ABOUT THE WINDOWS OPAC
The M3 Windows OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) is a flexible, multilingual search interface that enables the patron to search a collection to determine if desired items are owned, how many copies are owned, their shelf location in the library, and whether or not they are available. Search results list all bibliographic records found matching the query. The user can then determine availability and location, sort the list, and print the search results for a concise, comprehensive bibliography.
By default, records appear in a brief record format during viewing. With the click of a button, the expanded bibliographic record and item location information from the holding record are displayed. The default record format can also be changed to any one of the following formats: bibliographic, full MARC, catalog card, brief labeled, compressed, and expanded labeled. The librarian can customize any of these pre-configured displays.
The search results screen is the default bibliographic display. The record detail is the expanded label format. Search results can be sorted by author, call number, call number by prefix, copyright date, and title.
Media type symbols provide instant resource format recognition. Each record has a media symbol associated with it. The media type symbols used by the OPAC are: artifact, book, photo, music cassette, movie or slide, electronic media, journal, library kit, map, sheet music, book on tape, data CD, music CD, video recording, or online resource. Item availability is determined by color: a green square for available or a red square for on-loan status. Results are obvious with a quick glance.
Book cover images can be displayed alongside items in the Search Results, Record Details, Bookbag Record List, or Bookbag Record Details windows.
M3 supports USMARC field 856 (electronic location and access), enabling patrons to link to cataloged Web sites directly from the OPAC.
SEARCH RESPONSE TIME
The M3 search engine was designed to handle long and/or complex searches in an instant; therefore, the ability to terminate searches is not necessary.
Table 5.1 represents a response time benchmark. The benchmark search was per- formed on a LAN with a PII 450 server and PII 233 workstation in a catalog of 88,723 bibliographic records and 126,295 holding records.
TABLE 5.1
Response Time for Keyword Searches using Boolean Operators
|
Boolean Phrase
|
Response Time
|
|
Subject History OR American
|
11,828 hits in 1 second
|
|
Subject History AND American
|
411 hits in 1 second
|
|
Subject History NOT American
|
8,598 hits in 1 second
|
|
Subject American AND History NOT Irish OR English OR French
|
387 hits in 1 second
|
OPAC WINDOW
The OPAC window can be customized by changing colors and by adding your library name and logo.
