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

[Ross Singer]

I guess my response to this is:
What does the average user expect to find in the "catalog"?

I still have to go back to the question, in the modern library, what is 
the role of the OPAC and how does it fit in to the entirety of our 
collections?

Worrying about the label seems to be ignoring the issue.

-Ross.

Brandon Dennis wrote:

>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
>	
>
>
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