Program: electronic library and information systems: Volume 20 Issue 2
Table of contents
Users and ease of use: online catalogues' raison d'etre
Nathalie Nadia MitevOPAC users are first described according to their habits and needs. The usual distinction between ‘naive’ and ‘sophisticated’ users is criticised. The existing OPAC designs are…
Online catalogues in North America: an overview
William Gray PotterOPACs currently in operation in North America fall into three categories: (1) turnkey systems (e.g. CLSI and Geac); (2) marketed, locally developed systems (e.g. NOTIS, VTLS); and…
OPACs in Australia: a progress report
Tony MaysThis article reviews the extent to which OPACs have been installed or planned in Australia. The information was collected by requests for information and telephone interviews. The…
The Geac‐based OPAC at the University of Sussex Library
R.C. Young, S.R. LeeThe Sussex OPAC is based on the Public Query software of Geac Computers Ltd's circulation module, but with substantial local modification. Coverage of loanable items in stock has…
First experiences with OCLC's LS/2000 OPAC at Newcastle University Library
John Bagnall, Alan JeffreysNewcastle University has been involved in library automation for many years, but only recently were services taken from an outside supplier, OCLC. The online public access…
Use of ALS Browser terminals for OPAC searching at Bromley Public Library
Rod CowleyBromley Public Library has used ALS equipment to assist with circulation control since the late 1960s. In 1981 it was decided that the previous batch system should be replaced by…
Use of BRS/Search in OPAC experiments
Steven G. ProwseA project was devised to develop a number of user interfaces to an experimental online public access catalogue which could then be evaluated in a series of user tests. BRS/Search…
Using an information retrieval package, CAIRS, as an OPAC in a small, university medical library
Nicky WhitsedCharing Cross and Westminster Medical School Library serves the needs of teaching staff, students, researchers and other medical workers in this University of London Medical…
Problems of subject access: (i) automatic generation of printed indexes and online thesaural control
Juliet CongreveA research project in progress at Middlesex Polytechnic is examining the problems of providing adequate subject access from MARC‐based cataloguing systems. Various forms of…
Problems of subject access: (ii) user studies and interface design
Charles CroucherA research project in progress at Middlesex Polytechnic is examining the problems of subject access in an online public access catalogue. A series of user studies have been…