Showing papers on "Cataloging published in 1996"

The Getty End-User Online Searching Project in the Humanities: Report No. 6: Overview and Conclusions

Abstract: Over a two-year period, the Getty Information Institute (formerly the Getty Art History Information Program) sponsored and carried out a major study of end-user online searching by humanities scholars. Complete logs of the searches and output were captured, and the twenty-seven scholars involved were interviewed in depth. An overview of the study and its results is presented, with particular emphasis on matters of interest to academic librarians. Implications are drawn for academic library reference service and collection development, as well as for cataloging in the online and digital environment.

Identifying and Merging Related Bibliographic Records

Abstract: Bibliographic records freely available on the Internet can be used to construct a high-quality, digital finding aid that provides the ability to discover paper and electronic documents. The key challenge to providing such a service is integrating mixed-quality bibliographic records, coming from multiple sources and in multiple formats. This thesis describes an algorithm that automatically identifies records that refer to the same work and clusters them together; the algorithm clusters records for which both author and title match. It tolerates errors and cataloging variations within the records by using a full-text search engine and an $n$-gram-based approximate string matching algorithm to build the clusters. The algorithm identifies more than 90 percent of the related records and includes incorrect records in less than 1 percent of the clusters. It has been used to construct a 250,000-record collection of the computer science literature. This thesis also presents preliminary work on automatic linking between bibliographic records and copies of documents available on the Internet.

The Warwick Metadata Workshop: A Framework for the Deployment ofResource Description

Abstract: This paper presents information regarding work done during the OCLC/UKOLN Warwick Metadata Workshop held in April 1996 at Warwick University, Warwick, U.K. The focus of this workshop was on the problem of the deployment of metadata for networked information resources. The Dublin Core metadata elements, defined at the OCLC/NCSA Metadata Workshop held in March 1995 in Dublin, Ohio, formed the basis for the discussions. The final deliverable was the Warwick Framework, a description of a container architecture for aggregating metadata objects of interchange, as well as descriptions for how to implement this architecture.

Quality in Bibliographic Control.

Abstract: The quality of cataloging is an issue that has engendered much discussion over decades of bibliographic control. Juxtaposed against the standard of full, accurate, and timely bibliographic records is the pressure to produce reliable access in a cost-effective manner. In reviewing the definition of quality at the Library of Congress (LC), the relationship of quality cataloging to copy cataloging, minimal level cataloging, the core bibliographic record, and outsourcing, the author concludes that the definition of quality is dynamic and dependent on the values and needs of catalog users.

Cataloging Internet Resources: The Convergence of Libraries and Internet Resources

Abstract: This paper reviews issues related to the cataloging of Internet resources and considers short- and long-term directions for cataloging and the general provision of library services for remotely accessible, electronic information resources. The strengths and weakness of using a library catalog model to improve access to Internet resources are discussed and compared with a review of related efforts. Based on experience gained through two OCLC Internet cataloging projects, the authors recommend continued and vigorous appplication of library cataloging standards and methods for Internet resources with the expectation that catalogs, cataloging, and libraries in general will continue to evolve

Cataloging and Classifying Information Resources on the Internet

Abstract: Since its beginning, librarians and information scientists have been debating the merits of different strategies for bringing order to the chaos that characterizes the Internet. There are some who believe it is up to current institutions to take on the task of cataloging, and generally organizing, digital materials, while at the other pole are those who are convinced that new tools and techniques will obviate the need for traditional methods. This review examines the literature on alternative strategies for organizing and accessing information resources on the Internet that incorporate some aspect of traditional library expertise. These strategies include OPAC-like library catalogs as well as alternatives such as subject trees, Harvest tools, concept analysis, and the like

Super records: An approach towards the description of works appearing in various manifestations

Abstract: Attempts to introduce a new approach for describing bibliographic entities in order to fulfil all the functions of the catalogue in the online environment. While it is assumed that the basic unit of description is the item in hand and records describing items would fulfil the finding, identifying, choosing and locating functions; super records, which are based on the concept of “super works”, would fulfil the collocating function in a more meaningful way. This approach is a solution to the problem of the same work appearing in various manifestations and formats. Super records for voluminous works include attributes that are common to different versions of a work and are linked to bibliographic records for items. A prototype catalogue of super records has been developed and made available on the Web to introduce the advantages, limitations and possible consequences of the concept on cataloguing principles, MARC and Z39.50.

