Simplification or complication ? Some thoughts about the implementation of an OPAC at the multimedia library of La Villette

The catalog of the multimedia library of La Villette, that has been working since 1986, is the first French OPAC. It has been elaborated from two systems : as the records are generated on MEDICIS and the searches are made on GEAC, management and presentation meet some problems. The catalog is being used by 35 % of the readers, most of them children ; inquiries can also be made by visually impaired users. The catalog, which reveals the hidden side of the library to the public, induces new relations between the public and the librarians who can attend the live evaluation of the service.
Read