This is from the July 7th, 2000 Ancestry.com Daily newsletter
I have copy/pasted this out to word pad and edited it, hi lighted and bold 
typed it were needed and put all URLs on it's own line for easy finding.  I 
do this with all articles like this and makes finding items much easier than 
weeding thru all the printing that is same color and same size, as all the 
libraries I put in LARGE BOLD TYPE.   The following is a very interesting and 
important article for researchers.  I know some receive the Ancestry.com 
newsletter but this if for those that do not and would not know of this 
infomation.  Beej in AZ

GEORGE G. MORGAN: “ALONG THOSE LINES . . .”
“Using Online Library Catalogs in Your Research”
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It used to be that there were few things worse than being a genealogist with a
case of insomnia.  I would be wide awake at 3 a.m., wishing I could be in a
library poring over volumes of family history books or spinning through reels 
of
microfilm until my eyes rolled back into my head.  In the pre-Internet "olden
days" of genealogy just a few years ago, I had to be satisfied with just 
making
lists in preparation for a visit to a library or archive.  It was only when I
arrived there that I could really determine what was there and plan the
remainder of my research time in the facility.

Times have certainly changed!  Now I can access the Online Public Access
Catalogs (also known as OPACs) of libraries and archives from the comfort of 
my
home office twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  Yes, I can now use my
Web browser to search thousands of catalogs all over the world, conduct
effective research, and do all sorts of advance planning for library visits 
at 3
a.m.--and in my jammies too!

In "Along Those Lines . . ." this week, let's discuss OPACs, some places to 
find
them on the Web, and ways you can use them to your research advantage.

WHAT IS AN OPAC?

Libraries and archives used to have their catalog of holdings indexed on 3" x 
5"
cards in wooden or metal filing cabinets at a central location in the 
library. 
The cards were held in place by a metal rod inserted through a hole in the
bottom of the card.  Books were (and still are) catalogued using either the
Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress classification system.  In time, 
libraries
computerized their holdings into online databases or "online catalogs," and 
this
data was accessible via so-called "dumb" terminals.  That is, the computer
terminals were simply machines used to access the catalog, but they had no
computing workstation capabilities. 

With the advent of the Internet's World Wide Web, libraries and archives and
other information repositories have reached out to the public by establishing
Web sites.  As they have done so, they have also made the transition to 
personal
computer workstations. This has facilitated access to the libraries' Online
Public Access Catalogs, or OPACs for short, and to perhaps other online
resources including CD-ROM products and databases they have either purchased 
on
some media or to which they have purchased online subscription access.  More
recently, libraries have utilized the interface capabilities of their OPAC
software and have integrated the inquiry facilities into their Web pages so 
that
you and I can log on any time we like to check on materials in a collection. 
What a wonderful resource!

WHERE CAN YOU FIND OPACs?

It's a pretty simple process to locate your own local library's OPAC.  Simply
ask the librarian if the library provides access to its catalog online via the
Internet.  The answer today is usually yes.  Most libraries have already
integrated the OPAC into their Web pages; some may not quite be there, but 
they
will usually have some access available, even using a dial-in Telnet 
facility. 
Because libraries want to encourage use of the online catalog facility, they
will usually have some sort of printed handout or bookmark with a description 
of
what is available and instructions for how to access it.  When in doubt, ask 
the
librarians for help.

If you want to locate libraries, archives, and other facilities outside your
hometown, never fear!  There are some excellent Web pages with collections of
links to these facilities.  

One of my favorite library sites is called LibrarySpot
(http://www.libraryspot.com/librariesonline.htm). Here you will find a 
catalogue
to collections of libraries of all sorts.  On the main screen is a link to
PublicLibraries.com (http://www.publiclibraries.com/), which lists public
libraries and other repositories across the United States.  

The WebCats link at the LibrarySpot page takes you to a page with two very
important ways of locating libraries around the world.  The Geographical Index
is organized by area of the globe and then by country and the libraries; the
Library Type Index sorts libraries by category of its content (e.g., military,
public).  Please note that this is not an all-inclusive listing.  Another
important link at LibrarySpot is The Canadian Library Gateway
(http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/gatepasse/index_e.htm). Here you will find a window 
into
Canadian libraries of all types and sizes, as well as to a directory of 
special
collections held in many of them.  This link provides you with the choice of
presentation of the information in English or French.  

Also at LibrarySpot, you will find categorized collections of links to other
library types that may be of interest to you, such as government libraries,
presidential libraries, and many others.  There is also an impressive 
collection
of online reference resources and an online reading room with links to online
books, journals, newspapers, and other materials you may find helpful. 
LibrarySpot is an impressive facility.