Standards and Rules for Subject Access

Abstract: Standardization of subject access to bibliographic information systems is an important factor in national and international networking, cooperation, and exchange of bibliographic data. Standards, guidelines, and rules are needed to ensure consistency and quality in the design, development and application of indexing languages to documents and their citations. This paper defines the terms "standards" and "guidelines" as they apply to subject analysis used in library catalogs and bibliographic databases. It identifies and discusses the most important national and international "standards" that influence subject access to bibliographic data. Included are the tools of subject cataloging which have become standards in their own right, as well as formally prepared and approved guidelines. Each "standard" and "guideline" is described in terms of its origin, characteristics, and control and its importance in the design of bibliographic retrieval systems. Emphasis is given to the importance of the relationship bet...

What Users Really Think: How They See and Find Serials in the Arts and Sciences

Abstract: New users encounter numerous stumbling blocks in their search for serials. Beginning with the index, understanding the citation, searching the online catalog for the serial record, interpreting the holdings, and finally locating the item on the shelf are all steps that must be negotiated. Each step presents a variety of problems that users bring to the reference desk. The authors suggest user-oriented solutions relating to cataloging practices, screen design, and linking local holdings to periodical databases. Increased collaboration between librarians on the front lines and those creating the records and providing the access is essential for meeting end user needs.

Meta-Information Structures for Networked Information Resources

Abstract: This article develops a model of meta-information architectures (header, local index, and directory) and presents three current or proposed meta-information structures for networked information resources with applicability to organization and access in libraries and networked information environments. Special emphasis is given to the Text Encoding Initiative's TEI Header and Independent Header as a model for meta-information for academic and library needs. Recommendation is made for the specification of a generalized SGML meta-information header based on the principles of the TEI Independent Header, to address the needs of cataloging, automatic processing, and serving of networked information resources.

Grass-Roots Cataloging and Classification: Food for Thought from World Wide Web Subject-Oriented Hierarchical Lists.

Abstract: The explosion of the use of the Internet by the general public, particularly via the World Wide Web, has given rise to an interesting phenomenon; the proliferation of semiprofessional attempts to give some subject-based access to Internet resources via hierarchical guides (hotlists) such as Yahoo. In this paper, the author examines the structure and principles of various hierarchical lists, which were examined during a period between September and October 1995. The lists are compared, when possible, to broad Library of Congress and Dewey classification schemes and. to Library of Congress subject heading structures. The author also explores the approaches taken by nonlibrarians in their efforts to organize and provide access to materials on the Internet. In particular, the author focuses on the dichotomy between the hierarchical, “browse” and the analytical “search” approaches to finding materials, as exemplified by these various attempts to organize the Internet.

Using Verbal Reports to Understand Cataloging Expertise: Two Cases

Abstract: The author discusses the use of verbal reports in protocol analysis to study the quality of cataloging knowledge and skills. The author begins with a discussion of the literature on expertise and on the use of verbal reports and protocol analysis in general, and proceeds to present two examples of the use of verbal reports collected as part of a research project on cataloging expertise. Using findings derived from the verbal reports, the author illustrates the process of hypothesis generation for further research.

The Development of the MARC Format

Abstract: Use of machine-readable cataloging data requires a commitment to the standardization of data elements and record formats. Early machine-readable formats were initiated by several research libraries to serve the needs of particular university systems. In developing MARC, the Library of Congress drew on the experiences of these libraries in establishing a standard acceptable to the research library community for the interchange of bibliographic data. This article discusses early machine-readable formats influencing MARC, the origins of the MARC Pilot Project, and design factors influencing the evolution of the format through MARC II. Reseach was based on primary sources documenting the early history of MARC, including unpublished documents in the Library of Congress Archives.

