Adding and Editing Instruments

Adding & Editing Instruments in Koha

Stirling MILL — Staff Guide

Every lendable instrument lives in Koha as a catalogue entry plus the physical item(s) underneath it. This guide shows you how to add a new instrument and edit an existing one.

Before you start: log in

1. Go to the staff site: staff.stirlingmill.ca
2. Click the Stirling MILL Staff Login button.
3. Sign in with your @stirlingmill.ca Google account.

If you don’t see a Cataloging menu after signing in, you don’t have cataloging permission yet. Ask to be added to staff@stirlingmill.ca; it takes effect within about 15 minutes.

How instruments work in Koha

Every instrument is two linked things:

• A record — the catalogue entry that describes the instrument (name, make/model, notes).
• An item — the physical instrument itself, with its own barcode, home library, and status (available, checked out, etc.).

One record can hold several items — e.g., three identical ukuleles share one record, each with its own barcode. Every item has an Item type; use Instrument for instruments (other types are listed at the end).

Adding a new instrument

Two ways: use Fast cataloging for a quick single instrument, or New record when you want a fuller entry or several copies.

Quick way — Fast cataloging

1. In the top menu, click Cataloging → Fast cataloging.
2. Enter the title (e.g., “Yamaha FG800 Acoustic Guitar”) and, if you like, the maker.
3. In the item section, set:
4. Item type: Instrument
5. Barcode: scan or type the instrument’s barcode
6. Home library: the library where it lives
7. Click Save. It’s now in the catalogue and ready to lend.

Full way — New record (+ items)

1. Click Cataloging → New record.
2. Fill in the details (title, maker, description) and click Save.
3. On the saved record, click New → New item.
4. Set Item type = Instrument, enter the Barcode and Home library, then click Add item.
5. To add more copies of the same instrument, repeat the last two steps — each copy gets its own barcode.

Editing an instrument

1. Find it: type the name or barcode into the search bar at the top and press Enter.
2. Open the record from the results.
3. To change the description: click Edit → Edit record, make changes, Save.
4. To change the physical item (barcode, status, notes, location, item type): click Edit → Edit items, update the fields, Save.

Common edits:

• Out for repair → set Not for loan to “In repair”. It stays on the website, labelled, and can’t be borrowed or held.
• Permanently not lendable → set Not for loan to “Not for loan”. It’s shown and labelled the same way.
• Not ready to show yet → set Not for loan to “Under review”. It’s hidden from the website and can’t be borrowed.
• Setting Damaged status, Lost status or Withdrawn status hides the copy from the website entirely.
• Move it to another library → change the item’s Home library.
• Fix a barcode → edit the item’s Barcode field.

What the public sees

These fields appear on the Stirling MILL website and in the patron catalogue, so write them for the public:

• Summary, etc. (on the record): the public description of the instrument.
• Public note (on the item): details about this particular copy.
• Materials specified (bound volume or other part) (on the item): what comes with this copy, such as a case or a strap. The website shows it as “Comes with: …”.

Non-public note (on the item) is for staff only. Never put a phone number or home address in it.

Item types reference

Pick the type that best fits what you’re lending:

Item type	Use for
Instrument	Guitars, keyboards, violins, drums, etc.
Amplifier	Amps and powered speakers
Accessory	Cables, straps, stands, tuners, picks
Kit	Bundles lent together as one unit
Music Book	Books and printed sheet music

Tips & troubleshooting

• No Cataloging menu? Ask to be added to staff@stirlingmill.ca.
• Always give every item a unique barcode — it’s how check-out and check-in work.
• Set the Home library so holds and transfers behave correctly.
• Unsure which item type? Default to Instrument — you can change it later.