Skip Maine state header navigation

Agencies | Online Services | Help

Skip All Navigation

Outreach > Talking Books Plus > Online Public Access Catalog Manual

Local Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) Manual

Prepared for Maine Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, October 2005

Using the Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC)

Introduction

The local Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) provides complete access to information about every Talking Book, Large Print, and descriptive video in our library’s collection. Anyone can search the OPAC. To use the OPAC, you need to have Internet access and a current web browser such as Internet Explorer or Netscape. The OPAC is completely accessible with screen reading technology.

The web address for the OPAC is: http://msl4.ursus.maine.edu/

If you are a registered borrower who is on send-return service, you can also add books or descriptive videos to your request list using the OPAC. People who are on send-return service will have an item automatically sent to them every time they return one. If you want to use the OPAC request-add feature, please contact your Reader Advisor to obtain a User ID and Password.

This manual covers the following topics:

Searching Methods

Introduction

The OPAC offers you many different ways to find books in the Library's holdings. The OPAC's search page allows you to perform searches based on one of five criteria: author, subject, word in a title, title, or narrator. Additionally, you can restrict your search to just one media (e.g. cassette, large print, or video) or all media.

Media Types

You will begin each search by selecting the media. You may select one option from the list of media. These media options are available:

  • Cassette, including NLS cassettes (RC) and locally produced cassettes
  • Large print
  • Descriptive Videos
  • All

The All option is selected by default. (With this option, the OPAC will list all materials available for the search words, regardless of the media.) You can reduce the results list by specifying the media you prefer. Conversely, you can increase the number of results by not specifying a media.

Searching By Author

The most common way to search for an author is by typing in the author's last name followed by a comma then a space and the author's first name. Example: Michaels, Fern.

Often, however, people don't remember the author's full name or are unsure of the spelling. Here are some suggestions to fully maximize the capabilities of an Author search.

  • You do not need to enter the full name. You can leave off the author's first name if you are not sure what it might be.
    • Example: Is it Stephen King or Steven King? In this example, you could type in King. The OPAC will generate a list of all books authored by anyone whose last name is "King."
    • For closer matches you could type in King, Ste omitting the last part of the first name. The OPAC would then generate a list of books authored by anyone whose last name is "King" and whose first name begins with "Ste."
  • You can replace part of the name with an asterisk.
    • Example: If you don't know whether an author's last name is spelled Anderson or Andersen, type Anders*n.
    • You cannot enter a last name with an asterisk and a first name. However, you can enter a last name and then a first name with an asterisk. Example: Anderson, Jo*n will find books by Joan Anderson and John Anderson, but not Joy Anderson.
  • Do not type in the author's middle initial (even if you know it). You will (usually) get false search results of 0 titles found.
  • For authors whose first names consist of initials, use the following format: Tolkien, J.R.R. Do not use spaces between the initials, just periods. However, if the first name consists of an initial and then a name, use a space between the initial and the name. Example: Cooper, J. David.

Searching By Subject

If you like to read books about a specific subject, you can conduct a search by subject. Most of the books in our collection have been grouped by subject. The OPAC will provide you with a list of over 600 subjects from which you may choose. Example: Suppose you like to read books by Maine authors. You can search the OPAC for books categorized under the subject Regional Interest - Maine Authors.

We encourage you to try subject searches to find something new! Here are some tips for searching by subject:

  1. There are specific subjects for non-adult readers. Juvenile refers to preschool through middle school readers. Young Adult refers to high school and early college readers.
  2. Some subject groupings are very broad. A search may result in thousands of hits. Currently, the only way to narrow the results is to select a specific media. Example: At the time of this writing a search for "Mystery - Other" and "all media" resulted in 5,610 titles. Restricting the search to "Mystery - Other" and "cassettes" resulted in 3,014 titles.
  3. Some searches can take a long time to finish. The time it takes for the OPAC to find and display a list of results depends on your search criteria and the speed of your connection to the Internet. You may experience several minutes of delay before your search results appear. The subject groupings that result in the largest number of hits (and will take the longest amount of time to appear) are:
    • Best Sellers - Fiction, 1990-1999
    • Entertainment - Books Into Movie
    • Family - Juvenile
    • Family - Other
    • Family - Sagas
    • General Interest, Easy Books
    • Modern Writing Fiction - Other
    • Mystery - British
    • Mystery - Other
    • Romance - Other
    • Science Fiction - Other
    • Westerns - Fiction

Searching by Word in Title

If you are not sure of a book's full title you may search for the book using a single word that may appear in the title. Here are some tips for searching by the Word in Title.

