FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
General
Finding materials in the OPAL Catalog
Not finding materials in the OPAL catalog
Requesting Materials
Viewing and Using My Account
OPAL, Ohio Private Academic Libraries, is a consortium of private academic libraries within Ohio.
Students, faculty, staff and registered users of OPAL libraries can search for and, in many cases, request materials within the OPAL Catalog, which represents the holdings of these libraries.
The OPAL Catalog is the shared catalog for OPAL member libraries.
It reflects not only the physical items located within each OPAL library, but also the electronic resources to which OPAL libraries have access.
The OPAL Catalog also includes links to online government publications and other academically-relevant websites.
What can I find in the OPAL catalog?
You can find most of the materials owned by OPAL libraries including, but not limited to:
You can also find links to many of the electronic resources to which your library subscribes as well as linkes to online government publications and other academically-relevant websites.
Anyone can use the OPAL catalog to search for libraries' materials.
However, only students, faculty, staff and other registered users can request materials from another library.
How do I limit my search by date? I only want current materials.
All searches can be limited by date of publication, although the steps vary by search type.
If you need help limiting your search, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
I found 6,532 items for my search!! How do I narrow that down?
There are a number of strategies you can employ to narrow your search results, depending on what type of search you are using.
Keyword searches can be narrowed by:
Other searches, like author or title searches, can be narrowed by:
If you need further assistance with narrowing your search, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
I need to find a something in a particular format. What do I do?
All searches can be limited by format, or material type, although the steps vary by search type.
If you need help limiting your search, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
An ebooks is, quite simply, an electronic book.
The contents of ebooks are typically identical to their paper counterparts, although some ebooks include added functionality such as the ability to search the full text of the book, insert electronic bookmarks and make notes within the text.
Some ebooks restrict the number of pages that can be printed.
If you need help accessing or using ebooks, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
What are all these "INTERNET RESOURCES"?
The OPAL Catalog includes links to various internet resources all of which have been determined to be academically appropriate.
These internet resources include, but are not limited to:
If you have questions about or need help accessing a particular internet resource, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
I found a link to a website, but when I tried to access it, it wouldn't let me in. What gives?
There are a couple of reasons why you may have been denied access to a particular website.
If you have questions about or need help accessing a particular website, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
What if I've found something I want, but it's not at my library?
Eligible users can request another OPAL library's AVAILABLE materials by:
If the item you want is checked out, you can still place a request for the item.
However, it may be faster to request an available copy from OhioLINK by:
If you have questions about or need help requesting materials from another library, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
The item I want says LOCAL CIRC ONLY. What does that mean and what do I do?
Materials that are designated LOCAL CIRC ONLY can only be checked out by students and faculty of the library that owns them.
Normally, they cannot be requested by or circulated to students or faculty of other OPAL or OhioLINK libraries.
If you need materials that are designated LOCAL CIRC ONLY, contact a librarian or library staff member for assistance.
What if I can't find the item I'm looking for?
coming soon ....
Why didn't I find anything on my topic?
Try using a Keyword search.
Keep in mind that keyword searches work best if you use several concepts linked together using Boolean operators and, or, or not.
Try several different but nearly synonymous terms, e.g. adolescents instead of teens or teenagers.
If you find an item that is close but not exactly what you want, look at the subject headings near the bottom of the record to get ideas for additional terms.
If you need assistance finding materials relevant to your topic, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
I can't find any journal articles. WHY NOT?!?
While the OPAL catalog does include the journal titles to which OPAL libraries subscribe, it includes neither citations for nor the full text of journal articles.
To find journal articles, you need to search the research databases to which your library subscribes.
If you need assistance finding journal articles, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
How do I recommend materials for my library to purchase?
Most libraries accept recommendations for materials to be purchased.
You can submit your recommendations online or contact a librarian or library staff member.
Please keep in mind that all recommendations are subject to your library's collection development policy and thus may not be added to your library's collection.
Who can borrow items through OPAL?
Students, faculty and staff of OPAL institutions can borrow items through OPAL.
Some OPAL libraries also allow other registered users to borrow items.
If you have questions about borrowing eligibility, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
How do I request an item from another OPAL library?
Eligible users can request another OPAL library's AVAILABLE materials by:
If the item you want is checked out, you can still place a request for the item.
However, it may be faster to request an available copy from OhioLINK by:
If you have questions about or need help requesting materials from another library, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
How can I tell if my requests from another library have arrived?
Most OPAL libraries will notify you by phone, email or mail once your materials arrive.
You can also check the status of your requests using the My Account functions. You can do this by:
Requests that have arrived from OPAL libraries will display Ready for Pickup in the STATUS column.
If you have questions about materials you've requested from another library, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
I want to pickup my requested materials at a library other than my own. Can I do that?
You can have your requested materials delivered to any OPAL library by specifying the desired pickup location when you place the request.
Please note that:
If you have questions about pick up options for materials you've requested from another library, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
Can I renew my items? If so, how?
In most cases, you can renew your items using the My Account functions. You can do this by:
If you have questions about or need help with renewing checked out materials, please feel free to contact a librarian or library staff member.
What do I do if there's a problem with my card/account?
Most OPAL libraries revoke your ability to request or check out materials if you:
Occasionally other problems arise with placing requests.
If you encounter a problem with your account, please contact a librarian or library staff member.