Online Public Access Catalog

An OPAC, or online public access catalog, is an example of an integrated library system. An OPAC is an online database of materials held by a library or group of libraries. Patrons can access this catalog not only from the library but also through the Internet if the library has the necessary technology.

These catalogs can not only store information on the books in the library but also music, video, periodicals, and in some cases, allow users to download materials such an audio books and digital texts directly from the library website to their computer. OPAC can also allow for more advanced means of searching, as users are no longer limited to looking for works by title or author but through sections of the text that are stored in the catalog. Unfortunately, it is difficult to store these sections as metadata the way a book’s title or author can be easily broken down into parts, so libraries that use this technology must try to maintain a middle ground with such search engines that allow users to look up text. If the search is too specific, then the results could be too limited for the user’s needs. On the other hand, if the search is too broad, the information retrieved will require more of the patron’s energy to sift through, looking for the material they need. Computers, at this point, haven’t been taught to think that critically.

On a social level, the impact of the OPAC is enormous. Whereas before patrons were limited in their searching to only the materials that their library or libraries possessed, an OPAC that connected, say, the libraries of a county would allow all of the books to be searched for and, should an arrangement be made, checked out. Using Maricopa County as an example, the cities of Phoenix, Scottsdale, Mesa, Glendale, etc. all have unique library systems. A patron with a Phoenix card cannot check out materials from Scottsdale without first acquiring a card for that system. If the library system were structured around the counties, however, this would allow them to integrate all of the systems into one large database that all residents could use. Of course, there are political matters at work, so the actual process would probably be a harsh, difficult going. Cities like Mesa, where the library system is far below what a city of its size and population has in comparison to the rest of the country, would have a vested interest in this taking place while cities like Phoenix, with a superior system might wonder what's in it for them. As the potential for connections grows easier with increasing technology, these are questions that might need to be asked of librarians.