  1. You can search for any ONE word in a title. Example: "I heard about a book where there is a murder in a cathedral." You can search for the word Cathedral and find T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral or Margaret Truman's Murder at the National Cathedral along with a variety of other books that have the word "Cathedral" in the title.
  2. To help you locate titles in a series, we have added a series search word to titles that have been identified as being part of series. If the series has a specific order, then a number is added to the title. The series search word is a unique combination of numbers and/or letters. Example: Murder at the National Cathedral by Margaret Truman is listed in the OPAC as MURDER AT THE NATIONAL CATHEDRAL; 10 CAPCRIMES. The term PERRYMASON is added to all the Perry Mason mysteries without any numbering. Searching by the series search word results in a list of all the titles in our collection that are part of that series.
  3. Any word that you enter in the Word in Title search is assumed to be incomplete. Example: A search using the word "Dream" will find titles with Dream, Dreaming, Dreamer, Dreams, etc. Matching titles will be displayed alphabetically by author and then title.
  4. If a word appears more than once in the title, the title will be listed in the results more than once. Example: A search using the word "Dig" will display a variety of titles. The book Digs and Diggers is listed twice, once for each time a variation of "Dig" appears in the title.
  5. An asterisk (*) can be used if you are uncertain about the spelling of a word. Example: Many of our titles use the British spelling of honor - honour. A search for HON*R will display titles with both spellings.

Searching By Title

You can search for a book by its title. Here are some tips for searching by title.

  1. Do not enter the word "A," "An," or "The" when the word appears at the beginning of a title. This is because too many books begin with these little words. Do not begin any title searches with "A," "An," or "The" as separate words.
  2. You can enter any number of CONSECUTIVE BEGINNING words in a title. Example: If you were looking for The Case of the Angry Mourner, you could type CASE OF THE ANGRY MOURNER or CASE OF THE ANGRY. Entering ANGRY MOURNER will result in 0 hits.
  3. The last word you enter is assumed to be incomplete. Example: A search for LITTLE PRINCE will result in both A Little Princess and The Little Prince.
  4. The asterisk (*) can be used as a wild card in a variety of ways. Examples: If you are uncertain of the spelling several words. The title of the book is pronounced "The mammer zap and the donkey voo." A search for that spelling will come up with zero hits. However, a search for MAM*DON will result in The Mamur Zapt and the Donkey-Vous. You can also use the asterisk at the beginning of a title. Example: *MARK TWAIN will result in 35 titles. Mark Twain without the asterisk locates only 19 titles.
  5. Do not use punctuation in the title. Example: Searching for WHAT'S SO FUNNY, KETU? will result in 0 hits. To locate the book, simply enter WHATS SO FUNNY KETU.

Searching by Narrator

The most common way to search for a narrator is by typing in the narrator's last name followed by a comma then a space and the narrator's first name. Example: Askey, Bob.

If you don't remember the narrator's full name or are unsure of the spelling, you can use these search tips. (Note: Searching by narrator varies in some ways from an author search.)

  1. You do not need to enter the full name. You can leave off the narrator's first name if you don't know it. Example: Is it Anne Mullen or Ann Mullen? You may type in the last name, Mullen, or enter the last name and only the first letter or letters of the first name, Mullen, A.
  2. You can replace part of the name with an asterisk. Example: If you don't know whether a narrator's last name is spelled Pederson or Peterson, type Pe*erson.
  3. For narrators who use initials as their first names, use the following format: Linton, J.P. Do not use spaces between the initials, just periods.

Working with Search Results

Introduction

Once you have entered your search criteria, the OPAC will generate a list of books in the Library's holdings that match your criteria. The results will appear on the Results page. The Results page may list only a few books or many. You can obtain more information about a particular book by selecting it. A Bibliographic page will appear with details.

You can use the Login to Send page to request that the Library send you a book that you've found. In order to request materials, you must contact your Reader Advisor to obtain a User ID and a Password. You do not need a User ID or Password if you simply want to search the OPAC.

About the Results Page

After you enter search criteria and choose the OK button on the Search page, a Results page will appear. The Results page lists the number of hits, instructions, results list, and the OK button. Below are details about the information on this page.

Number of Hits. The Number of Hits refers to the number of book titles that matched your search criteria.

Results List. The Results Lists displays each book entry that matches your search criteria. Each entry consists of four parts: radio button, Title ID, Author, and Title. The list is sorted by author last name, author first name and then title.

  • Radio Button. The radio button is a small circle in front of the book entry. The radio button for the selected book entry is darkened. Only one book may be selected at a time. You can select a different book entry by placing the mouse pointer on top of its associated radio button, and then clicking the Left mouse button. To select an entry using keystrokes, press the Up or Down Arrow key until the appropriate radio button is selected.
  • Title ID. The Title ID is the letter-number combination that the Library uses for book identification purposes.
  • Author. The author's name is displayed as last name, first name, and then middle initial. Some longer names may not be displayed completely. Examples: Wilder, Laura Ingalls will be shortened to Wilder, Laura Ingal; and National Library Service will be shortened to National Library Ser.
  • Title. Long titles may not display completely. Example: The title Chicken Soup for the Soul; 101 Stories to Open the Heart and Rekindle the Spirit will be shortened to CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL; 101 STORIES TO OPEN THE HEART AND

About the Bibliographic Page

Once you have selected a book entry from the results list by marking the radio button assigned to it and have chosen the OK button, the Bibliographic page for that book entry will appear.

The Bibliographic page displays information about the book and a Send button. The following describes the bibliographic information.

  • Title ID. The Title ID is the letter-number combination that the Library uses for identification purposes.
  • Media. The Media field lists the media type for available for the book (Cassette, Large Type, or Descriptive Video).
  • Author. The full author's name is displayed as last name, first name and middle initial.
  • Title. The Title field displays the book's full title.
  • Annotation. The Annotation field contains a brief description of the book. Due to the large number of titles in our collection, some older books may not yet have an annotation.
  • Volumes. For recorded books (cassettes and discs), the Volume Number refers to the number of physical containers used to send or store the tapes or records.
  • Number Tapes or Records. For recorded books (cassettes and discs), the Number of Tapes or Records refers to the number of tapes or records you will receive. Due to the large number of titles in our collection, some older books may not yet have this number.
  • Language. The book's language will be displayed (Cambodian, English, French, German, Italian, Laotian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, or Vietnamese).
  • Fiction or Nonfiction. The entry will indicate whether the book is classified as fiction (FIC, SFIC, JFIC) or nonfiction (classification number), according to the Dewey Decimal classification system.
  • Recommended Reading Level for [Age / Grade] To [Age / Grade]. The Recommended Reading Level field will indicate the recommended reading level (preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, fourth grade, fifth grade, sixth grade, seventh grade, eighth grade, ninth grade, young adult, or adult).
  • Status. The Status indicates the book's availability (Present, On Order, or Removed). Present means that the library owns the item; On Order means the book has been ordered but is not in the Library; Removed means the book was removed from circulation. Removed books may be available through interlibrary loan. If you have a question about the availability of a book, contact your Reader Advisor.
  • Explicit Sex, Violence, Strong Language. These items are referred to as exclusions. If a book is known to contain sex, violence, or strong language, the word "Yes" is displayed in the appropriate field. Important: Some books will contain sex, violence or strong language but not be marked "Yes." This inconsistency can be due to the Library not knowing the book had such content or because the record is incomplete. Furthermore, no standard rating exists. The Yes/No option indicates the presence or absence of these items, not the level.
  • Classification. The book's classification is based on the Dewey Decimal classification system. Fiction books will have FIC, JFIC (juvenile fiction) or SFIC (Science Fiction). A number in the Classification field refers to the classification number of the nonfiction book. A color designation may also appear in this field. This designation is for the Library's use only.
  • Publisher. The Publisher field will list the book's publisher. Due to the large number of titles in our collection, some older books may not yet list a publisher.
  • Publication Year. The Publication Year refers to the year the book was published. Due to the large number of titles in our collection, some older books may not yet list a publication year.
  • Narrator. The Narrator field lists the name of the person who narrated the recorded book. Due to the large number of titles in our collection, some older books may not yet list the narrator.
  • Narrator Gender. The Narrator Gender field lists the gender (Female or Male) of the person who narrated the recorded book. Due to the large number of titles in our collection, some older books may not yet list the narrator's gender.
  • Narrator Accent. The Narrator Accent field indicates whether or not the narrator has an accent. Due to the large number of titles in our collection, some older books may not yet indicate whether the narrator has an accent.
  • Recorded Speed. The recorded speed for cassettes is measured in inches per second. For cassette books, the recorded speed 15/16 or 1 7/8 will be displayed. The recorded speed for disc books is measured in revolutions per minute. For disc books, the recorded speed of 8 will be displayed.
  • Tracks Per Tape. Tracks Per Tape refers to the number of tracks containing recorded information. Cassettes tapes may have information recorded on 2 or 4 tracks.
  • Length. Length refers to the estimated of the length of the book. (The length varies according to media). Long or Short will be displayed.
  • Pages in Print. Pages in Print refers to the total number of printed pages.
  • Point Size. Point Size refers to the size of the printed text.
  • Cover. Cover indicates whether the book is in hard back (Hard) or paperback (Soft).
  • Size. Size refers to physical surface area of the book. This field will list either Regular or Quarto. Quarto is used for taller books.

About the Login to Send Page

If you decide you would like to add a book to your request list, you can choose the Order button to begin the process of adding the item to your request list. When you choose the Send button, the Login and Add to List page will appear.

You must enter your User ID and then your Password on the Login and Add to List page. You can obtain your User ID and Password from your Reader Advisor. The User ID will be a combination of letters and numbers and the Password will be all numbers.

After you enter your User ID and Password, choose the OK button to add the item to your request list, or the Clear button to cancel the request.

Once you have chosen OK or Clear button, you can return to the previous OPAC page by choosing your browser's Back button or by pressing Alt-Left Arrow. Press Alt-Left Arrow repeatedly until you return to the page you want.

Exercises: Searching the OPAC with JAWS For Windows

Introduction

The exercises listed below will help you learn to search the OPAC using JAWS For Windows. These exercises assume you are accessing the OPAC on-line using the Internet Explorer web browser.

Note: This information was prepared using JAWS For Windows 4.51. The responses attributed to JAWS for Windows are stated generically to avoid the confusion that can result when different JAWS configurations are used.

Exercise Objectives. In the following seven exercises, you will access the OPAC and perform searches by author, subject, title word, title, and narrator.

1. Exercise: Accessing the OPAC On-line

Complete the following three steps to access the OPAC from Internet Explorer.

  • Step 1: Open Internet Explorer.
  • Step 2: Press Ctrl-O to open the Open dialog box.
  • Step 3: In the Open field, type http://msl4.ursus.maine.edu/ Then, press Enter.

When the OPAC web site appears, JAWS will begin reading the page.

Important! Before you begin searching the OPAC, make sure that the JAWS Virtual Cursor is turned on. (You can press the Plus key on your numeric keypad to verify that the Virtual Cursor is active.) If you are using a refreshable Braille display, use Structured Mode for best results.

2. Exercise: Performing an Author Search

Complete the following thirteen steps to specify the media type and author to use as search criteria.

  • Step 1: Press Insert-T to verify Internet Explorer is open to the OPAC page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page.
  • Step 2: Press Ctrl-Home to ensure the focus is at the top of the page.
  • Step 3: Press the Tab key to move to the Media For Author Search Combo Box.
  • You can use the Media for Author Search combo box to choose the media type you prefer. By default, the "ALL" media option is selected.
  • Step 4: Press Enter to activate the JAWS Forms mode. Then, select the Cassette option by pressing the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "Cassette."
  • Step 5: Press the Tab key once to move the focus to the Author field. In this edit field, you may either type the author's last name only, author's last name and first name, or part of the author's last name. (If you want to enter the author's full name, type the last name first. Then, type a comma, a space, and the first name.)
  • Step 6: Type Adams, Harold.
  • Step 7: Press Alt-O to activate the OK Button.
    • The OPAC will begin searching for all books on cassette authored by Harold Adams.
    • When the search is complete, the Results page appears with a list of books by Harold Adams. JAWS will begin reading the page.
  • Step 8: Press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page. Then, press the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "RC 51037 Adams, Harold. The Man Who Was Taller Than God; 9 Carlwilcox."
  • Step 9: Select the radio button associated with the book The Man Who Was Taller Than God by pressing the Up Arrow key until JAWS announces, "Radio Button Not Checked."
  • Step 10: Press Enter. This will activate the JAWS Forms mode and check this radio button. JAWS will let you know that the radio button has been checked and that Forms Mode has been turned on.
  • Step 11: Press Alt-O to activate the OK Button.
    • A Bibliographic page appears with information for The Man Who Was Taller Than God by Harold Adams.
    • Later, you will learn how to request that a book be sent to you.
  • Step 12: Return to the main OPAC page by pressing Alt-Left Arrow twice. (You can press Insert-T to verify that the focus is on the main OPAC search page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page.)
  • Step 13: Press Ctrl-Home to move to the top of the page.  You are ready to perform another search.

