Evaluation of Iranian Universiy library OPACs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 M. A Student of knowledge and information science, Tarbiat Modares University

2 Assistant Professor of Knowledge and Information Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran

3 Assistant Professor of Knowledge and Information Science, Tarbiat Modares University

Abstract

Purpose: In this research, the main objective was to evaluate Iranina University library OPACs in two categories (including commercial and designed by universities OPACs) in terms of search, display, browsing, and other features (limitations to type of the document).
Methods: It was an applied research that has been evaluated OPACs using a check list of features. In this research, sampling was not done and all university OPACs identified in Academic libraries of Iran have been studied.
Results: From 121 features identified in the first phase, 52.06 % was belonged to display category. According to the experts, more than 95% of the features were considered highly important. 23.14% Features were not available in OPACs of Iranian universities. The situation of commercial OPACs was better than the designed ones. The Pars Azarakhsh OPAC was ranked as the first (1.5 mean rank and weighed rank) and Mobin soft was ranked as the last. According to the frequency, Simorgh was the second and Payam e Mashregh was the third one but according to the weighed frequency, Payam e Mashregh was the second and Simorgh was the third OPAC in ranking. It can be concluded that Commercial OPACs compare to the designed OPACs had a better position.
Originality: Evaluating all of the university library OPACs and comparion of two groups of OPACs has not yet been done in a similar study.

Keywords