WebOPAC makes the library catalogue available on the internet or on an intranet. The browser interface accesses the database directly (with, of course, all appropriate security measures), so that even operations like reserves and member self enquiry are possible.
Highlights:
Direct access from the internet to the database (no nightly updates etc.)
Search with up to five search terms in various indexes, using AND, OR and NOT operators
Expert searches with free text definition of the search enquiry, in order to allow complex AND, OR and NOT combinations with parentheses.
Display of titles in catalogue format or in MAB/Marc-Format
Integration and display of images
Download/printing title data or sending of title data via email possible
Display of item details with loan status (member status also optional)
Members can place and delete reservations themselves
Member self enquiry
Multilingual: German, English, French, Italian and Polish
Parameters are maintained via the LIBERO parameters module
As well as searching for author, title, subject heading, notes, series, body, classification, signature, ISBN, ISSN, ISMN, barcode, keywords and any word, limiting by location, publication date, material type and collection is also available.
Hyperlinks allow you to navigate with related terms. A clearly structured display of hits (with display of item type, availability status, order status, image status, available URL and the highlighted search term) then gives the user a choice of full displays in different formats as well as the option of placing a reserve or loaning a title (if set up).
The hit list can further be displayed in the desired sort order, for example by title, year of publication and title, or by author and year of publication. The user can also browse in hierarchies and between associated works.
With help from CSS (Cascading Style Sheets), libraries can adapt colours, font sizes and backgrounds to their own style/corporate identity
Furthermore there are lots of Web 2.0 functions available in WebOPAC, e.g.:
RSS Feeds:
RSS steht für Really Simple Syndication. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Similar to a news ticker, contents from a website can be replicated via RSS feeds. On the whole, these normally consist simply of a title, a short heading and a caption. RSS feeds can be embedded into WebOPAC pages.
Cover images and abstracts:
With the ISBN of an item, the book cover from Amazon or Syndetics can be displayed along with the title information. A click on a cover then delivers the additional information – such as an abstract, annotations, table of contents etc. (Please note: libraries wishing to access Syndetics are liable to extra costs. Further information can be found at
In the search results and in user accounts, the user can use the button 'Add to Google' to integrate search results and an overview of loaned items in his or her personal iGoogle page.
Search for an author in Wikipedia:
LIBERO WebOPAC offers the possibility of starting a search for the author in Wikipedia from the full display of a catalogue record. If the option is selected, the relevant Wikipedia article appears in a new window.
Buy online:
It is likewise possible to use links in the catalogue data display to search for the book in online bookshops, so that the user can directly acquire the relevant book themselves.
Send a page via email:
With the option 'Send this page by email', search result lists, baskets and the user account can be sent as HTML pages by email.
Tag clouds:
A tag cloud is a visual depiction of the most frequently used search terms in WebOPAC.
Tagging and bookmarking:
Social bookmarking and tagging can be understood as the allocation of keywords for the contents of a website by its users. LIBERO WebOPAC also offers the possibility of providing title records with such tags which can then be used for search purposes.
Virtual shelf browsing:
Instead of viewing search results in table form, they can also be displayed in the form of a shelf browser. Instead of the title information, the book cover including the signature will be displayed. Additional information about the title and availability are incorporated in the form of tool tips which are visible when the mouse pointer is hovered directly over a cover.
Title recommendations:
With this function you can make users aware of other media on the same topic. Title recommendations are added to the catalogue display under the title.
Links to LibraryThing, Google Book Search and Amazon Books:
Hyperlinks in the catalogue display offer direct links to additional information in external windows, such as LibraryThing amongst others:
Rating system/discussions/comments:
Similar to the rating system on other websites (i.e. Amazon), LIBERO WebOPAC offers the user the option of adding ratings and comments about individual titles.
Integration of ZOTERO:
ZOTERO is a Firefox extension for the collection, management and citation of sources on the web. In conjunction with LIBERO WebOPAC, the user can collect bibliographic information and then process this to create a literature list.
Linkresolver/OpenURL:
Linkresolver serves to circulate bibliographic data from WebOPAC in the form of an OpenURL to other services, such as document supplier services or full text databases. This means that the submitted data can then be used in these external services.
The user simply has to call up the relevant title in WebOPAC so that the catalogue display is shown and then click on the relevant link to an external service, i.e. TDNet.
Enhance the appeal of your WebOPAC for your users by implementing Web 2.0 technology!
Examples of the new version:
The new version of WebOPAC is already being used in the following universities:
