Latest Activity

Accutek Packaging Machine updated their profile
Tuesday
Gurwinder Singh updated their profile
Tuesday
Adithya updated their profile
Tuesday
Parthasarathivamanan.K and Pushpanjali Shriram Patil are now friends
Monday
Dr Shiva Kumara SU updated their profile
Sunday
Profile IconPushpa sahu, Abhishek Gupta, Shikha Pandey and 2 more joined LIS Links
Dec 30, 2025
Dr. Badan Barman updated an event

3rd One Week National Workshop on Open-Source Software: Koha and DSpace at Aligarh Muslim University

February 9, 2026 to February 14, 2026
Dec 30, 2025
AMAN SAHU is attending Dr shraddha kalla's event
Thumbnail

RTLA 11th Conference on Knowledge Commons Libraries as Catalysts for Viksit Bharat 2047 at IIHMR University, , Rajasthan

February 21, 2026 to February 22, 2026
Dec 28, 2025
Dr shraddha kalla posted an event
Thumbnail

RTLA 11th Conference on Knowledge Commons Libraries as Catalysts for Viksit Bharat 2047 at IIHMR University, , Rajasthan

February 21, 2026 to February 22, 2026
Dec 26, 2025
SYED SHAZ HUSAIN posted an event

3rd One Week National Workshop on Open-Source Software: Koha and DSpace at Aligarh Muslim University

February 9, 2026 to February 14, 2026
Dec 26, 2025
Profile IconMikaila Rodrigues, Rags P, Randeep Singh and 14 more joined LIS Links
Dec 26, 2025
SURYA PRATAP SINGH updated their profile
Dec 25, 2025
LAITHANGBAM NEPOLEAN SINGH is attending Dr. Ashis Biswas's event

I-KOAL 2026 Conference on Preserving Traditional Agriculture Knowledge via Digital Rural Libraries at Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh

January 30, 2026 at 9am to January 31, 2026 at 6pm
Dec 24, 2025
LAITHANGBAM NEPOLEAN SINGH might attend Dr. Ashis Biswas's event

IASLIC 34th All India Conference 2025 at Department of Library & Information Science,

January 5, 2026 at 9am to January 7, 2026 at 4pm
Dec 24, 2025
Debprasad Dutta is attending RAMESH's event
Dec 20, 2025
Sumedha Singh updated their profile
Dec 19, 2025
Azmit Begum Chowdhary replied to Pushpanjali Shriram Patil's discussion Call for Book Chapters – Volume 6 (2026) Emerging Perspectives in Library and Information Science: Digital Libraries and Knowledge Management
Dec 19, 2025
Yogesh Modi updated their profile
Dec 18, 2025
Dr.Anil Duboliya posted a status
"Adoption and Utilization of Digital Repositories in Medical College Libraries: An Empirical Study"
Dec 16, 2025
Mr REYAZ AHMAD KHAN is attending Dr.K.S.SHIVRAJ's event

A One-day National Workshop on Smart Citations Using Scite.ai at Online

December 17, 2025 from 11:30am to 12:30pm
Dec 16, 2025

Please give me exact meaning and difference between OPAC and Web OPAC.

Views: 5151

Reply to This

Replies to This Forum

Dear Sri Lulu Raut,

Thanks for your post.

As I understand the basic difference between the two are: WebOPAC allows remote access (through internet)  while OPAC does not. It provides on-site access only.

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

Thank u very much sir...

But is opac can access any where

Dear Rout, 

               Just simple considers it that OPAC has limited access within in campus or a LAN (environment)  whereas WEB-OPAC  it has remote access and also you can search the databases of a particular institution from anywhere.

With regards,

Sumit Chakraborty.

Dear

OPAC is accessible within LAN only.

Where Web-OPAC on Internet.

Hi Web opac online database hold by the library search world wide through the Internet but opac means online database hold by the library and search with in library only. Rapid question ask in every interview these days.