PACE: A Browsable Graphical Interface

Abstract: 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. Today many information resources can be accessed through the virtual library, including many online public access catalogs (OPACs) with sophisticated retrieval engines. Research shows, however, that novice users encounter difficulties in interacting with these systems (Borgman 1986). Yee (1991) has summarized these problems as finding appropriate subject terms, large numbers of hits and failure to reduce the retrieval sets, zero hits and failure to increase the retrieval sets, failure to understand cataloging rules, and spelling and typographical errors. In addition, lack of understanding of indexes, files, and basic database structure leads to the use of articles, stop words, entering author's first name before last name, and hyphenation problems. The interface and retrieval systems can also be a source of potential problems. Complex interfaces and the need for training and relearning when used infrequently, incomprehensible error and help messages, problems associated with displaying records and difficulties with Boolean logic have compounded the obstacles encountered by novice users. These restraints have prompted one researcher to state that the second-generation OPACs are "powerful and efficient but are dumb, passive systems which require resourceful, active, intelligent human searchers to produce acceptable results" (Hildreth 1989). Suggested Solutions To address the needs of end users and to alleviate the mentioned difficulties, many researchers have conducted experiments to enhance and improve OPACs. In general, research in this area may be divided into two broad categories: enhancing MARC records, and improving the retrieval engine and the interface. Many researchers (Cochrane 1986, Drabenstott et al. 1990, Chan 1990, Pejtersen 1989, Lawrence 1985) have demonstrated the value of augmenting MARC records and the online catalog with various schemes such as the inclusion of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) schedules and relative indexes. Projects in Carnegie Mellon University and other institutions have attempted to enhance bibliographic records by adding table of contents of books (Greenwood 1989, Michalak 1990, Posey and Erdmann 1986). The addition of new information to MARC, however, can be very costly and unsuitable for individual libraries. Advancing the retrieval engine has involved ranking of documents, weighting index terms and automatic spell checking. Projects such as OKAPI (Online Keyword Access to Public Information) have attempted to use these techniques to build OPACs which do not require any user training (Greenwood 1989) Other researchers have strived to enhance the retrieval system by adding visual interfaces which use icons, graphical user interfaces, hypertext links and multimedia to help end users. Client/server architectures are used to take advantage of the power of today's microcomputers to present users with alternative interfaces. Kid's Catalog (Busey and Doerr 1993), OASIS (Buckland et al. 1992), Multimedia Visualizer (Lee 1991), the Science Library Catalog Project (Borgman et al. 1995) and XOkapi (Hancock-Beaulieu et.al. 1995) are just a few examples of these new interfaces. These OPACs are utilizing concepts that move users closer to direct manipulation of objects or documents. Hildreth (1989) states that these OPACs are more intuitive as the objects are manipulated directly "avoiding previous layers of mental encoding/decoding and indirect representation searchers are usually required to pass through. …

Technical services management, 1965-1990 : a quarter century of change and a look to the future : festschrift for Kathryn Luther Henderson

