CHICAGO – The Leather Archives & Museum (LA&M) announced today an OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) of the institution’s book and magazine collection has gone live. The OPAC can be found at: http://webopac.infovisionsoftware.com/leather/
The catalog contains bibliographic records for over 12,000 periodicals and 3,000 books. During its testing phase, the OPAC has been used by Patrons around the United States to prepare for research visits and to navigate the library holdings of the LA&M. A significant number of books and more than 50% of magazine titles are held by no other publicly accessible library in the world.
Robert B. Ridinger, member of the LA&M Board and collection committee, said “The Leather Archives online catalog is an important tool for researchers using the collections both in and outside of Chicago. The OPAC can be used by our own patrons and can assist our participation in resource sharing consortia with other libraries around the country.”
The online catalog also serves to help potential donors to the collections discover LA&M needs. Individuals and organizations with private collections who wish to donate materials to the Leather Archives can use the OPAC to find missing resources. The book and magazine collection at the LA&M has been built almost exclusively through donations. The online catalog will further assist in filling holes in the collection.
Leather Archives and Museum
