An OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog)
is the computer-based system that has replaced the Card Catalog
in every modern library.
An OPAC is made up of records in a large, complex database. The bibliographic
information about a particular work in the library (title, author,
publisher, year of publication, etc), is captured in a Bibliographic
Record. An Item Record is linked to the bibliographic
record to represent each copy of the work owned by the library.
A Library user is represented in the system by information in a
Patron Record.
When you search The CAT, you're querying the database. When
you check out a book at the Circulation Desk, the system produces
a Circulation Record combining bibliographic information
from the Bibliographic Record, information about the item
you're checking out from the Item Record and information
about you from your Patron Record.
back to Book Resources for IST