The African American Genealogical Society of Northern California has created a
wonderful Web site containing links to all fifty of the U.S. state archives. 
This page can be found at http://aagsnc.org/library/archives.html. In addition
to the links to the state archives, they also link to a collection titled
"States Listed by Region" (at http://www.50states.com/city/regions.htm), where
states are grouped in geographic clusters and then alphabetic lists of
"communities" (read: towns) and links to specific libraries' Web pages are
included.  Other resources are included at this site as well.

No list of library sites in the United States would be complete without the
venerable Library of Congress at http://www.loc.gov/. From the main page, 
click
on the graphic labeled "Using the Library--Catalogs, Collections & Research
Services" to go to a page with a collection of links 
(http://catalog.loc.gov/).
>From here, the Library of Congress OPAC can be accessed several ways.  You 
will,
by now, be most familiar with a search by author or title, etc.  Another
alternative access method is available at http://lcweb.loc.gov/catalog. Here 
you
use the Z39.50 Gateway--a fancy name for another Web-based inquiry format--to
access the catalog.  You will probably find the standard catalog search 
easier,
but those of you who are familiar with Web-based search engines may want to 
use
the "Simple Search" or structured "Advanced Search" and "Phrase Search" 
options
that the Z39.50 facility offers.  Also available at the Web page
(http://lcweb.loc.gov/z3950) is a link to an alphabetized list of links to 
other
libraries and databases in the United States and in other countries.

If you can't locate a library you're seeking in the links above, choose your
favorite Web search engine and use the following search string, substituting a
place name in quotation marks where NAME is shown:

       "NAME" + library

WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH THE OPACs?

The links I've described above can provide you with a comprehensive collection
of Web pages, allowing you to locate many libraries and archives.  The 
following
are some suggestions for how to use these new-found resources to your 
advantage.

- Determine locations, hours of operations, collection content, policies, and
even the cost of photocopies and microfilm copies so you can take the right
change denominations.

- At the Library of Congress, you must have a researcher's identity card and
fill out call slips in order to have someone pull the books you want to see. 
Learn how to obtain a card in advance.  Also, obtain call slips in advance so
that you can locate items in the OPAC and complete the call slips before you 
go
to the library.  You can simply present them when you arrive at the LOC and
avoid much waiting time.

- Check the holdings of a library or archive to determine if specific books 
are
circulated (can be checked out).  Determine if they are in the library, and
place a reserve on them so that they will be there when you arrive or can be
checked out.

- Locate a specific book in a library's collection in another place, such as 
at
the Library of Congress.  If it is non-circulating, as most genealogical
materials are, and you want to see if portions contain helpful materials for
you, use the OPAC to obtain author, title, and catalog number (Dewey and/or
LOC).  Take this to your local library to determine if it provides 
Interlibrary
Loan (ILL) service.  If it does, the librarians can contact the other library
and request a photocopy of specific portions of a book's index (such as
surnames).  On receipt of these copies, you can determine if you want specific
pages from the book copied, and you can ask your library to make another
photocopy request via ILL.

- Plan your genealogical stops of a research trip or family vacation by 
checking
libraries' or archives' collection holdings in advance.  Obtain telephone
numbers from Web sites, and make telephone calls in advance to clarify any
questions you have.  Do the same checking with genealogical societies and
museums.  Their collections of materials may be accessible only by 
appointment,
so be sure to call in advance.

FINAL WORDS

One word of advice, however, is that genealogical collections often include
materials that have not been cataloged, that have been partially cataloged, or
that have only been line-listed.  This latter group may consist of vast 
holdings
of correspondence or other papers for which a small, single, one-line
descriptive entry is made in the OPAC, but which may not adequately represent
the scope or scale of the item.  When you contact or actually visit the 
library
or archive, be sure to ask if there are other items in the collection that may
not have been cataloged.  You may be surprised at what miscellaneous,
uncataloged treasures you might find.

There are certainly other uses of OPACs; you just need to be creative.  Now 
that
you know about them, where to locate them, and what you can do with them, get
cracking!

Happy Hunting!
George 
_________________________________________________________________
George G. Morgan is a proud member of the International Society of Family
History Writers and Editors, Inc. (ISFHWE). He would like to hear from you at
mailto:[email protected], but due to the volume of e-mail received, he is
unable to answer every e-mail message received.  Please note that he cannot
assist you with your individual research. Visit George's Web site at
http://ahaseminars.com/atl for information about speaking engagements. George 
is
also the author of "The Genealogy Forum on America Online," which is available
in the Ancestry Online Store at:
http://shop.myfamily.com/ancestrycatalog/product.asp?pf%5Fid=1101046&dept%5Fid
=10102000

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