Abstract: Contents Introduction * PART I: Trends in Technical Services * Technical Services Literature, 1969-1990 * From Catalog to OPAC: A Look at 25 Years of Technical Services in School Libraries * PART II: Acquisitions and Collection Development * Acquisitions and Collection Development * PART III: Catalogs * A History of the Online Catalog in North America * Automating Access to Bibliographic Information * Authority Control * PART IV: Cataloging * Death of a Cataloging Code: Seymour Lubetzky's Code of Cataloging Rules and the Question of Institutions * Descriptive Cataloging * The Transformation of Serials Cataloging 1965-1990 * Minimal Level Cataloging: Past, Present, and Future * PART V: Subject Access * Subject Cataloging * The Dewey Decimal Classification: 1965-1990 * PART VI: Indexing * Indexing, in Theory and Practice * Some Post-War Developments in Indexing in Great Britain * PART VII: Preservation * Preservation: A Quarter Century of Growth * Combining Old World Craftsmanship With New World Technology: A Quarter Century of Library Binding in Review, 1965-1990 * PART VIII: Education and Professional Development * A Quarter Century of Cataloging Education * Continuing Education and Technical Services Librarians: Learning for 1965-1990 and the Future * Recollections of Two Little-Known Professional Organizations and Their Impact on Technical Services * PART IX: Future * The Effect of a Transition in Intellectual Property Rights Caused by Electronic Media on the Human Capital of Librarians * Index * Reference Notes Included

The Core Bibliographic Record and the Program for Cooperative Cataloging

Abstract: The Program for Cooperative Cataloging seeks to increase the availability of unique records created in a decentralized fashion by a network of libraries according to mutually acceptable standards. A critical element in achieving its mission is the core bibliographic record, a cataloging record that embodies the principles of usefulness, cost-effectiveness, and dynamism. The PCC intends that Program records, full or core, represent acceptable bibliographic control such that record "tweaking" at the local level is minimized. Emphasis is on essential description and on the development of trust in others' bibliographic records, obviating the need for expensive revision and leveraging scarce cataloging resources for grappling with an expanding universe of challenges.

The many faces of a catalog record: a snapshot of bibliographic display practices for monographs in online catalogs

Abstract: Full-level displays in thirty-six North American online catalogs of bibliographic records for five monographs were analyzed and compared for both layout and content with the International Standard Bibliographic Description (ISBD) and traditional catalog-card display practice for headings and tracings. This report presents a taxonomy of display characteristics found in the sample, including completeness, visual layout, data sequence, label specificity, and integration of description and access points. The relationship of display technology and practice to current standards for creating catalog records is discussed, with emphasis on the need for content standards reflecting the modular nature of machine readable records. One of the hallmarks of online catalog technology is the variety of forms a bibliographic record can now take. Not only are there dozens of catalog software packages on the market, each offering its own style of interface, but most of these packages also enable libraries to customize their bibliographic displays by mapping MARC fields to locally defined labels and determining which fields to display and in what order. As a result, records created under AACR2 and printed in the citation-style format prescribed by the ISBD often look very different online, in content as well as format. Previous research by Wool et al. characterized this customization process as "machine translation," identified problems resulting from this process in one catalog (at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, or UNL), and explored possible implications for cataloging practice and standards. Issues highlighted include the blurring of the AACR2 distinction between description and access points, the potential for inaccurate labeling of data, and the emergence of data redundancies.(1) To obtain a sense of how widely relevant such issues might be, the present study was devised to examine bibliographic record displays in research level online catalogs throughout North America. The focus of this study was on records for monographs, since these represent the vast majority of library catalog records (over 80 percent of records in the OCLC database are in the Books format)(2) and thus the dominant data structure within catalogs. Literature Review Wool et al. were able to identify only one previous study of online bibliographic record reformatting, and that one did not address the relationship of such reformatting to cataloging standards and practice, concentrating instead on visual appeal and convenience.(3) It was found to be supplemented by a number of articles offering recommendations and principles for online record-display design.(4) Wool et al. also made reference to a more extensive body of literature on issues related to record reformatting such as (1) the role of authority-controlled headings in general, and the main-entry heading in particular, in online catalogs; (2) the nature, role, and future of ISBD; and (3) the possible need for a new cataloging code.(5) In addition, they noted evidence of a dawning awareness of the relationship between machine reformatting and cataloging practice, mostly in listserv postings, conference presentations, and a task force charge.(6) Discussions of bibliographic single-record displays continue to be scarce in the literature of OPAC interface design and--for the most part--all too brief. A possible justification for this can be found in Curwen's survey of the background and development of ISBD, which he maintains was intended to serve as a standard for the exchange of information, not for its display to end users.(7) He sees the rearrangement and labeling of record elements in OPACs as an issue needing discussion, but nevertheless views it as a welcome move toward user friendliness.(8) Brunt, on the other hand, sees in the adoption of new display formats a gradual abandonment of AACR2 and proposes changes to the rules to make them more relevant and functional in the online environment. …

