Knowledge Organization Reflection #2: Online Catalogs
28 January 2024
Online catalogs (OPACs) have not been standardized. Explore the OPACs of two different libraries you can access (perhaps ODU and your local public library). Describe how the process compares when searching for the same items. Include at least one screenshot of each.
For all OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogs) have done to make interacting with library catalogs as simple as they are, not all of them are created equal. Literally, given that OPAC design isn’t standardized—for anyone who’s only interacted with a handful of libraries’ online offerings in their lifetime, it might seem as if every system or organization has its own unique layout and functions to navigate. Since I’ve wrapped my head around a half-dozen OPACs in the past decade or so, this reflection provided an opportunity to really understand what each platform prioritizes in their design.
Wilson, J. (2024). Norfolk Public Library catalog searches [Screenshot]. CC BY-NC-ND.
I noodled with most of the catalogs I knew while writing this, but the system that I had the oddest time with was Norfolk Public Library, which uses one of SirsiDynix’s OPACs. Part of the strangeness has to do with what’s in NPL’s collection. Most of my experiments were based around the physical book Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, and its author, Naomi Klein—querying just the keyword “doppelganger” on its own, I had to scroll down to the bottom of the first page to find an eAudiobook entry, since there are a whole 11 other resources with a main title of just “Doppelganger.” However the default “relevance” sort arranges NPL’s catalog records, neither publication date nor author don’t seem to be prioritized much, since no sort of order was obvious, and the physical book was further buried on the third page of results.
Wilson, J. (2024). Central Rappahannock Regional Library catalog searches [Screenshot]. CC BY-NC-ND.
Meanwhile, my searches at the local Central Rappahannock Regional Library, which runs on BiblioCommons, was smooth on just about every count. Keyword searches for “naomi klein”, “klein, naomi,” and “doppelganger” featured the book right at the top of the page, with the rest of Klein’s bibliography following for the former two before other entries. Most importantly, BiblioCommons allows for consolidating all formats of a title into a single entry, eliminating one of the most persistent inconveniences of most catalogs. While I wouldn’t necessarily call NPL’s catalog inefficient, comparing it to CRRL's makes a strong case for OPACs to reduce the steps for a patron to find the specific resource they’re looking for.
References
Wilson, J. (2024). Central Rappahannock Regional Library catalog searches [Screenshot]. CC BY-NC-ND.
Wilson, J. (2024). Norfolk Public Library catalog searches [Screenshot]. CC BY-NC-ND.