[Web4lib] How to label the OPAC

[Junus, Ranti]

At the risk of being scorned by some people, here's some reasons why catalog is still important:

Catalog can also be equated as an inventory system.  When you order materials, you put the PO information there.  You put other info such as the how many people can access the resource (if it's electronic).   You put fund code there; in a academic setting, you probably have several fund codes, depending on what subject area (science, humanities, etc.) you have.  

Perhaps a discussion with people from Aquisition department is in order. :-)

I think nothing is wrong with the catalog.  What wrong is, IMHO, it was not designed to be flexible for public service purposes.  It was designed just for library staff to use.

ranti.
--
Ranti Junus - Web Services
 100 Main Library W441
 Michigan State University
 East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
 +1.517.432.6123 ext. 231
 +1.517.432.8374 (fax)


> -----Original Message-----
> From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
> [mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org]On Behalf Of Ross Singer
> Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2005 8:51 AM
> To: web4lib at webjunction.org
> Subject: Re: [Web4lib] How to label the OPAC
> 
> 
> You know, in all this, I still have yet to see anybody 
> definitively state:
> 
> A) why the "catalog" is so important
> B) what exactly seperates the catalog from the other 
> electronic resources
> 
> -Ross.
>