Unit Four: Online Catalog: OPAC

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Unit Four Online Catalog OPAC
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Question

• Library Catalog (Web version)
• Topic youth suicide
• How many records come up? ____
• Expand search results by combining
• youth suicide with a synonym like
  adolescent suicide. How many
• records appear now?
  ____

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Objectives

• Online library catalog
• What it is
• What does it contain?
• Two interfaces
• How it works

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What It Is

• Search engine and database of materials the
  library owns
• Identifies a source and tells you where to find
  it
• Each library unique, each online catalog unique

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What Does It Contain?

• Books (mostly)
• Comprehensive, in-depth sources
• Diverse viewpoints, balance arguments
• Summarize major research to date
• Journal titles (but not articles)
• Government documents, videos, sound recordings,
  map records

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Two Interfaces

• Text version (telnet)
• Connect via Web link from library page
• Web
• Connect via Web link from library page

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Text Version

• Text or telnet connection
• Requires login (OPAC)
• Holdings stored in digital format
• Interface is menu-based
• Keyboard (arrows/function keys) used to move,
  select choices

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Web Version

• Web connection
• No login, just link click
• Holdings stored in html digital format
• Interface based on graphics, hyperlinks
• Use links to select choices

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Web Vs. Telnet

• Web version
• keyword searches broader
• (Looks for words in more fields)
• lets you search more SUNY libraries
• easier to use
• - not as quick
• - does not include books on order

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How an Online Catalog Works

• Works like any database
• Content based on records
• what the database contains
• Records composed of fields
• what the record contains
• Search Interface that allows user to find data

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Records

• Contents of a database
• Books
• Journal Articles
• Reports, Gov documents
• Videos, Recordings
• Personal resources

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Fields

• Components of a record
• Author
• Title
• Notes (abstract)
• Date, publisher
• Subject field
• You can search one field only or several at once
  (keyword)

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Search Interface

• Lets you tell computer how to search
• Which words to use
• Which fields to look in
• Hatha yoga in title, in subject heading, in
  keyword
• Expand or reduce results (Boolean searching)
• Television OR TV
• TV AND children
• Provides structure for searches
• Search box
• Menu options
• Help

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How Our Online Catalog Works

• Use menu or buttons for keyword or single field
  searching
• Expand or reduce search results with AND or OR
• Combine fields by using qualifiers
• au author
• ti title
• sh subject heading
• au Hemingway and ti sun also rises

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Library Catalog Text Version
SEARCH OPTIONS
AU AUTHOR TI TITLE lt----- KE
KEYWORD CN CALL NUMBER SH SUBJECT
HEADING DT DOCUMENT TYPE
Press F10 to access HELP
ENTER YOUR SEARCH youth suicide
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Library Catalog (Web Version)

• 1. Enter a word or phrase to search
• 2. Choose a search type
• Keyword Subject Author Title
• Searching Tips

Youth suicide
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Question

• Library Catalog (Web version)
• Topic youth suicide
• How many records come up? 17
• Expand search results by combining
• youth suicide with a synonym like
  adolescent suicide. How many
• records appear now? 29

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Subject and Keyword Searching

• Keyword searches several fields in a document
  record
• Author Title Subject Notes (Abstract)
• Subject heading searches only subject field
• Sometimes called subject heading, descriptor,
  identifier
• Subject headings must be known, guessed, or
  discovered to make a subject search successful

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Locating What You Find

• Call numbers locate an item physically
• A-F - first floor
• G-P -second floor
• Q-Z -third floor
• Letters reflect subject
• DB -Central European history
• PG -Russian literature

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Library of Congress (LC) Classification System

• A General works M Music
• B Philosophy N Visual Arts
• C - History (Biog) P Lang/Lit
• D History general Q Sciences
• E-F History (American R Medicine
• G Geography S Agriculture
• H Social Sciences T Technology
• J Political Science U Military science
• K Law V Naval science
• L - Education

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LC Classification and Categories

• H Social sciences
• HD Economic history and conditions
• HD 232- HD473 -Industry
• HD 233- HD236 ---Household industry
• HD 236.3 ------------- Telecommunications
• Move from broad to specific

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Call Numbers

• Detailed letter number combination to let you
  find individual book
• H Social sciences (and business)
• HD Economic history and conditions
• HD 232- HD473 Industry
• HD 233- HD236 Household industry
• HD 236.3 - Telecommunications

HD236.3.L86
Topics in Teleworking by John Lenox
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This Weeks Assignment

• Searchthe Online Catalog
• Field searching by
• Author, title, subject, keyword, document type
• Combination searching using
• AND, OR
• Qualifiers au ti sh dt

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TILT Lite Reminder

• Complete the TILT Lite tutorial
• Introduction
• Module 1
• Access TILT Lite via LIB101 Web page
• Complete quiz at end of tutorial
• Hand in quiz results to me at next class