Hello Anselm, Don’t know if you got a response to this but the simplest way I see your requirements panning out: 1. Set the independent branches syspref (as you have done) 2. Use virtual hosting to have the different sites use different templates but the same basic application code and database which should allow you to have the different sites use different look and feel while still be able to do searches across the entire collection 3. You could sweeten things a bit by using the ‘SearchMyLibraryFirst’ syspref which would have OPAC searches return results limited by the user's library by default if they are logged in or go even further and hack the code to use branch IP for location as well as branch library (and of course submit the code back to community maybe ☺ ) Hope this helps Cheers Bernard Shiundu Strathmore University Nairobi, Kenya --------------------------------- From: koha-devel-bounces@lists.koha.org [mailto:koha-devel-bounces@lists.koha.org] On Behalf Of Anselm Olweny Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 8:57 AM To: koha-devel@lists.koha.org Subject: [Koha-devel] Koha as a federated library Dear Colleagues and thanks for the great work, Below is content of a mail I posted to the koha list (Koha@lists.katipo.co.nz) but I have not been advised about the right and best way to go about this. I am sorry for posting this to this forum. Could someone kindly advise me on this. I need this advise in order to be certainly sure that I am doing things right. I am setting up a federated library system using koha where each of the libraries needs to have its own look and feel and also should be able to search its own collection and also be able to search the collection of the other libraries in the federation by the users choice. I have also integrated koha into a CMS "joomla" in order to handle non koha pages. In my koha set up I have created the different libraries as branches and activitated the IndependantBranches preference in koha. You can see this at http://koha.apkn.org (koha in Joomla) or http://koha.apkn.org:81 (Koha pure) or http://koha.apkn.org:81/cgi-bin/koha/opac-mainug.pl and http://koha.apkn.org:81/cgi-bin/koha/opac-mainke.pl (Independent libraries). However, I am not sure whether this is the right way to set up federated libraries using koha. Could someone kindly advise me about the right way to set up federated libraries using koha? Thanks Strathmore University provides all-round education in an atmosphere of freedom and responsibility. This email and any files transmitted with it are intended solely for use by the recipient(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender immediately and permanently delete this email and/or any files attached to it from your computer. Please note that any views or opinions presented in this email are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Strathmore University. The University accepts no liability whatsoever for any loss or damages incurred, or suffered, resulting, or arising, from the use of this email and/or its attachments. The University warrants neither the integrity of the e-mail nor its freedom from errors, viruses, interception or any other form of interference. …………………………………………………………………. Website: www.strathmore.edu