A metaOPAC is a web interface that allows the simultaneous interrogation of several OPACs, by filling in a single form. The MetaOPAC software developed by CILEA is called AZALAI.
Currently there are about 900 OPACs in Italy. If one needs to search for a difficult-to- find publication in Italian libraries, one would have to interrogate each of these catalogues. In order to solve this problem, CILEA has developed, collaborating with the AIB, the MAI (MetaOPAC Azalai Italiano). It includes a software for the management and the publishing on line on the web of the list of Italian OPACs and the MAI interface for the interrogation with several options (global, by region, or selective).
The MAI, with the National Library Service and the ACNP (archivio collettivo nazionale delle pubblicazioni periodiche - national collective archive of periodicals) is one of the main public tools for bibliographic search in the catalogues of Italian libraries.
Using the AZALAI software and the MAI database, CILEA has established a few specialised MetaOPACs. They aggregate OPACs by field, geographically or by kind of library. Examples are the aerospace MAI, architecture MAI, biology MAI, regional councils MAI, pubblica amministrazione MAI, slavistica MAI, education MetaOPAC, MetaOPAC Azalai Lombardia (access to the MetaOPACs).
CILEA is willing to take part in the building of new specialised MetaOPACs, even customised ones, where the desired functionalities are not already provided by the available search options of MAI.
CILEA has also made a gateway that allows a query on the web single Z39.55 OPACs. This completes the MAI service. The software Gateway HTTP-Z39.50 was developed by CILEA and uses the open source software ZAP.
All the services that have been described are freely available to the public.
People interested in collaborating with the MAI editorial staff can contact the managers by writing to aw-opac
aib.it
