An online public access catalogue for Youth Corps Learning Center Community Library

Abstract

Online public access catalogue is an electronic database of materials held by a library or a group of libraries and they have largely replaced the analog catalogs which were previously used that is to say, card and book catalogs. In addition OPAC is a library catalogue that provides users with a platform to search and allocate books or other materials available at the library. Ukpebor (2013) highlighted that OPAC is a system that provides the public with direct access to the library bibliographic database through the use of terminals that are searchable with a variety of access points and a common command language that can be transferred moves from one library to another retrieving information,providing instructional help and display search result in readily understandable form.it also provides remote access to the library collection with smultaneous queries from the users. The project aimed at creating an OPAC for youth corps learning centre community library using KOHA software and it was achieved through following the intended study objectives which included; Identifying the requirement for an OPAC, Designing an OPAC, Implementation of an OPAC. Testing and validation of an OPAC. It started with an extensive research for information concerning the library staff towards OPAC and it was based on there views that OPAC was created since previous reviews confirmed that their was no research made for OPAC in this specific community library . Purposive and snowball methods were used to select samples for Youth Corps Learning Centre Community Library. Interview guides were used to interview both library staff and users. Responses received, presented participant’s experiences and suggestions for the proposed OPAC. Interviews with library users clearly showed that, there was a need for more access points to the library information. Patrons only had physical access to the library collection which was insufficient. By creating an OPAC made it possible for them to remotely access information hence efficient access to the library collection. Findings gathered from catalogue validation proved that OPAC was a viable solution to challenges faced in accessing library resources at youth corps learning centre community library and it is upon these finding that appropriate recommendations were drawn for the library OPAC.