Now accepting presentation proposals!
The conference will be hybrid in format, with the opportunity to present and attend either in-person or online.
For online presenters, we will be considering proposals for both live and pre-recorded presentations.
The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, May 21st, 2021.
Registration is Open!
We are now accepting registrations for the 2021 koha-US conference. As a reminder, this conference will be hybrid in format with both an in-person and online component. Please be sure to register to let us know if you’re planning to attend either in-person or online.
In-person registration rates:
$35.00 (koha-US member)
$47.50 (non-member, joining koha-US at this time)
$55.00 (non-member)
$15.00 (hosting institution)
Online registration rate:
Complimentary (Donations to koha-US welcome and appreciated!)
IMPORTANT NOTE: After careful consideration of current conditions, the koha-US 2021 Conference will have a mask mandate. Facemasks will be required at all onsite sanctioned events.
Recordings & Slides
Schedule
All presentations will be streamed, regardless of presentation format.
Presentations in blue will have on-site, in-person presenters. Presentations in green will be have remote, virtual presenters.
All times are Central Daylight (CDT).
Tuesday - 9/21
Wednesday - 9/22
Thursday - 9/23
Friday - 9/24
Tuesday - 9/21
8:00am
8:00 – 9:00
Registration, refreshments, networking
9:00am
10:00am
10:00 – 10:30
Moving the Needle: Technology in Addressing the Next Normal
Cindy Li, Bridgewater State University Presenter will share post-pandemic reflections and insights in library services moving forward into the next normal.
10:00 – 10:30
Our Mobile App
Christofer Zorn, Ajax Public Library Session will cover how the library’s mobile app came to be, how it filled a need, and uptake.10:30am
10:30 – 10:45
Break
10:45am
10:45 – 11:45
Genrefying Your Koha Collection
Kati Fink, Hathaway Brown Genrefy with Koha: reports, added metadata, and tips learned.
10:45 – 11:45
Functionality – Going Beyond Out-of-the-Box
Christopher Brannon, Coeur d’Alene Public Library Learn how to create new features in Koha.11:45am
11:45 – 1:00
Lunch (on your own)
1:00pm
1:00 – 2:00
Homebound Delivery – Our Perspective
Rhonda Kuiper & Sal Saldana, Round Rock Public Library How we used the Homebound module to implement homebound delivery.
1:00 – 2:00
Training Videos – What Works for Us
Christopher Brannon, Coeur d’Alene Public Library George Williams, NEKLS Jessie Zairo & Kelly McElligott, ByWater Solutions Be inspired to create your own training videos!2:00pm
2:00 – 3:00
Using Koha with Aspen Open Source Discovery
Sam Passey, Uintah County Library Take a tour of the ways that you can use Koha with Aspen Discovery to integrate third party content and local history resources.
2:00 – 3:00
The Versatility of Authorized Values
Erica Rohlfs, Equinox Open Library Initiative This session will provide an overview of predefined authorized values, how they interact with the System Preferences and the Patron Attribute Class, and creating new authorized values. Make the most out of existing and new authorized values to bring new perspective to how users can search and report on patron attributes and item collections.3:00pm
3:00 – 3:15
Break
3:15pm
3:15 – 4:15
Shifting Perspectives: From Customers to Community
Ed Veal, McKinney Public Library Jessie Zairo, ByWater Solutions A panel discussion focused on the cultural shift that library staff have to make when they go from being a customer of an ILS vendor to a member of an open source community. Does this shift affect more than the way you look at the ILS? How do you view open source options as a whole?
3:15 – 4:15
The Future of Past Data
George Williams, NEKLS Report writing strategies for saving statistical data offline for future use.4:15pm
4:15 – 4:30
Wrapup
Wednesday - 9/22
8:00am
8:00 – 8:30
Registration, refreshments, networking
8:30am
8:30 – 9:00
The Work-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your Collection
Marci Chen & Ann Gustafson, McKinney Public Library Do you have records which no longer bring you joy? MPLS Tech Services staff will share our monthly workflow and reports used to delete defunct item and bibliographic records and update holdings with OCLC.
8:30 – 9:00
Moving from XXX to Koha
Abhishek Nagar, Institute of Engineering and Technology Lucknow The presentation will guide on how to plan to move from any system (manual, custom, prop) to Koha.9:00am
9:00 – 10:00
Hold Lockers – Done Dirt Cheap
Michael Spagnuolo, North Richland Hills Library Learn how to offer 24-hour pick-up service to your patrons without breaking the bank. No contracts or maintenance packages required. Yes you can! And with the power of Koha, implementation will be easy.
