Introduction

Hi,
My name is Karla Smith, and although my official title is "Automation Librarian", I think of myself more as the "OPAC/ILS Wrangler" for Winnefox Library System.

One of the reasons I am attending this camp is because I worry that the public library patron's needs get lost in all these "The OPAC Sucks" discussions. Most of the prominent people leading the push for Next-Gen OPACs or doing away with the OPAC entirely are from academic backgrounds-- and their patrons have vastly different needs than our patrons. I did a study of the logs from our OPAC, and they clearly indicate that our patrons are looking for known-items -- specific title or author. I am hoping to hear if any other public librarians have looked at their patrons' search patterns.