© Copyright 2002

Revised: 15/04/99
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Display formats for full bibliographic records in Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs) in twelve Canadian academic and ten public libraries were evaluated using a checklist approach. The checklist was developed for use in this study and was based on display guidelines published in the research and professional literature. The checklist was divided into four sections (labels, text, instructional information, and screen layout) and included a total of 133 questions.

Results indicate that there is a wide gap between the full bibliographic displays in existing OPAC systems and the ideal display suggested by display guidelines. The average score for OPACs in academic libraries was 59% while that for public libraries was 55%. Of the twenty-two sites evaluated in the study, a NOTIS system in an academic library scored highest, while a SPIRES system in an academic library scored lowest. Of the four areas covered by the checklist (labels, text, instructional information, and screen layout), the lowest score in both academic and public libraries was for screen layout. The report discusses implications of the findings for OPAC designers, and makes recommendations for future research on display formats for bibliographic records.

(see complete Checklist)