OPACs

= =

PRINCIPLE
 * Everhart, Nancy and April Hatcher. "OPAC Searching" //Knowledge Quest//. 33.4 (2005): 37-38. //Academic Search Elite.// Web. 19 Aug. 2009.
 * Henry, Jacquie."Catalog Companies - Can You Hear Me Now?" //Wanderings//. 7 May 2009. Web. 14 Sept. 2009. []

= = = = = PRACTICE =

E-mail

 * [ ] An Affordable SMS/Email Service That Will Work with My OPAC:** so far, I am striking out on my search for a text messaging and email service that I can use to notify patrons of fines, holds, and general announcements. So far, Follett Destiny, our district OPAC, does not offer any of these options other than to email the teacher (which seems a bit useless to me, honestly)—I want to communicate with the patrons directly. Their cell phones are where they live—it makes sense that having the ability to text message patrons about their library accounts is the way to go, plus it would help us save paper while communicating more effectively with students. (Buffy Hamilton, //The Unquiet Librarian// blog, Sept. 12, 2009) []

Lexile Levels
> Hello all: We're getting lots of requests for suggestions per Lexile level for our middle school students. Does anyone have a suggestion as to where I can find suggested YA lists by genre and Lexile level? Our online catalogue does not give lexile level or sort for this. Maybe I'm missing a big piece here somewhere, but any suggestions would be appreciated! >> We have the lexile number automatically listed in our book's record if available at the time purchased because we ask for it in the processing. Athena, our online catalog has the option of looking for a book by the lexile level. I can just pull up these lists and print it off for any teacher. Also I have learned how to add a lexile number to the record later if it didn't come with one. Otherwise I have my students in middle school use the Lexile website at www.lexile.com to look up a book's lexile if for some reason it is not listed in our catalog. However many brand new books do not have a lexile yet because it takes a while to get one.

= ADDITIONAL READING =
 * //Online Catalogs" What Users and Librarians Want: An OCLC Report//. A 68-page report about the study of what would online catalogs more useful. []