CHAPTER - 5 STATUS OF OPAC AND WEB OPAC IN LAW UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN SOUTH INDIA 5.0. Introduction Library automation implies the application of computers and utilization of computer based products and services in the performance of different library operations and functions. Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) are widely used in electronic library catalogues giving a wealth of remote access to library information resources. OPAC is one of the milestones of library automation (Babu, 1998). OPAC has gradually developed more advanced systems which provide keyword facilities and Boolean search models. OPAC system has changed the traditional concept of information resources access in a significant way. It allows multi-dimensional searches providing as many access points as the data elements depending on the software used. Web OPAC usage is global and it can be accessed from anywhere and anytime. Web OPAC, html files provide hyperlinks to various subjects. National Law Universities are emerging institutions providing quality legal education. All law universities selected for the study have well equipped libraries. These libraries are meant to meet the information requirements of students, teaching staff and non teaching staff in their respective institutions. The main objective of these libraries is to collect, process, maintain and service a good number of text books, reference books, legal journals, audio-visual materials and other information sources. Besides, they provide good physical facilities and information services like Internet service, OPAC and web OPAC etc. 5.1. South Indian Law Universities There are six law universities of which, the National State Law University Hubli was established by the Government of Karnataka in 2009. It is the single largest federal law university in the country affiliating more than 87 law colleges spread over the entire state of Karnataka. The A.P University of Law, Vishakapatnam is 64
recognized by the Bar Council of India (BCI), New Delhi. It was established by the Government of Andhra Pradesh, in 2008. The National Law School of India University, Bangalore is also recognized by the BCI and eventually the BCI demanded a Deemed University status from the University Grants Commission. It was established in 1987. The NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad was established in 1998. The National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) was established by the state of Kerala by Act 27 of 2005 to be a national level institute of excellence in higher learning of law in the state and the Tamil Nadu. Dr. Ambedker Law University, Chennai was established in 1997. Table- 5.1: South Indian Law Universities S/N Name of the State Name of the University 1 Karnataka National Law School of India University Bangalore (NLSIU) 2 Karnataka Karnataka State Law University, Hubli (KSLU) 3 Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University (TNALU) 4 Kerala National University of Advanced Legal Studies, Cochin (NUALS) 5 Andhra Pradesh Nalsar University of Law, Hyderabad (NALSAR) 6 Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh University of Law, Vishakapatnam (APUL) 5.2. Internet Connection As the below table 5.2 exhibits, out of six law university libraries, NUALS law university library has leased line, broad band and Wi-Fi Internet connection, NLSIU and KSLU law University libraries have leased line and Wi-Fi Internet connection, TNALU and APUL law university libraries have broad band Internet connection and NALSAR law University library has Wi-Fi Internet connection. 65
Table- 5.2: Internet Connection S/N Internet Connection Libraries 1 Leased Line - - - 2 Broad Band - - - 3 Wi-Fi - - 5.3. Library Automation The below table 5.3 indicates that three law libraries were automated in 2010. One law university library was automated in 2009. NALSAR law university library was automated in 2005 and the National Law School of India University library, Bangalore was automated in 1996. Three Law University libraries have automated their activities using Koha Open Source Automation software. Karnataka State Law University library and NALSAR Law University library were automated with commercial software. National Law School of India University library has developed NLS-LIS, In-house library automation software. Table- 5.3: Library Automation S/N Description Libraries 1 Year of 1996 2010 2010 2009 2005 2010 Automation 2 Software Name NLS- LIS AARGES Koha Koha Virtva Koha 3 Software Vendor In-house developed Commercial Open source Open source VTLS company Open source 5.4. Modules Available on the Library Automation Software It is seen from the below table 5.4 that all six law libraries are in possession of circulation and cataloguing software modules. TNALU Law University library has serial control, report generation, reminders, statistics budgeting and system updating modules. NLSIU law University library has serial control, report generation, statistics, and classification and system updating modules. KSLU Law University library has serial control, report generation, reminders, statistics and budgeting modules. NUALS 66
Law University library has budgeting, classification and stock verification modules. NALSAR Law University library has serial control, reminders, budgeting and system updating modules. APUL Law University library has serial control, classification, system updating and stock verification automation software modules. Table- 5.4: Modules Available on Your Library Automation Software S/N Types of Modules Libraries 1 Circulation 2 Serial control - 3 Report generation - - - 4 Reminders - - - 5 OPAC 6 Statistics - - - 7 Budgeting - - 8 Classification - - - 9 System updating - - 10 Stock verification - - - - 5.5. Library Resource Searching Facility The below table 5.5 indicates that all the libraries have with Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) resource searching facility. Four libraries (NLSIU, KSLU, TNALU and NALSAR) have Web OPAC searching facility. NLSIU Law University library has OPAC, Web OPAC, Web portal, book catalogue, bibliographic online list and bibliographic list resource searching facilities. KSLU and TNALU Law University libraries have OPAC and Web OPAC resource searching facilities. NUALS Law University library has OPAC and card catalogue resource searching facilities. NALSAR Law University library has OPAC, Web OPAC, Web Portal and Bibliographic list resource searching facilities. APUL Law University library has OPAC, card catalogue, book catalogue, bibliographic online list and bibliographic list resource searching facilities. 67
Table- 5.5: Library Resource Searching Facility S/N Description Libraries 1 OPAC 2 Web OPAC - - 3 Card Catalogue - - - - 4 Web Portal - - - - 5 Book Catalogue - - - - 6 Bibliographic online list - - - - 7 Bibliographic list - - - 5.6. Coverage of OPAC/Web OPAC This table 5.6 shows that NLSIU and KSLU libraries have OPAC/Web OPAC covering Books, Periodicals, Non-book materials, Theses and Reports. TNALU library has only OPAC/ Web OPAC covered books. NUALS library has OPAC/ Web OPAC covered Books and Non Book materials. NALSAR Law University library has OPAC/ Web OPAC covered Books, Periodicals, Theses and Reports and APUL library has OPAC/ Web OPAC covered Books and Periodicals. Table- 5.6: Coverage of OPAC/Web OPAC S/N Coverage Libraries 1 Books 2 Periodicals - - 3 Non-book Materials - - - 4 Patents - - - - - - 5 Standards - - - - - - 6 Theses - - - 7 Reports - - - 5.7. Access Points of OPAC/ Web OPAC The below table 5.7 shows that in NLSIU library the OPAC/ Web OPAC system has sixteen access points. It is found that NALSAR library, Hyderabad has 68
fourteen OPAC/ Web OPAC access points. The other four (KSLU, TNALU, NUALS and APUL) libraries have less then fourteen OPAC/ Web OPAC Access points. Table- 5.7: Access Points of OPAC/ Web OPAC S/N Description Libraries 1 Accession No. 2 Author 3 Title 4 Subject heading - - 5 Keywords - - 6 Class No. - - 7 ISBN 8 ISSN - - - - 9 Series - 10 Place - - 11 Publishers - Subject Access of OPAC 12 Subject heading list - - - 13 In-house heading - - - - - 14 Class No - - 15 Keywords - - 16 Keywords in title - - - 5.8. Types of Searches Available From the below table 5.8 it can be gathered that in NLSIU and KSLU libraries the OPAC/ Web OPAC system has simple, advanced or complex, author and title, author and subject and author and keywords searches. TNALU library OPAC/ Web OPAC system has simple, advanced or complex, author and title, author and subject searches. In the NUALS and APUL libraries the OPAC/ Web OPAC system has only simple search facilities and NALSAR library OPAC/ Web OPAC system has simple, advanced or complex, author and title, author and subject searches. 69
Table- 5.8: Types of Searches Available S/N Search types Libraries 1 Simple search 2 Advanced or - - Complex search 3 Author and Title - - 4 Author and - - Subject 5 Author and Keywords - - - - 5.9. Type of Search Methods Available Among the respondents of the above libraries, all the six libraries OPAC/ Web OPAC system has Boolean search method. The OPAC/Web OPAC of National Law School of India University Library has four search methods. Only one Law (NALSAR) library OPAC/ Web OPAC system has Boolean and exact Searching methods. Table- 5.9: Type of Search Methods Available S/N Types of searches Libraries 1 Boolean search 2 Word proximity - - - - - 3 Phrase searching - - - - - 4 Exact Searching - - - - 5.10. Search Strategy The below table 5.10 shows that all the libraries have display search strategy, four libraries have search history, only one library has an example of search, National Law School of India University, Karnataka State Law University and National University of Advanced Legal Studies libraries have sorting records and National Law School of India University library has ranks out - put by relevance. 70
