receiving the issues.

• If all issues will be received at this point, the Edit Serials can be clicked. This will bring all issues to the screen to allow for the library to receive them.
• Once the status from this page has been changed to arrived, the date received will change to date expected on to today’s date.

Batch Edit Subscriptions

There is now the ability to batch edit subscriptions, [18426]. With this new feature, a checkbox column is added in serials search that allow to edit selected subscriptions.
The following fields can be modified:
- Bookseller
- Location
- Library
- Item type
- Public note
- Nonpublic note
- Create item when receiving flag
- Expiration date
- and any of the additional fields defined in serials

In Serials, once a search is placed and there are multiple subscriptions listed, there will now be option to check mark any of the subscriptions listed and the option to “edit Selected Serials” will appear.

Clicking on this, will bring a screen of fields similar to the Batch Item Modification tool which can be edited. If you library has created any additional fields in the Serials Module, these fields will appear to be edited as well.

Renaming the RLIST Notice

Some needed clarification was incorporated into the serials module - the notice called RLIST has been renamed! This bug [19794] Rename RLIST – Routing list notice template as it’s not related to routing lists will be changed to SERIAL_ALERT. As there is no connection to the routing list feature and thus would cause confusion, this notice is now named SERIAL_ALERT which gives it a name that means what it does. The SERIAL_ALERT is a notice that is set to patrons when they subscribe to get informed by email when a new issue has arrived of a particular serial.

Visibility of Patron's Routing List on OPAC

One change has been made in the serials module that will display on the OPAC side. One a patron is logged into the OPAC-there will be a new tab for the serials module and the patrons [20400]. Now the patron can see their routing lists from the OPAC from the patron screen. The visibility of the routing list tab in the OPAC does depend on the system preference RoutingSerials in addition to the existence of routing list entries for the patron. If these system preferences are set, and only specific patron categories can be allowed to use this feature, there is nothing that can be done on this tab - if only to see the serials the patrons are on the list for.