PACE: A browsable graphical interface

PACE (Public Access Catalogue Extension) is an alternative interface designed to enhance online catalogs. PACE simulates images of books and library shelves to help users browse through the catalog. PACE was tested in a college library against a text-based, online public access catalog (Best-Seller) in a real operational environment. The results show that a simple browsable retrieval interface performed as well as a second-generation OPAC in terms of retrieval speed and search success. The overwhelming majority of students, however, preferred the browsing capability of PACE through the familiar metaphor of books and library shelves to a text-based OPAC.