I am pleased to announce the addition and full description of one of
the most remarkable OPACs or public access systems of which I am aware to
_Onion Patch(sm)_ . _Onion Patch(sm) is my Web-based clearinghouse devoted
to o projects, research, products and services that support or demonstrate
alternative approaches to Second Generation OPACs and other current
online public catalogs and indexes. Onion Patch(sm) also includes
descriptions of novel visual interfaces with features and functionalities
that potentially can enhance public access systems.

  The new addition is The M�diath�que, the multimedia library affiliated
with the Institut de Recherche et Coordination Acoustique / Musique
(IRCAM), Paris, France.

  The M�diath�que provides access to its public access catalog in four
major ways:

     * conventional, forms-oriented searching
     * browsing by a locally-developed Dewey-like decimal classification
     * navigation and searching using a floor plan
     * navigation and browsing in 3-D VRML virtual reality

  Using the floor plan, users can browse a shelf and the associated
classification of library materials on these shelves, and subsequently
retrieve the catalog record for selected items, and then the item (text,
audio, video, CD-ROM file(s)), if available online.

  While most innovative here is the links to a variety of online sources
from the catalog record which is browsable from the floor plan.

  What is more innovative and remarkable is a virtual reality interface to
the OPAC that literally (or virtually) allows users to browse the virtual
representation of the M�diath�que including its stacks. After such
browsing, users can then execute a search of a linked OPAC for the
selected classification.

   The Cosmo plug-in is required for the virtual tour [Relatively easy to
download/install].

   Further description of the M�diath�que system as well as links to key
references of this very special *special library* as well as a link to the
M�diath�que public access system and virtual library are available from
_Onion Patch(sm)_ at

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/Onion.htm

   I am greatly interested in learning of other innovative OPACs for
future review and would most appreciate Any and All nominations for future
inclusion in _Onion Patch_

  Regards,

/Gerry McKiernan
Theoretical Librarian
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck@iastate.edu

    "Words still have ... primacy, but they can be illuminated by images
and moving pictures and by numbers and by sounds."
   Tom Wilson / "In the Beginning Was the Word ..." /  ELVIRA2: 1