Integrating the OPAC with emerging discovery tools

Abstract

The library catalogue, a tool with a long and distinguished history, is changing with the continuing development of the Internet.As library practitioners, we know the power of the catalogue to find information sources in library collections. But our users, who have become used to having some results regardless of what search terms they enter into Web search engines, are becoming increasingly frustrated with the current OPAC technologies. What are some of limitations of online library catalogues? In what ways are members of the information community and library automation vendors discovering ways of making local resources more available to our users?