9:00 – 10:00
Using Koha to Improve the Patron Experience
Jessie Zairo & Kelly McElligott, ByWater Solutions Sharing tips and tricks for both frontline and backend users.10:00am
10:00 – 10:30
Crafting a Koha-Informed Vision
Myka Kennedy Stephens, Lancaster Theological Seminary This presentation will introduce Integrated Library Planning–an adaptive and dynamic framework for strategic planning and management–and describe how Koha reports are an integral component to planning and visioning for the Lancaster Theological Seminary Library.
10:00 – 10:30
Taking Koha to Places It Really Wasn’t Intended to Go
Fred King & the Avenging Chicken, MedStar Washington Hospital Center A presentation in three acts:- How to set up Koha as a Z39.50 server.
- What to do about “contact the webmaster at [no address given]
- How to use scripts to run complex commands
10:30am
10:30 – 10:45
Break – Group Photo
10:45am
11:45am
11:45 – 1:00
Lunch (on your own)
1:00pm
1:00 – 2:00
Pairing H5P with Koha for Interactive Online Patron Experiences
Myka Kennedy Stephens, Lancaster Theological Seminary H5P, an emerging open-source framework for developing open educational resources, doesn’t have to be confined to learning management systems! This presentation will introduce H5P, its variety of content types, and demonstrate how H5P content can be embedded into Koha’s OPAC to enhance and expand your patrons’ online library experience.
1:00 – 2:00
Join the Club
Jason Robb, SEKLS This presentation will cover the basic processes for setting up clubs in Koha and using club holds, additional jQuery implemented to improve the workflow, challenges and ideas for improvement.2:00pm
2:00 – 3:00
Koha and Aspen Discovery: The Dynamic Duo
Mark Noble, ByWater Solutions Erica Richardson, Benbrook Public Library Library discovery platforms have been growing in popularity for many years but with the increase in digital platform integration, the market has expanded rapidly. What was once seen as a decorative overlay is now being seen as a necessary operational system. So, what is all the buzz about library discovery? And how are users in the Koha Community integrating discovery platforms? We talk with Erica Richardson, Assistant Director of Benbrook Public Library in Benbrook, Texas about their experiences migrating to the Koha ILS with the Aspen Discovery Layer and contributing to the rapidly expanding Open Source Aspen Discovery Community.
2:00 – 3:00
Making Koha Your Own: Tools and Techniques to Customize the UI
Andy Boze, University of Notre Dame This presentation will demonstrate basic developer tools to add CSS and HTML to customize the Koha OPAC and staff client.3:00pm
3:00 – 3:15
Break
3:15pm
3:15 – 4:15
Making Pretty Filters (Facets)
Christopher Brannon, Coeur d’Alene Public Library Out of the box, Koha has great filters, but it just lays it out there in an unattractive fashion. This session will show how to dress it up and make it less overwhelming for the staff and patrons.
3:15 – 4:15
Curbside or Crippling the Masses
Venesia Adams, Ritzville Public Library This presentation will focus on applying the curbside mentality to other library services and discuss the need to expand thought patterns to embrace change and evolve with it.4:15pm
4:15 – 4:30
Wrapup
Thursday - 9/23
9:00am
9:00 – 10:00
Very Very Basic SQL for Koha Reports
George Williams, NEKLS For total new beginners to using SQL for Koha reports. Very basic introduction.10:00am
10:00 – 11:00
Acquisitions SIG
11:00am
11:00 – 11:45
Open Work Time
11:45am
11:45 – 1:00
Lunch (on your own)
1:00pm
1:00 – 2:00
Open Work Time
2:00pm
2:00 – 3:00
Circulation SIG
3:00pm
3:00 – 4:00
Cataloging SIG
Friday - 9/24
9:00am
9:00 – 10:00
Template Toolkit
Lisette Scheer, Latah County Library District Barbara Glassford Johnson, Bedford Public LibraryLearn how to use Template Toolkit to improve your notices.10:00am
10:00 – 11:00
Very Very Basic jQuery
George Williams, NEKLS New users will learn how to write some basic jQuery code.11:00am
11:00 – 11:45
Open Work Time
11:45am
11:45 – 1:00
Lunch (on your own)
1:00pm
1:00 – 2:00
Open Work Time
2:00pm
2:00 – 3:00
Consortia SIG
3:00pm
3:00 – 4:00
System Admin & Web Dev SIGs
Hidden
Tuesday
8:00am
8:00 - 9:00
Registration, refreshments, networking
9:00am
10:00am
10:00 - 10:30
Moving the Needle: Technology in Addressing the Next Normal
Cindy Li, Bridgwater State University Presenter will share post-pandemic reflections and insights in library services moving forward into the next normal.
