Managing patron photographs in Koha can be time-consuming, especially when images need to be resized, renamed, and packaged correctly for bulk upload. To simplify this process, I recently developed the Koha Bulk Image Tool, a Linux desktop application that automates the entire workflow.
Installation
The application is distributed as a Debian package (.deb) and can be installed easily on Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, and other Debian-based distributions.
Download
Visit the GitHub repository:
Download the latest .deb package from the Releases section.
Install
Double-click the downloaded package and install it using your system's software installer, or run:
sudo dpkg -i koha-bulk-image-tool*.deb
sudo apt --fix-broken install
Once installed, launch Koha Bulk Image Tool from the Applications menu.
How to Use
Step 1: Prepare Images
Ensure that your patron photographs are named using the borrower's card number or another identifier that matches your Koha configuration.
Step 2: Add Images
Open the application and:
- Select individual images, or
- Select an entire folder containing patron photographs
- Step 3: Configure Image Size
Specify the required image dimensions according to your library's needs.
Step 4: Generate Koha Package
Click the Generate ZIP button.
The tool will automatically:
- Resize images
- Create the required IDLINK.TXT file
- Generate a Koha-compatible ZIP package
Step 5: Upload to Koha
In Koha:
Tools → Upload Patron Images
Upload the generated ZIP file and Koha will process the images automatically.
