MAI : MetaOPAC Azalai Italiano

Abstract

MAI (MetaOPAC Azalai Italiano) is a virtual union catalogue of Italian libraries developed through co-operation between the Italian Library Association (Associazione Italiana Biblioteche, AIB) and the Consorzio Interuniversitario Lombardo per l’Elaborazione Automatica (CILEA). This paper presents the components of the MAI and the organisational, management, planning and implementation tools developed by the team since 1999. MAI provides access to Italian OPACs, offering a directory and metasearch functionality. The search engine, Azalai, performs metasearching, which also involves a converter as part of the system. The architecture of the system, the search engine and converter, is based on a database in which all the Italian OPACs are recorded. Three different interfaces, designed for specific types of users, provide access to the system. Members of the MAI Editorial Board are responsible for keeping the database updated and this automatically generates the Directory of Italian Online Catalogues. MAI is divided into five distinct sections, integrated with a range of tools and services intended for different categories of user.