10:00 - 10:30
Our Mobile App
Christopher Zorn, Ajax Public Library Session will cover how the library's mobile app came to be, how it filled a need, and uptake.10:30am
10:30 - 10:45
Break
10:45am
10:45 - 11:45
Genrefying Your Koha Collection
Kati Fink, Hathaway Brown Genrefy with Koha: reports, added metadata, and tips learned.
10:45 - 11:45
Functionality - Going Beyond Out-of-the-Box
Christopher Brannon, Coeur d'Alene Public Library Learn how to create new features in Koha.11:45am
11:45 - 1:00
Lunch
1:00pm
1:00 - 2:00
Homebound Delivery - Our Perspective
Rhonda Kuiper & Sal Saldana, Round Rock Public Library How we used the Homebound module to implement homebound delivery.
1:00 - 2:00
Training Videos - What Works for Us
Christopher Brannon, Coeur d'Alene Public Library George Wiliams, NEKLS Be inspired to create your own training videos!2:00pm
2:00 - 3:00
Using Koha with Aspen Open Source Discovery
Sam Passey, Uintah County Library Take a tour of the ways that you can use Koha with Aspen Discovery to integrate third party content and local history resources.
2:00 - 3:00
The Versatility of Authorized Values
Erica Rohlfs, Equinox Open Library Initiative This session will provide an overview of predefined authorized values, how they interact with the System Preferences and the Patron Attribute Class, and creating new authorized values. Make the most out of existing and new authorized values to bring new perspective to how users can search and report on patron attributes and item collections.3:00pm
3:00 - 3:15
Break
3:15pm
3:15 - 4:15
Shifting Perspective: From Customers to Community
Ed Veal, McKinney Public Library A panel discussion focused on the cultural shift that library staff have to make when they go from being a customer of an ILS vendor to a member of an open source community. Does this shift affect more than the way you look at the ILS? How do you view open source options as a whole?
3:15 - 4:15
The Future of Past Data
George Williams, NEKLS Report writing strategies for saving statistical data offline for future use.4:15pm
4:15 - 4:30
Wrapup
Wednesday
8:00am
8:00 - 9:00
Registration, refreshments, networking
8:30am
8:30 - 9:00
Join the Club
Jason Robb, SEKLS This presentation will cover the basic processes for setting up clubs in Koha and using club holds, additional jQuery implemented to improve the workflow, challenges and ideas for improvement.
8:30 - 9:00
Moving from XXX to Koha
Abhishek Nagar The presentation will guide on how to plan to move from any system(manual, custom,prop) to Koha.9:00am
9:00 - 10:00
Hold Lockers - Done Dirt Cheap
Michael Spagnuolo, North Richland Hills Library Learn how to offer 24-hour pick-up service to your patrons without breaking the bank. No contracts or maintenance packages required. Yes you can! And with the power of Koha, implementation will be easy.
9:00 - 10:00
Using Koha to Improve the Patron Experience
Jessie Zairo & Kelly McElligott, ByWater Solutions Sharing tips and tricks for both frontline and backend users.10:00am
10:00 - 10:30
Crafting a Koha-Informed Vision
Myka Kennedy Stephens, Lancaster Theological Seminary This presentation will introduce Integrated Library Planning--an adaptive and dynamic framework for strategic planning and management--and describe how Koha reports are an integral component to planning and visioning for the Lancaster Theological Seminary Library.
10:00 - 10:30
Taking Koha to Places It Really Wasn't Intended to Go
Fred King & the Avenging Chicken, MedStar Washington Hospital Center Working description: Fred does something strange with Koha and Ubuntu.10:30am
10:30 - 10:45
Break
10:45am
10:45 - 11:45
koha-US General Meeting
11:45am
11:45 - 1:00
Lunch
1:00pm
1:00 - 2:00
Pairing H5P with Koha for Interactive Online Patron Experiences
Myka Kennedy Stephens, Lancaster Theological Seminary H5P, an emerging open-source framework for developing open educational resources, doesn't have to be confined to learning management systems! This presentation will introduce H5P, its variety of content types, and demonstrate how H5P content can be embedded into Koha's OPAC to enhance and expand your patrons' online library experience.