Exercise: Performing a Search by Subject

Complete the following eight steps to search for books by subject. You will search for books categorized as Best Sellers - 1990-1999.

  • Step 1: Press Insert-T to verify that the focus is on the main OPAC search page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page. Then, press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page.
  • Step 2: Press the Tab key to move to the Media for Subject Search combo box.
  • Step 3: Press Enter to activate the JAWS Forms mode. Then, select Cassette option by pressing the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "Cassette."
  • Step 4: Press the Tab key once to move the focus to the Subject combo box. The Subject combo box lists over 800 subjects. You can use the Up or Down Arrow keys to review each subject sequentially or type a letter to move directly to subjects beginning with that letter.
  • Step 5: Select the "Best Sellers - Fiction, 1990-1999" subject by pressing "B" until JAWS announces, "Best Sellers - Fiction, 1990-1999."
  • Step 6: Press Alt-O to activate the OK Button.
    • The OPAC will begin the search.
    • When the search is complete, a results page listing Cassette Best Sellers, - Fiction, 1990-1999 is displayed.
  • Step 7: Press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page. Then, press the Down Arrow key repeatedly to review the results list. You will not select and review bibliographic data for a book from this list.
  • Step 8: Return to the main OPAC page by pressing Alt-Left Arrow once. (You can press Insert-T to verify that the focus is on the main OPAC search page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page.) You are now ready to perform another search.

Exercise: Performing a Title Word Search

Complete the following eight steps to perform a title word search. You will search for a book title containing the word "taller."

  • Step 1: Press Insert-T to verify Internet Explorer is open to the OPAC page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page. Then, press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page.
  • Step 2: Press the Tab key to move to the Media For Title Word Search combo box.
  • Step 3: Press Enter to activate the JAWS Forms mode. Then, select the Cassette option by pressing the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "Cassette."
  • Step 4: Press the tab key once to move to the Enter Word In Title Edit Field.
  • Step 5: Type Taller in the Title Word edit field.
  • Step 6: Press Alt-O to activate the OK button.
    • The OPAC will begin searching for all books on cassette containing the word "Taller" in the title.
    • When the search is complete, the Results page appears with a list of matching titles.
  • Step 7: Press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page. Then, press the Down Arrow key repeatedly to review the results list. You will not review bibliographic data for this book.
  • Step 8: Return to the main OPAC page by pressing Alt-Left Arrow. (You can press Insert-T to verify that the focus is on the main OPAC search page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page.) You are now ready to perform another search.

Exercise: Performing a Title Search

Complete the following ten steps to perform a title search. You will search for the book titled The Man Who Was Taller Than God.

  • Step 1: Press Insert-T to verify Internet Explorer is open to the OPAC page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page. Then, press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page.
  • Step 2: Press the Tab key to move to the Media For Title Search combo box.
  • Step 3: Press Enter to activate the JAWS Forms mode. Then, select the Cassette option by pressing the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "Cassette."
  • Step 4: Press the Tab key once to move to the Title Edit Field.
  • Step 5: Type Man Who Was Taller Than God in the Title edit field.
    • Reminder: When you are conducting a title search, do not use leading articles (e.g., "a," "an," or "the").
  • Step 6: Press Alt-O to activate the OK button.
    • The OPAC will begin searching for books on cassette with a title beginning with the words "Man Who Was Taller Than God."
    • When the search is complete, the Results page appears with a list of matching titles.
  • Step 7: Press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page.
  • Step 8: Press the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "RC51037 Adams, Harold. The Man Who Was Taller Than God; 9 Carlwilcox." Then, press the Up Arrow key to verify that the radio button associated with this title is checked. JAWS should say, "Radio Button Checked."
  • Step 9: Press Alt-O to activate the OK Button.
    • A Bibliographic page appears with information for The Man Who Was Taller Than God by Harold Adams.
  • Step 10: Once you have reviewed the bibliographic information, return to the main OPAC page by pressing Alt-Left Arrow twice. (You can press Insert-T to verify that the focus is on the main OPAC search page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page.) You are now ready to perform another search.

Exercise: Performing a Search by Narrator

Complete the following eleven steps to perform a search by narrator. You will search for the books narrated by John Polk.

