What do the "OPAC" terminals in your Library look like?
Here at the Thunder Bay Public Library we are embarking on a study of our in-library OPAC Terminals (aka kiosks).
As I'm sure has happened in other Libraries, when we first automated the grand old card catalogue was replaced with a "pod" of computer catalogue terminals -- on which you could *just* search the catalogue (because it wasn't online). When the OPAC became online we got rid of the "pod" and reloacted individual kiosks to the ends of the stacks throughout the collection.
With the wonderful evolution to an online catalogue (and a growing collection of e-resources) comes the challenge of balancing access to the catalogue (with increasing links to e-resources, enhanced content and other Web sites) while at the same time preventing the kiosks from becoming public inernet stations.
At the moment our kiosks have a "home page" with a menu of options including:
- search the catalogue
- visit the Library's Web site
- visit the KidsZone Web site
- book an internet computer (online PC booking)
- What's on (online events calendar)
- Children's Song Index (in-house database)
- My Library Card
- Customer Survey (Counting Opinions)
I'm interested to hear from other public libraries:
- What do your "kiosks" provide access to.
- What does the face of your "kiosks" look like? (ie. OPAC, Web site, unique home page)
- How do you communicate the function of the "kiosks" to your patrons?


Recent comments
14 hours 35 min ago
14 hours 35 min ago
14 hours 37 min ago
14 hours 38 min ago
14 hours 39 min ago