Table- 5.10: Search Strategy S/N Description Libraries 1 Display search strategy 2 Search history - - 3 Example of search - - - - - 4 Sorting records - - - 5 Ranks output by relevance - - - - - 5.11. Bibliographic Display Table- 5.11: Bibliographic Display S/N Display Libraries 1 Circulation display - 2 Location display - - 3 Standard bibliographic - - record display 4 Customizable display - - - - 5 Catalogue card form - - - display 6 Labeled display - - - - 7 Browsing facility - 8 Full display 9 Short display - - From the below table 5.11 it is found that NLSIU library OPAC/ Web OPAC has Circulation display, location display, standard bibliographic record display, customizable display, catalogue card form display, labeled display, browsing facility, full display and short display. KSLU library OPAC/ Web OPAC has circulation display, location display, standard bibliographic record display, customizable display, browsing facility, full display and short display. TNALU library s OPAC/ Web OPAC system has location display, standard bibliographic record display, browsing facility, full display and short display. In NUALS library the OPAC/ Web OPAC has 71
circulation display, browsing facility and full display. NALSAR library OPAC/ Web OPAC has circulation display, location display, standard bibliographic record display, catalogue card form display, labeled display, browsing facility, full display and short display. APUL library OPAC/ Web OPAC has circulation display, catalogue card form display and full display. 5.12. Conversion Features This table 5.12 shows that all the libraries under report have support of the MARC format conversion feature. The National Law School of India University Library OPAC/ Web OPAC has five conversion features. Karnataka State Law University Library OPAC/ Web OPAC has support of MARC format and provision for sorting retrieved records conversion features. Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Andhra Pradesh Law University and National University of Advanced Legal Studies libraries OPAC/ Web OPAC has support of MARC format conversion features. NALSAR Law University library OPAC/ Web OPAC has support of MARC format, export and download facility for records retrieve, provision for sorting retrieved records and transmission of retrieved records through e-mail. Table- 5.12: Conversion Features S/N Features Libraries 1 Support of MARC format 2 Local structure format - - - - - 3 Export and download - - - - facility for records retried 4 Provision for sorting - - - retrieved records 5 Transmission of retrieved through e-mail - - - - 72
5.13. Number of Records Displayed Per Screen Out of six libraries, two libraries have 10 records displayed per screen. Three libraries have 20 records displayed per screen and the other one has 25 records displayed per screen. Table- 5.13: Number of Records Displayed Per Screen S/N Description Libraries 1 10 - - - - 2 20 - - - 3 25 - - - - - 5.14. Summary The investigation examined the status of OPAC and Web OPAC in Law University libraries selected for the study such as: NLSIU; KSLU; TNALU; NUALS; NALSAR and APUL. It was found that Wi Fi internet facility was available only in four Law University libraries NLSIU; KSLU; NAULS and NALSAR (Table 5.2). NLSIU library was the first to automate its collection as early as 1996, followed by NALSAR (2005); NUALS (2009) and the reaming three (KSLU; TNALU; and APUL) in the year 2012 (Table 5.3). All the libraries selected for the study have circulation module and OPAC search facility and Web OPAC in only four libraries (NLSIU; KSLU; TUALU; and NALSAR) (Table 5.4 and 5.5). All the libraries with OPAC and Web OPAC provide facility for searching books only four libraries provide periodical search facility (NLSIU; KSLU; NALSAR; and APUL) (Table 5.6). NLSIU library has 16 access points and other four libraries have less than 16 access points (Table 5.7). Simple search option is available in all the library OPAC/Web OPAC and advance search option is available in only four libraries (i.e.; NLISU; KSLU; TNALU; and NALSAR) (Table 5.8). Similarly Boolean search option is available in all the library OPAC/Web OPAC (Table 5.9). Display search strategy is available in all the OPAC/Web OPAC (Table 5.10). So also full display of bibliographic items is seen in all the library OPAC/Web OPAC (Table 5.11). All the 73
library OPAC/Web OPAC support MARC format (Table 5.12).The number of records displayed against the OPAC and Web OPAC search made varies from 10 to 25 records per search (Table 5.13). 74