Use of Online Public Access Catalogue at Annamalai University Library

The patrons in the library can search the bibliographic database and find specific in formation online. The search facility also aprises the user about the availability of each item for circulation, including current status of individual copies of a title and reserve status. It also shows titles on order displaying current status in acquisition. This paper examines Online Public Access Catalogue usage by the students, research scholars and faculty of Annamalai University Library. A questionnaire-based survey on use of OPAC was conducted for Annamalai University Library on various categories of users such as faculty members, research scholars and postgraduate students, covering different disciplines such as Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine and Agriculture sciences. The paper discusses various aspects of OPAC such as frequency of use, purpose, satisfaction level, etc. The results of the study show that only one third of the respondents used OPAC frequently. The study also found that majority of users consulted OPAC to know the availability and location of the requisite documents.


Introduction
The Online Public Access Catalogue (OPA C) is an informat ion retrieval system characterized by short bibliographic records, mainly of books, journals, and audiovisual materials available in a particular library. This, coupled with a Boolean search interface and a heterogeneous user population with diverse needs, presents special problems for subject searching by end users. To perform effective subject searching in the OPAC system requires a wide range of knowledge and skills. Various approaches to improving the OPA C design for subject searching have been proposed and are reviewed in this article. The trend toward Web-based OPAC interfaces and the developments in Internet and digital library technologies present fresh opportunities for enhancing the effectiveness of the OPAC system for subject searching.

Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC)
An OPAC database records are usually derived fro m the MA RC fo r mat. Th e reco rds are b rief b ib lio g rap h ic descript ions enriched with a s mall nu mb er of contro lled subject descriptors (often taken fro m the Library of Congress Subject Headings) and a classification number (usually a Library of Congress or a Dewey decimal class number). The database records, thus, contain min imal informat ion for searching-little more than the author, title, publication year, subject description, and a class number. The subject descriptors are selected to reflect the subject content of the item as a whole rather than to provide in-depth indexing of the information contained in the item. For examp le, if a book contains many art icles, subject descriptors are not assigned for each art icle but only to the overall topic of the book. For periodical publications, only the periodical as a whole is described. Individual journal articles are usually not recorded in the database. This is in contrast to indexing and abstracting databases that provide keyword searching in the abstract and even the full text of articles, and provide exhaustive indexing of the content of journal articles. However, the distinction between OPA Cs and other kinds of informat ion retrieval systems is b lurring. Increasingly, OPA Cs are also providing lin ks to full-text document, electronic books, and Internet resources.
Most of the online catalogs in use today are what Hildreth termed second-generation OPACs. Most OPACs are Boolean retrieval systems that perform exact matching and require the search query to be specified as a Boolean expression. Typical search features include the choice of keyword searching (i.e., searching for individual words in the title and subject fields) or field searching with automat ic truncation (e.g., searching for a whole tit le or author name), the use of Boolean operators to combine t wo or more terms, the use of a truncation symbol, and limit ing a search to specific fields. The onus is on the user to translate the user's informat ion need into the subject headings and indexing terms used in the OPAC database and to refine the search based on the initial search result. Because most OPAC systems now offer Web access, OPAC interfaces are increasingly Web interfaces in the form of web pages containing HTML forms. Such interfaces are main ly form-filling interfaces. The user selects the type of search and the fields for searching either by entering the query in the appropriate input bo x o r by toggling the appropriate checkbox or radio button. For keyword searching, the search expression can include Boolean operators as well as indications of which field(s) to search [1].
OPA C users are heterogenous, varying widely in background, age, subject interests, and computer and informat ion literacy. So the OPAC has to be designed to cater to a wide range of users, ranging fro m users who have litt le knowledge of what a catalog contains and have little experience with computer terminals to librarians who are experienced in on line database searching and who require the system to have powerful search capabilit ies.

Literature Review
The first lib rary online public access catalogue was introduced in the early 1980s and researchers have been conducting usability studies of these catalogs ever since. In designing our usability study, we incorporated what we felt to be some of the best, most useful methods from previous research. However, our research is unique in that it compares four different library OPACs (both academic and public) fro m a specific geographic location, Seattle.
In 1999, Ch isman, Diller, and Walbridge conducted a usability study of the Washington State Un iversity Library OPA C. The library was preparing to imp lement a new version of the OPA C, and before it did so, wanted to test how usable the new catalog was, test whether or not people understood its features, and incorporate participants' feedback into the design of the new OPA C. Chis man, Diller, and Walbridge found that most of the OPACs problems were related to subject indexes and article databases; participants could not find and did not understand how to use these features [2].
In 2002, Halcoussis et al conducted a usability study of California Institute of the Arts Library OPA C to identify "causative factors determining catalog user success in finding in formation, user attitudes to catalog organization, and user ability to navigate the catalog (p. 148)." These researchers had participants conduct four different kinds of searches, took observation notes, and then had participants answer evaluative questions about the catalog. Halcoussis et al discovered that subject-searchers are more likely to run into difficulty while using the library catalog and are therefore more likely to view the catalog in a negative way. Also, users who spend a lot of time on a search and retrieve a large nu mber of search results are also more likely to report having difficulty using the OPAC [3].
In 2004, Novotny conducted a protocol analysis study to determine the usability o f the Pennsylvania State University Library OPA C. Participants were to complete five structured tasks using the catalog and were to tell observers exactly what they were thinking while they comp leted each task. Researchers found that the use of internet search engines has had a profound effect on the way that library patrons try to use and the expectations that they have for library OPA Cs. Because library OPA Cs are not necessarily designed to work in the same way as internet search engines, this created some problems for participants and highlighted areas of the catalog that could be modified to help users search more effect ively [4].