 

OPAC:

OPAC stands for Online Public Access Catalogue. An OPAC contains all the bibliographic information of an information centre or we can say it is a gateway to information centre‘s collection. OPAC is the modern and flexible form of the catalogue, usually instantaneous and sophisticated access to any recorded information within a computer. Online Dictionary for Library and Information Science (ODLIS) defines OPAC as, “An acronym for online public access catalog, a database composed of bibliographic records describing the books and other materials owned by a library or library system, accessible via public terminals or workstations usually concentrated near the reference desk to make it easy for users to request the assistance of a trained reference librarian. Most online catalogs are searchable by author, title, subject, and keywords and allow users to print, download, or export records to an e-mail account.”

 

Web OPAC is an OPAC, which is provided on the web and with the help of internet anybody can access it from anywhere. According to Washington University in St. Louis, “A Web OPAC interfaces, which uses the World Wide Web protocol to act as an OPAC.” 5 According to ODLIS, “An Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) that uses a graphical user interface (GUI) accessible via the World Wide Web, as opposed to a text based interface accessible via telnet." Web OPAC is an independent program designed separately from the library program. It is programmed to facilitate members to access the OPAC, through their own search, for the ease of borrowing, instead of searching through the card catalogue. In addition members can also request for the information about borrowing, reservation, etc. related to their own library profile, as well as to make automatic reservations.

OPAC:

 ** OPAC (LAN/Intranet) usage is limited, only the persons in LAN can use it.

** Users have to follow the program of the particular OPAC software in that library.

Web OPAC :

 ** The usage is global, a person can access it from anywhere.

** Web OPAC, html files are used which hyperlink to the subject areas or disciplines.

 

 

 

ADVANTAGES OF WEB OPAC

  1. Users can immediately notice the missing reprints by author search.
  2. Updating can be done quickly as Users take keen interest to submit the reprints.
  3. It is accessible all the time, worldwide.
  4. Increases awareness of 'Scientific Research Contributions' made by the Institute.
  5. It is possible for users to send reprint requests immediately by e-mail.
  6. Compilation of various lists of reprints becomes very easy.

 

Feature of Web OPACs :

The important features of Web OPACs are8 : q It is accessible through internet. q It is possible to search independently by Author, Keyword, Title or Year. q Displays complete bibliographic information as appeared on reprints. q Graphical user interface (GUI), which is typically thought of as a combination of windows with pull-down or drop-down menus, icons and a pointing device such as mouse or trackball to manipulate information is available. q Features of traditional OPACs such as storing bibliographic and sometimes full text databases; providing direct access to a OPAC serves an even more varied and
diverse population, the interface must
address the problems created by increasingly
different skills and knowledge of the users. 

I agree with u...but u said that for web opac internet is required .so,in case of opac is internet require ?????

Dear

No

Dear Friend, Rout 

There are lots of difference between OPAC and WEB-OPAC if you ignore their purpose and similarities. The purpose is unique, "To provide the information to users or visitors". 

All the comments have already been mentioned/pointed out the differences as you wish to get.

I would wish to summarize them in major sub-headings. The differences may be drawn based on the following

- Availability.

-Accessibility or transaction of information.

- Technical Complexity.

-Infrastrual requirements/ needed supports

- Cost

- Security / protection

- Debugging / Troubleshooting

etc. 

If you read and compare the OPAC and Web-OPAC with these highlighted terms you will get many differences but again purpose will be same, "Providing access to the users."

Thank you

Munesh 

Dear Mr. Lulu rout,

For clear picture of your query, find below the screenshot of our institute OPAC. It can be enable to search the library catalog, renew books, reservation of books, access other subscribed contents etc. But right now, it can be accessible only within our institute using WiFi or LAN connection in both mobile and laptop.

System view

==========

Mobile View:

==========

Also, we are working on it to bring into online, that is Web OPAC since students are facing problem while they are in vacation due to not able to access outside of our institute.

Thank u very much sir...now I can understand about this .

RSS

© 2026   Created by Dr. Badan Barman.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service

LIS Links whatsApp