  • Step 1: Press Insert-T to verify Internet Explorer is open to the OPAC page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page. Then, press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page.
  • Step 2: Press Tab to move to the Media For Narrator Search combo box.
  • Step 3: Press Enter to activate the JAWS Forms mode. Then, select the Cassette option by pressing the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "Cassette."
  • Step 4: Press the Tab key once to move to the Narrator edit field.
  • Step 5: Type Polk, John.
  • Step 6: Press Alt-O to activate the OK button.
    • The OPAC will begin searching for all books on cassette narrated by John Polk.
    • When the search is complete, the Results page appears with a list of matching titles. You may notice a slight delay as the search is being completed. When the search is completed, a Results page will appear with a list of matching titles.
  • Step 7: Press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page.
  • Step 8: Press the Down Arrow key until JAWS says, "RC27974 ANDERSON, KENT. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL." Then, press the Up Arrow key to move the focus to the radio button associated with this title. JAWS will say, "Radio Button Not Checked."
  • Step 9: Press Enter. JAWS will say "Forms mode on," repeat the information about the selected book, and then, "Radio button checked."
  • Step 10: Press Alt-O to activate the OK Button.
    • A Bibliographic page appears with information for Sympathy For The Devil.
    • The narrator information appears near the bottom of the page. (You can press Ctrl-End to move to the bottom of the page. Then, press the Up Arrow key until JAWS announces, "Narrator: Polk, John. Narrator Gender: Male. Narrator Accent: No.")
  • Step 11: Once you have reviewed the bibliographic information, return to the main OPAC page by pressing Alt-Left Arrow twice. You can verify that you are back on the OPAC main search page by pressing Insert-T. JAWS will notify you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page.

Exercise: Requesting a Book

Once you've found an item you'd like to add to your request list, you can do this through the OPAC.

Important Points to Remember

  • In order to request materials, you must have a User ID and a Password. If you need a User ID and/or a Password, please contact your Reader Advisor.
  • You may only add items to your request list through the OPAC. If you would like to have an item sent right away, you may order it through the online form at Maine State Library: Talking Books Online Request Form

Complete the following fifteen steps to review the process of searching for and requesting a book. You will search for the book Persuasion by Jane Austen.

  • Step 1: Press Insert-T to verify that the focus is on the main OPAC search page. JAWS will tell you that you are on the Online Public Access Catalog page. Then, press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page.
  • Step 2: Press the Tab key to move to the Media for Author Search combo box.
  • Step 3: Press Enter to activate the JAWS Forms mode. Then, select the Cassette option by pressing the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "Cassette."
  • Step 4: Press Tab once to move to the Author Name edit field.
  • Step 5: Type Austen, Jane in the Last Name or Last First Name edit field.
  • Step 6: Press Alt-O to activate the OK button.
    • The OPAC will begin searching for all books on cassette authored by Jane Austen.
    • When the search is complete, the Results page appears with a list of matching titles.
  • Step 7: Press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page.
  • Step 8: Press the Down Arrow key until JAWS announces, "RC51057 Austen, Jane. Persuasion." Then, press the Up Arrow key to move the focus to the radio button associated with this title. JAWS says, "Radio Button Not Checked."
  • Step 9: Press Enter to check the radio button. JAWS will say, "Radio button checked," repeat the information about the selected book, and indicate "Forms mode on."
  • Step 10: Press Alt-O to activate the OK Button. A Bibliographic page appears with information for Persuasion by Jane Austen.
  • Step 11: After you have read the information, press Alt-O to activate the Order Button. The Login and Add to List Materials page appears.
  • Step 12: Press Ctrl-Home to move the focus to the top of the page. Then, press the Tab key until JAWS announces, "User ID: Edit."
  • Step 13: Press Enter to activate the JAWS Forms mode. Then, type your User ID.
  • Step 14: Press the Tab key to move to the Password field. JAWS announces, "Password: Edit." Then, type your Password. At this point, you would normally choose the OK button to complete the request process. For this exercise, however, you will choose the Clear button to cancel the request.
  • Step 15: Press the Tab key until JAWS announces, "Clear Button." Then, press Enter.
    • When you activate the Clear button, the OPAC clears the User ID and Password fields. The focus remains on the Login to Send page.
    • You may return to the Results page to order more books by Jane Austen or return to the main OPAC page to search for another item. (Use Alt-Left Arrow to return to the appropriate page.)

In the future, if you decide to request a book, you would enter your User ID and Password and then choose the OK button on the Login and Add to List page. Once you have chosen the OK button, a Confirmation page will appear indicating that the item will be sent to you.