Then the Vermont Organization of Koha Automated Libraries (VOKAL) was organized to create one database to be used by libraries. At first a separate implementation was created for each library. In 2007 a group of libraries in Vermont began testing the use of Koha for Vermont libraries.

Zebra support increased the speed of searches as well as improving scalability to support tens of millions of bibliographic records. In 2005, an Ohio-based company, Metavore, Inc., trading as LibLime, was established to support Koha and added many new features, including support for Zebra sponsored by the Crawford County Federated Library System. Support for the cataloguing and search standards MARC and Z39.50 was added in 2002 and later sponsored by the Athens County Public Libraries. By 2010, Koha has been translated from its original English into French, Chinese, Arabic and several other languages. In 2001, Paul Poulain (of Marseille, France) began adding many new features to Koha, most significantly support for multiple languages. įrom 2000, companies started providing commercial support for Koha, building to more than 50 today. Koha was created in 1999 by Katipo Communications for the Horowhenua Library Trust in New Zealand, and the first installation went live in January 2000.

Various Web 2.0 facilities like tagging, comment, social sharing and RSS feeds.

Koha has most of the features that would be expected in an ILS, including:

The user interface is very configurable and adaptable and has been translated into many languages. Koha is a web-based ILS, with a SQL database ( MariaDB or MySQL preferred) back end with cataloguing data stored in MARC and accessible via Z39.50 or SRU.

The name comes from a Māori term for a gift or donation. Koha is an open source integrated library system (ILS), used world-wide by public, school and special libraries.

Koha open source license