Catalogue records and items
Keep the description of a title separate from the copies on your shelves.
Check the official Koha manual for your installed version.
Start with the right level
A bibliographic record describes a publication. Item records describe the copies your library holds. Three copies of the same edition will usually share one bibliographic record and have three separate item records. Different editions may need separate descriptions.
A practical cataloguing checklist
- Search the existing catalogue before adding a title. Compare the edition and identifiers, not just the title.
- Confirm the appropriate MARC framework with your cataloguing team.
- Create or obtain the bibliographic description and review it against local cataloguing practice.
- Add each copy with its own barcode, branch, item type and shelf location.
- Check a representative title in both the staff interface and public catalogue.
Review a real shelf example
Take one title with several copies and another with more than one edition. Ask a colleague to locate a specific copy using only its catalogue entry. Record confusing labels and missing locations before entering the rest of the collection.
Agree who may change shared descriptions and who may update copy details. This keeps routine item maintenance from becoming an accidental catalogue cleanup.