OPAC
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An '''Online Public Access Catalog''' or '''OPAC''' (aka '''iPAC''' for [[Internet]]/[[Intranet]] Public Access Catalogue) is a computerized online [[library catalog|catalog]] of the materials held in a [[library]], or library system. The library staff and the public can usually access it at computers within the library, or from home. OPAC terminals began to replace [[card catalog]]s in many libraries in the 1980s. Since the mid-1990s, these systems have increasingly migrated to [[World Wide Web|Web]]-based interfaces. OPACs are often part of an [[integrated library system]].
In its most simple form, a library's OPAC could consist of nothing more than a simple index of the bibliographic data cataloged in the system. More complex OPACs offer a variety of search capabilities on several indexes, integrate rich content (book covers, video clips, etc.), and offer interactive request and renewal functionality.
In the past, libraries made their catalogs available to users outside the library via means of a [[Telnet]] interface, usually accessible through a direct [[Dial-up access|dial-up]] interface, or across the [[Internet]]. Today, most integrated library systems offer a [[Web browser|browser]]-based OPAC (aka iPAC) module as a standard capability or optional feature. OPAC modules rely on pulldown menus, popup windows, dialog boxes, mouse operations, and other [[graphical user interface]] components to simplify the entry of search commands and formatting of retrieved information.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Hillwebgeoac.PNG|thumb|The Geac Geoweb 5.0 Web Interface built for Hillingdon Libraries HillWeb Service.]] -->
==Visual OPACs==
Visual OPACs are becoming more popular in today's media centers. Visual trends in the [[concept mapping]] software have made their way to Library media centers because children would not use a text only OPAC. Among the most popular visual OPACs are Follett's Visual OPAC, Accent or Athena from Sagebrush and Mandarin's Visual Catalog. Each of these catalogs provides the user to switch their [[interface]] from text to graphic being able for them to see their searches. A visual OPAC also provides images of book covers, excerpts of chapters, video clips, audio files, magazine articles and Web site addresses. A visual OPAC provides friendlier access for children and comes to good use for ESL students, beginning readers, and special needs students. It will help them to understand the online catalog and the relationships of search terms found in it.
==The Next-Generation Catalog==
In recent years, [[Integrated library system|ILS]] manufacturers and increasingly open-source library software developers have begun creating new search applications for bibliographic data. These so-called ''next-generation catalogs'' may include some of the following features not found in traditional OPACs:
* faceted search and browse
* relevance ranking
* [[Tag Cloud|tag clouds]]
* reviews and social bookmarking
* [[Persistent Uniform Resource Locator|persistent URLs]]
* 'more like this' suggestions
==See also==
* [[Integrated library system]]
* [[List of next-generation catalogs]]
* Wikipedia has a special starting point page to many library catalogs worldwide. [[Special:Booksources|Book sources]]
==References==
Brisco, Shonda. Visual OPACS.
''Library Media Connection, Nov/Dec 2006 vol. 25 issue 3, 56-57.''
== External links ==
* [http://saras.library.iisc.ernet.in/cgi-bin/lsbrows1.cgi?Database_no_opt=++++ "Web OPAC of Indian Institute of Science,Bangalore,India" ]
* [http://www.phippsinc.com "Phipps & Associates Inc" - Inmagic ''Genie'' - Web-based Library Automation System]
* [http://www.libsuite.com/library_auto.htm LiBSUITE-Digital Library Automation Software]
* [http://www.librariesdirect.com Build your own OPAC online with this fully functional MARC compliant system.]
[[Category:Library automation]]
[[Category:Library cataloging and classification]]
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