Objectives of the Study
The main objectives of the present study are as follo ws: ◆ To access as to what extent the users are using OPAC ◆ To find out the purpose of use of OPAC ◆ To know whether the users face problems while using OPA C ◆ To study the satisfaction of users while using OPAC

Scope of the Study
The present study included postgraduate students, research scholars and faculty members of Annamalai University Library. The main aim of the study was to assess the purpose, knowledge and frequency of using OPAC and problems faced by users. A sample of 400 users was taken covering various disciplines such as Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine and Agriculture sciences.

Methodology
A questionnaire was designed to gather primary data which was distributed among 400 users of Annamalai University Library during academic year 2010-2011. Proper care was taken to select the representative sample fro m each category proportionately on the basis of total strength of category concerned. A total of 268 out of 400 respondents completed and returned the questionnaires giving overall, a response rate of 67 per cent.

Data Analysis
Analysis of data is the ultimate step in research process. It is the link between raw data and significant results leading to conclusions. This process of analysis has to be result oriented.

Population Study
Personal detail section of the questionnaire provides informat ion regarding the sex and different qualifications as can be seen fro m   It is important to know how frequently the users use OPA C to locate their required documents. The frequency of using OPAC indicates its value in the library. Table -3 indicates the frequency of OPAC use. The table depicts that out of total 268 users only 31.35 % respondents frequently used the OPA C, 25.38% of respondents used occasionally, 20.89 % of respondents used rarely and 22.38% of respondents never used OPAC. Table-3 further shows that only one third of the respondents used OPAC frequently. As presented in Table 3, among the respondents, 60 (22.38 %) never used OPAC. These respondents were asked to give the reasons for never using OPAC. Tab le 4 shows that 95 % of 60 respondents expressed lack of knowledge, 70 % expressed confusing to use, 51.66% expressed no output, 45 % expressed lack of assistance from lib rary staff, 36.66 % expressed slow speed and around one fourth expressed lack of computer systems. The opinions regarding alternative methods used by the users who never used OPAC are represented in Table 5. Out of 60 users 58.33 % consulted card catalogue to search the documents, 80 % searched the library shelves themselves. Further, 43.33 % seeked the help fro m library staff to find out the documents, and 28.33 % seeked the help from the friends. Thus, it is clear fro m Tab le 5 that majority of these users preferred to search shelves or consult card catalogue to find the required docu ments.  Table 6 shows the purpose of using OPAC is indicated. It depicts that 74.03 % of users consulted OPAC to know the availability of the requisite document in the library, 41.82 % to know whether the requisite document issued and 78.36 % to know the location of the requisite documents. It is clear fro m Table 6 that majority of users consulted OPAC to know the availability and location of the requisite docu ments.  Table 7 shows the responses about the availability of lib rary staff to assist the users for using OPA C. The Tab le reveals that only 37.01 % users found that library staff was always availab le near OPAC, 26.93 % found library staff usually availab le, 18.26 % found occasionally available, 11.54% found rarely available and 6.26% found never available near OPAC. Table-8 represents the opinions of respondents about the sufficiency of co mputers available in the lib rary fo r OPAC use. Table shows that only 17.78 % users strongly agreed that the number of co mputers was sufficiency, more than one third of users agreed with availability of co mputers, 21.63 % were neutral about it, 13.47 % were disagreed with availability of co mputers, and very few 7.69 % strongly disagreed with availability of computers. It is clear fro m Table 15 that majority of users opined that the number of computers was sufficiency for OPAC use. The respondents were asked to indicate how fast OPAC system displayed the results after a search. The data related to this query is depicted in Table 9. A mong the respondents, 13.95 % said very fast display of the results after a search, 47.12 % said fast display of the results, 13.47 % said moderately fast display of the results, 17.30 % said slow display of the results, and very few 3.36 % said very slow display of the results. It is evident that a large majority of users around 60 % feel that the display of the results after a search was fast.

Conclusions
We also come to the ev ident conclusion that the interface of the OPA C of the Annamalai Un iversity was not optimal for serving user needs, with apparent limitations in its design, a lack of screens for assistance, a deficient system of searching by subject heading, and very limited search options. Users have many kinds of problems performing subject searches in OPA C systems. Typical users do not have the range of knowledge and skills needed for effective subject searching. This art icle has surveyed possible improvements that can be made to OPA C system design. With developments in Internet and Web browser technologies, many of the proposed improvements can be instituted without major changes to the OPAC back end system. Changes can easily be made in the design of the web pages used as an interface to the OPAC. OPA C interfaces are playing increasingly expanded roles. They now provide access not just to records of books and journals held by a lib rary but also to mu ltip le library systems, to full-te xt documents and journal articles, and to databases and other resources on the Internet.

Recommendations
On the basis of the findings, the following recommendations have been made for optimu m utilisation of OPA C facility in the University lib rary: ◆ The study observed that the OPAC does not offer various essential features such as spell check software, quick search, online reservation, online renewal, new arrivals and book cover display facilit ies. Moreover these features, there is no provision for links to electronic sources. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that the said features must be incorporated in OPAC. ◆ OPA C should have more user-friendly online help that may provide direct ion to users to start a search and to show next steps during a search. ◆ To facilitate the users, the University library should organise user education programmes on the use of different techniques and strategies in retriev ing information about the documents. The instruction programmes may enhance user knowledge and basic skills for searching OPA C. ◆ It is evident fro m the study that the users were not having basic skills of searching OPA C. Therefore, they needed the assistance of library staff near OPAC terminals for optimu m utilisation of this service.