Animated maps of the library stacks were integrated into the catalog interface at Pratt Institute and into the EBSCO Discovery Service interface at Illinois State University. The mapping feature was developed for optimal automation of the update process to enable a range of library personnel to update maps and call-number ranges. The development…

Do students prefer to use Google instead of the library catalog? Ever wondered why? Google is easier to use and delivers plenty of "good enough" resources to meet their needs. The current generation of online catalogs has two main problems. First, the look and feel of the interface doesn't reflect the conventions adhered to elsewhere on the web,…

Resource discovery tops the charts as the foremost issue within the realm of library automation. As a new year commences, the author sees a more pressing need to accelerate the pace with which libraries deliver content and services in ways that users will find compelling, relevant, and convenient. The evolution of the web advances relentlessly,…

As a concept, the next-generation catalog (NGC) is not new to librarians, who have been wishing for better OPAC interfaces for their integrated library systems (ILSs). The NGC has been the focus of discussion for more than 5 years now, from the 2006 report of the implementation of Endeca at North Carolina State University, to Marshall Breeding's…

Purpose: The purpose of the paper is to examine the various features and components of web-based online public access catalogues (OPACs) of IIT libraries in India with the help of a specially designed evaluation checklist. Design/methodology/approach: The various features of the web-based OPACs in six IIT libraries (IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT…

A follow-up interview with librarians from Hong Kong, Mexico, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand about library automation systems in their libraries and their plans for the future. Discusses system performance, upgrades, services, resources, intranets, trends in automation, Web interfaces, full-text image/document systems, document delivery, OPACs…

Describes efforts by academic libraries in Virginia to increase resource sharing through new technological developments. Highlights include cooperative collection development; software designed for resource sharing; regional electronic resources centers; workstations; interfaces to connect online catalogs; patron-initiated interlibrary loans; and…

Evaluation of data from assessments of full bibliographic displays in academic library OPACs (online public access catalogs) and World Wide Web catalogs against a checklist of desirable features found that OPAC displays scored 58% and Web displays scored 60%. Discusses weaknesses, focusing on those found in the majority of the displays…