OPACs

A Brief Description
An Online Public Access Catalog, or OPAC, is a technology housed in a library that allows patrons to have electronic access to their library's catalog and holdings. It offers search functions and access to one's personal library account. As group 3's presentation for IRLS 571, Fall 2007 tells us, "access may be site-based, part of an organization's intranet, or internet-based for 24/7 searching from any online workstation anywhere in the world." Though most OPACs currently in use are the only type of access that patrons have to the catalog, their format is based on the paper-based card catalogs of the past.

How it is Used in a Library
This is likely obvious from the description above, but it is possible to go into a bit more detail. OPACs utilize MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging) records as a "standard for representation and communication of bibliographic information" in, of course, machine readable form (IRLS 571, Unit 1 Part 5 lecture). This record is similar to a database record, but it is more complicated and can stand on its own. It is metadata and transportable, and it defines the fields of the record. They are flexible and are a comprehensive solution to all problems found in bibliographic data. The fields and records of MARC can very in length, which makes it possible for it to handle different kinds of formats. Though this is true, most OPACs are crossroads for libraries and patrons. They still have a long way to go before they are able to fulfill the expectations (or at least wants) of most library patrons. Many catalogs have interactive functions, giving direct access to electronic articles, course reserves and ebook checkout. They can also allow the formation of a booklist and help patrons to formulate bibliographies tailored to a specific citation format. OPACs can also offer reading and site recommendations, bestseller or best checkout rankings, ways of finding other services, access to pathfinders on specific subjects, ILL services, document retrieval, access to other libraries' catalogs, information about that specific library, and basically any possible electronic service a library could have.

Expected Social Impact of the Technology
OPACs are not really socially centered technology, as blogs are, but they do offer tools to help in information seeking. As stated above, they give access to any, all, and even more information than the library itself holds. They also can give access to references services that helps researchers to accomplish their information searching goals. Through this research, patrons have access to records and the possibility of exercising free inquiry as they gain knowledge about subjects they have developed interests in. OPACS also keep records of various library transactions so can be a significant and instrumental part in the libraries CSCW. These records can help librarians in decision making about weeding and acquisition, about technology use, about frequent searches and about reference inquiries.