Page 137 - DLIS007_LIBRARY AUTOMATION

Library Automation

Notes number of libraries tried to help their patrons in checking whether an item was on loan, on
order, or at binding. This was a form of public enquiry module, which later developed into the
online public access catalogue (OPAC). However, as Seal (1984b: 9) pointed out “The public
enquiry module will often replicate the structure of a card or COM [Computer Output Microform]
catalogue.”
Another major factor leading to the rapid development of online public access catalogues was
the contribution, by some library system vendors, of designing and developing public access
modules as an important part of their turnkey systems. These vendors tried to incorporate a
more sophisticated structure for the public enquiry module with more searching facilities. It
should be noted that the early public enquiry systems were not integrated with other library
modules, such as acquisitions and serials control.
Due to both the relative success and acceptability of online public enquiry modules, and pressures
from patrons and librarians, libraries began to consider developing online public access
catalogues (OPACs) with more bibliographic information, i.e., full MARC records and more
searching capabilities, such as keyword access and Boolean searching (Seal, 1984b: 9). The
possibility of utilising MARC records as the foundation of bibliographic databases led to the
development of the concept of the Integrated Online Library Systems (IOLS) in which “The
information that was input at the acquisitions stage would form a basis for the catalogue record
which, in turn, would support all library functions. Thus, a number of integrated systems, such
as GEAC, ULISYS, ATLAS, DOBIS, NOTIS and VTLS, were established incorporating this modular
design.

The overall factors relating to the growing interest in online catalogues have been numerous. It
is generally agreed that the most important factors that led to the rapid proliferation and
development of online catalogues in the early 1980s were those related to their search, retrieval
and display capabilities. Moreover, the opportunity of feedback from librarians and library
patrons has provided a continuing momentum for upgrading the structure, contents and
capabilities of online catalogues.
Tracing the historical development of online public access catalogues, Hildreth (1984, 1989) and
Matthews (1991) identify three generations of OPACs. This categorisation is based on the features
and capabilities of online catalogues in the processes of input, storage and output of bibliographic
information. Matthews (1991: 7) claims that most of the existing online catalogues are still in the
first or second generations and only a few systems have moved beyond first-generation. Added
to the three generations identified by Hildreth and Matthews, recent advances in OPACs using
graphical user interfaces (GUIs) have introduced a fourth generation to online catalogues.

First-generation Online Catalogues

Derived from circulation or cataloguing systems, first-generation online catalogues were in fact
computerised card catalogues with almost the same traditional features. In contrast to the patrons’
expectations from their use of computerised database systems, these new library catalogues
provided limited author, title and controlled vocabulary subject heading access points. For this
reason, first-generation online catalogues have been criticised as having no advantages over the
card catalogue (Hildreth, 1984: 39; 1987: 650).
Searching in first-generation online catalogues was essentially based upon pre-coordinated
information retrieval principles and was possible only through inputting the exact form of
words or phrases. In contrast to searching in card catalogues, the patron had great difficulties as
he/she had to input something into the system so that it could respond to his/her query. As this
was possible only through inputting the exact form of words or phrases, which was difficult to
remember, searching, was not as successful as the searcher expected. Keyword access was not
available and refining a search by further limiting it to elements such as date of publication,
language or country of publication was not possible.

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