Open Fifth Koha & Aspen Discovery Development Updates – November 2025

Koha development highlights

1. Design pattern – Redirect user to a view of the record after saving instead of list

In all Vue modules (ERM, Preservation, Vendors and Record sources) the default behaviour has now been set to return the user to the display page of a particular resource on saving the form to create or edit that resource. This is however, customisable by the developer, with additional behaviours available to the user through a dropdown button that allows the user to select whether they want to return to the list view or to stay on the form.

Primary developer: Matt Blenkinsop

Sponsoring library: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

Release: Released in 25.11

Bugzilla – Bug 40191

2. Interlibrary Loan (ILL) enhancements to expect in 25.11

Setting status alias when completing an ILL request (39917): This enhancement to ILL requests lets you select a ‘status alias’ when marking requests as complete. The alias is then shown in the status field on the request details page, and in the status column for the list of ILL requests. If there are no values defined, then you are not prompted to select a status alias. Staff members completing ILL requests would sometimes not set a status alias, or would sometimes set a status alias without completing a request. This would possibly result in inaccurate data when reporting on ILL requests per status and status alias. This enhancement should help staff members set a status alias right after completing a request, instead of having to open the ‘edit request’ page afterwards, and possibly skipping it. Development extended to include automatic assignment of the correct status alias for INCDocs-sourced requests. 

Add ILL pseudonymization (37901): This enhancement adds tracking of 2 new types of statistics: when an ILL request is created and when an ILL request is completed. Additionally, if Pseudonymisation is enabled, pseudonymised transactions will be created from these statistics. This ensures that all data related to ILL transactions is kept and can be reported on, even long after patrons have potentially been deleted, or even for existing patrons but in a pseudonymised manner, conforming to any possible data protection requirements. 

Primary developer: Pedro Amorim

Sponsoring library: NHS / UKHSA. Special thanks to all from NHS libraries in England involved with the testing of this enhancement. 

Release: Released in 25.11

Bugzilla – Bug 39917, Bug 37901

3. File transports

In Koha, files are both fetched and generated by the system, for a whole myriad of purposes. Previously, each facet of Koha that needed to transport these files to third-party services had their own file transport implementation, which was confusing and messy. We have spent the time to engineer a centralised system for this task, which will mean systems librarians can simply configure a file transport once, and then pick said file transport from a list, anywhere they wish or need to use it.

Primary developer: Jake Deery

Release: Most in 25.11, some slated for 26.05

See Bugzilla list

Coming soon to Koha

1. Cash management enhancements

This enhancement revolutionises Koha’s cash management by providing the option to record surplus / deficit at cash-up time. It introduces a flexible two-phase workflow, a major benefit that allows libraries to keep a register open and serving patrons while the cash-up count is still in progress. Staff also gain the ability to preview and print the cash-up summary before finalising, giving them greater confidence and control over the reconciliation process.

Primary developer: Martin Renvoize

Sponsoring library: West Sussex Libraries, with essential testing from Debbie McCarthy, Ricky Theodosio and Lucy Morris

Release target: 26.05 (with a backport to 25.11 for Open Fifth customers)

Bugzilla – Bug 40445 (Point of Sale reconciliation input during daily summaries)

2. Organisation-level loan ‘Quota’ system for Koha

This new feature allows you to set usage limits for Organisational patrons. This allows you to bound the upper number of checkouts that a single Organisational Patron can make within a given period of time. This also has the option for respecting patron Guarantor / Guarantee relationships so that when making a checkout, you add usage to the Guarantor’s Quota. This feature is key to the way in which sponsoring library CELS will deliver services to schools, enabling them to be flexible with their subscription packages and how many resources they are able to borrow.

Primary developers: Jacob O’Mara, Martin Renvoize

Sponsoring library: Cheshire Education Library Service (CELS), with crucial testing and input from Alexandra Bamford

Release target: 26.05, undergoing QA

Bugzilla – Bug 38924