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Presented by

Hilde Wheat & Mollie Myers

SMALL TWEAKS,

BIG IMPACT

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TOPICS

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2

3

Existing Staff

Workflow & Pain Points

Built-In Tools,

Front-End Tools &

Going Wild

The Challenge

The Solution

How To

Begin At

Your Library

Next Steps

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WHY SMALL TWEAKS MATTER IN KOHA

    • Reduce friction in everyday tasks
    • Adapt Koha to your staff's workflow
    • Create meaningful improvements without major development

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Patron Assistance

Collection Management

Koha

Program Information

Special Events

Calendar

Microsoft Teams,

Emails, Document Sharing,

and Bookmarking Links

Communication

PAIN POINTS

Planned trainings, refreshers, self-trains

Meetings/Trainings

New Procedures, Policies, Equipment, etc.

Updates

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OVERVIEW OF TECH TOOLS

    • News
    • Pages
    • HTML Customizations

​

    • Browser Inspect
    • AI

System Preferences → Staff Interface → IntranetUserCSS and/or IntranetUserJS

Koha Built-in Tools:

    • HTML
    • CSS
    • jQuery/JavaScript

​

Front-end Tools:

Supporting Tools:

Front-end tools can be used in:

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News Section:

    • Add information for quick access
    • Style content with CSS

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HTML Customizations

    • Add custom HTML, including quick links with IntranetMainUserBlock
    • Customize further with CSS and JS/jQ

Pages:

    • Create a custom staff wiki
    • Build customizable staff pages
    • Maintain an internal knowledge base

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BUILT-IN TOOLS

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WIKI

Pages

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NEWS SECTION

News

+ CSS

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STAFF PAGES

Pages + HTML + CSS

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HTML:

    • Defines page content and structure
    • Works alongside Koha’s built-in tools

​

CSS:

    • Controls appearance and layout
    • Typically used in IntranetUserCSS

​

JavaScript/JQuery:

    • Adds interactivity and custom functionality
    • Automates actions and modifies page behavior
    • Added through IntranetUserJS
    • jQuery is a JavaScript library that can simplify common tasks

​

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FRONT-END TOOLS

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HOMEPAGE WIDGETS

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ADDRESS VERIFICATION

    • JS/JQ + HTML in IntranetUserJS
    • References GIS information to verify addresses
    • Keeps address verification time low by avoiding using the county CAD websites

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1. Listen to Staff

    • Ask: "What slows you down?"
    • Look for high-impact, low-effort improvements

​

2. Start Small

    • Pick one change
    • Focus on a specific workflow

​

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HOW TO START

3. Test and Document

    • Use safe testing areas when possible
    • Document what you change and why

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4. Share and Learn

    • Connect with the Koha community
    • Ask questions and share solutions

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build feedback loops

TIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE STAFF-CENTERED CUSTOMIZATIONS

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01

03

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02

iterate regularly - habits are hard to change

keep changes small and targeted

empower staff to suggest ideas

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KEY TAKEAWAYS

SMALL TWEAKS = BIG TIME SAVINGS

Small changes can make everyday tasks faster and easier.

STAFF-CENTERED DESIGN IMPROVES WORKFLOW AND MORALE

The best customizations support the people using Koha every day.

KOHA’S CUSTOMIZATION TOOLS ARE FLEXIBLE AND APPROACHABLE

You can make meaningful improvements without major development.

YOU CAN START MAKING IMPROVEMENTS IMMEDIATELY

Find one pain point, try one change, and build from there.

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RESOURCES

KOHA MANUAL

KOHA WIKI

MATTERMOST

MOZILLA DEVELOPER NETWORK

https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/

https://chat.koha-community.org/koha-community/

https://koha-community.org/manual/latest/en/html/

https://wiki.koha-community.org/wiki/JQuery_Library

AND THE ENTIRE KOHA COMMUNITY!

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Mollie Myers

Euless Library

mmyers@eulesstx.gov

Hilde Wheat

Prosper Community Library

hwheat@prospertx.gov

THANK YOU!

QUESTIONS?