[Web4lib] How to label the OPAC (was: Role of the OPAC)

[Brandon Dennis]

I've only been working in the library system for a little over a year
here.  I don't have any formal library education and I've always worked
for commercial high tech companies beforehand.  We're in the process of
redesigning our web site and I would never consider naming the online
catalog anything other than "Catalog".
 
Navigation is generally one of the more important factors on any web
site, and after reviewing and considering a variety of terms and links,
I can't imagine that "catalog" wouldn't be the best name for a variety
of reasons:
1.  Dictionary.com defines catalog as:  "A list or itemized display, as
of titles, course offerings, or articles for exhibition or sale, usually
including descriptive information or illustrations."
2.  I just recently turned 30, so I hope I am still fairly young.  Yet,
they were still teaching me in school how to access a card catalog and
library catalogs to lookup information.  It may be "obsolete" in a
library setting (although I don't agree with that), but it's still a
term that's commonly linked to a list of items in the library.
3.  Even taking some of the least educated patrons, I can't imagine what
else they would think "catalog" to mean.  There are still catalogs for
stores and mail order outlets, so surely they must figure it out to be a
list of items.
4.  I didn't care for "Find a Book" or "Find Materials".  They were
either too specific or too vague.  In addition, using "Find" on a web
site lends a lot of people to consider it as directly a search.  Some
people may be looking for a way to BROWSE.  Catalog has the ability to
sum up both features into a simple word.
 
These views are my own, of course, primarily as a patron coming into the
Library system with a background in web design and development.  You
have about 20 seconds to present a clear-cut approach to your
navigation, and I believe that using "catalog" includes multiple
possibilities and a direct approach in a single word.  The problem with
trying to find different phrasing leads to either wording things poorly,
limiting what you're trying to say, or talking yourself into a
grammatical rubik's cube.  (e.g., "Should we use contact us, e-mail us,
ask a librarian, talk to the library, give us your opinions, or 'click
on this link and you will be given the option to e-mail us, fill out a
form to let us know your thoughts, or ask a question through our web
robot'.)
 
There's plenty of words that may be considered obsolete, but they're not
depreciated.  In my opinion, the best way to create a navigation is to
find as few words as possible to be direct enough to lead the visitor to
where they want to go, but vague enough so they believe they can do what
they want when they're there.
 
Brandon
 

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: Drew, Bill [mailto:drewwe at MORRISVILLE.EDU] 
	

	Please excuse the following bit of sarcasm. Can you tell me the
name of
	the parts in your car?  What are the parts of your ballpoint
pen? Better
	yet, what is the technical term for the part of your telephone
called
	that you talk into? The term "catalog" has been obsolete for at
least a
	decade.
	
	Bill Drew
	drewwe at morrisville.edu