What is COPAC?
--------------
COPAC provides free access to the unified online catalogues of some of
the largest university research libraries in the UK and Ireland. It
offers a single point of access to details of materials held in many
different locations.


What does COPAC contain?
------------------------
The COPAC database currently contains over 6 million records. These
represent the merged online library catalogues of:
 
 - University of Birmingham 
 - Cambridge University 
 - University of Durham 
 - University of Edinburgh 
 - University of Glasgow 
 - Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine
 - University of Leeds
 - University of Manchester
 - University of Nottingham
 - Oxford University
 - University of Sheffield 
 - Trinity College Dublin
 - University of London Library: including the catalogues of Heythrop
   College and the School of Slavonic and Eastern European Studies.
 - University College London
 - University of Warwick 

Loading of the catalogues of seven more libraries is underway.
Material from other libraries may be included in the future.

These large research libraries have collections which cover a very
broad span of subjects. Thus COPAC brings together the strengths of
individual collections in fields ranging across the Arts, Humanities,
Social Sciences, Sciences, and Medicine.

Materials range in date from c.1100AD to the most recent documents.
Some 300 languages are represented, including significant collections
in major European languages, as well as minority languages such as
Welsh and Gaelic.

COPAC records represent a wide range of materials. Mainly books,
reports and periodicals, but others such as videos, music, and
electronic journals are included. Increasing numbers of records
include links to the full-text of the document.

COPAC is updated to reflect changes in the libraries' collections,
ensuring database currency and quality are maintained.


How do you access COPAC?
-----------------------
There are two easy to use interfaces:

 A Web Interface: http://copac.ac.uk

 A Text Interface: telnet   copac.ac.uk
                   username copac
                   password copac

- You can search using title, author and organisation name, subject,
  publisher, date, language and library.

- You can display search results, including local library details,
  eg. branch library.

- You can review previous searches, tag and download records in a form
  accepted by reference management software.


Help and Advice
---------------
Online Help is provided and both printed and online User Guides are
available.

For assistance or information contact:
The COPAC Helpdesk:	
Email: [log in to unmask] 
Tel: 0161 275 6037

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- COPAC is a MIMAS service, run by Manchester Computing -
- COPAC is funded by JISC and uses records provided by CURL -
 
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Dr Shirley Cousins                             - COPAC is a MIMAS 
COPAC Service ([log in to unmask])              service. It is funded    
Manchester Computing,                          by JISC and uses data  
University of Manchester                       supplied by CURL -
Oxford Road,  Manchester M13 9PL, UK            
Fax:  0161 275 6040   Tel:  0161 275 6037      http://copac.ac.uk/copac/


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