Abstract:
The study examines the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC) at the Head Library of the
University of Cape Coast as an information seeking tool. The study aimed to find out the role the
OPAC at the library plays in the information seeking pursuits of students and their general
awareness and impressions about the facility. The descriptive survey design was used as the
methodology with the population of the study totaling 1000. A simple random sampling of 110
students was chosen to represent the population. Results indicated the role the OPAC plays in
facilitating access to information resources and publicizing same to outsiders. While the findings
show students’ awareness of the existence of the OPAC, it was revealed that the OPAC facility
does not enjoy widespread use in the library. Infrastructural issues and lack of relevant skills
were deemed to be some of the challenges preventing an optimum use of the facility. The study
recommends the involvement of students in the search process and the provision of instructional
materials to enhance students’ search skills generally.