1:00 - 2:00
The Work-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Your
Marci Chen & Ann Gustafson, McKinney Public Library Do you have records which no longer bring you joy? MPLS Tech Services staff will share our monthly workflow and reports used to delete defunct item and bibliographic records and update holdings with OCLC.2:00pm
2:00 - 3:00
Koha and Aspen Discovery: The Dynamic Duo
Mark Noble, ByWater Solutions Erica Richardson, Benbrook Public Library Library discovery platforms have been growing in popularity for many years but with the increase in digital platform integration, the market has expanded rapidly. What was once seen as a decorative overlay is now being seen as a necessary operational system. So, what is all the buzz about library discovery? And how are users in the Koha Community integrating discovery platforms? We talk with Erica Richardson, Assistant Director of Benbrook Public Library in Benbrook, Texas about their experiences migrating to the Koha ILS with the Aspen Discovery Layer and contributing to the rapidly expanding Open Source Aspen Discovery Community.
2:00 - 3:00
Making Koha Your Own: Tools and Techniques to Customize the UI
Andy Boze, University of Notre Dame This presentation will demonstrate basic developer tools to add CSS and HTML to customize the Koha OPAC and staff client.3:00pm
3:00 - 3:15
Break
3:15pm
3:15 - 4:15
Making Pretty Filters (Facets)
Christopher Brannon, Coeur d'Alene Public Library Out of the box, Koha has great filters, but it just lays it out there in an unattractive fashion. This session will show how to dress it up and make it less overwhelming for the staff and patrons.
3:15 - 4:15
Curbside or Crippling the Masses
Venesia Adams, Ritzville Public Library This presentation will focus on applying the curbside mentality to other library services and discuss the need to expand thought patterns to embrace change and evolve with it.4:15pm
4:15 - 4:30
Wrapup
Thursday
9:00am
9:00 - 10:00
Very Very Basic SQL for Koha Reports
George Williams, NEKLS For total new beginners to using SQL for Koha reports. Very basic introduction.10:00am
10:00 - 11:00
Acquisitions SIG
11:00am
11:00 - 11:45
Open Work Time
11:45am
11:45 - 1:00
Lunch
1:00pm
1:00 - 2:00
Open Work Time
2:00pm
2:00 - 3:00
Circulation SIG
3:00pm
3:00 - 4:00
Cataloging SIG
Friday
9:00am
9:00 - 10:00
Template Toolkit
Lisette Scheer, Latah County Library District Learn how to use Template Toolkit to improve your notices.10:00am
10:00 - 11:00
Very Very Basic jQuery
George Williams, NEKLS New users will learn how to write some basic jQuery code.11:00am
11:00 - 11:45
Open Work Time
11:45am
11:45 - 1:00
Lunch
1:00pm
1:00 - 2:00
Open Work Time
2:00pm
2:00 - 3:00
Consortia SIG
3:00pm
3:00 - 4:00
System Admin & Web Dev SIGs
Location
The in-person conference will be held in downtown McKinney, Texas. The event will also be live-streamed for those who wish to attend online.
The first two days will consist of conference presentations and will take place at the McKinney Performing Arts Center (MPAC) at 111 N. Tennessee St.
Ruschhaupt Hall at the MPAC
The final two days will consist of workshops and will take place at the Roy and Helen Hall Library at 101 E Hunt St.
Dulaney Room at Roy and Helen Hall Library
About McKinney
Visit McKinney has provided some great information about visiting McKinney including places to shop and eat, as well as things to do and see while you’re at the conference! Click here to see all that McKinney has to offer:
Lodging
The Grand Hotel & Ballroom is conveniently located on the square where the convention will be held. The Grand is holding a block of rooms for the nights of September 21st through the 23rd. Rooms may be available Friday night, but are not included in reservation block. Mention that you are attending the koha-US conference when booking.
A block of rooms is also available at the Sheraton McKinney Hotel. Click here to access the booking page for the conference rate.
Reservation blocks expire on August 20th — book your stay now!
Transportation
The Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) International Airport is located 30 miles from McKinney. Uber and Lyft are available for rides to and from the airport.
Dart is also available from DFW to Plano (which is a 22 minute car ride from downtown McKinney).
Merchandise
Grab some conference gear at our Threadless Shop: https://kohaus.threadless.com/designs/koha-us-2021-conference