Subject Access to Fiction: An Application of the Guidelines

Abstract: In recent literature, authors have advocated the enhancement of subject access to individual works of fiction. Guidelines were developed and published by the Subcommittee on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, etc. The OCLC Online Computer Library Center, Inc., and the Library of Congress conducted pilot projects to study the implications of subject cataloging of fiction. Researchers have indicated that while improved access to works of fiction drama, etc., is desirable, the idea lacks practicality because of the apparent difficulty involved in applying topical headings to works that are not fact-based in nature. Adding to this difficulty is the fact that most fictional works lack indexes, abstracts, and tables of contents, which can aid the cataloger in applying appropriate headings. Exclusive use of dust jacket copy (or back-of-the-book copy for paperbacks) to form fiction subject headings is recommended. The purpose of this study is to determine whether enough information is included on the dust jacket (or the back cover) to provide adequate subject access in the four areas covered in the Guidelines: character, setting, genre or form, and topic.

Tables of Contents in Library Catalogs: A Quantitative Examination of Analytic Catalogs

Abstract: Easy access to tables of contents from vendors and the technological development of optical character reading have actualized access to articles in books via tables of contents in library catalogs. From earlier studies we know that analytic book catalogs can provide access to up to 600% more works than the traditional catalog by simply adding analytics for works in composite works to the catalog, In this study we examine the proportion of composite works and the number of articles in these books in two different university libraries. The influences of library type, publication language, subject field, and date of publication are examined, and the results are compared to previous studies. The proportion of composite works is between 10% and 20%. The number of articles in the composite works varies from 20 to 30 articles per book—highest for the sciences and the English-language publications and lowest for the social sciences.

Electronic Resources: Selection and Bibliographic Control

Abstract: ContentsIntroduction * Selecting Electronic Resources: Developing a Local Decision-Making Matrix * Intellectual Access to Digital Documents: Joining Proven Principles with New Technologies * Metadata for Internet Resources: The Dublin Core Metadata Elements Set and Its Mapping to USMARC * Cataloging for Digital Libraries * Selection, Access, and Control in a Library of Electronic Texts * Control of Electronic Resources in Australia * "Parallel Universes" or Meaningful Relationships: Envisioning a Future for the OPAC and the Net * Electronic Theses and Dissertations: Merging Perspectives * CATRIONA: A Distributed, Locally-Oriented Z39.50 OPAC-Based Approach to Cataloging the Internet * Possible Solutions for Incorporating Digital Information Mediums into Traditional Library Cataloging Services * Cataloging at the Library of Congress in the Digital Age * Cataloging Internet Resources: The Convergence of Libraries and Internet Resources * Reference Notes Included

Cataloging rules and conceptual models

Abstract: Presentation d'une technique appelee modelisation conceptuelle, appliquee a l'analyse des tendances futures de catalogage et du format MARC

A system for analyzing cataloging rules: a feasibility study

Abstract: The quality control of cataloging standards is as important as the quality control of bibliographic records. In order to aid the quality control of cataloging standards, a prototype system to analyze the ambiguity and complexity of cataloging rules was developed. Before developing the system, a standard rule unit was defined and a simple, function-like format was devised to indicate the syntactic structure of each unit rule. The AACR2 Chapter 1 rules were then manually transformed into this function-like, unit rule format. The system reads the manually transformed unit rules and puts them into their basic forms based on their syntactic components. The system then applies rule-templates, which are skeletal schemata for specific types of cataloging rules, to the converted rules. As a result of this rule-template application, the internal structure of each unit rule is determined. The system is also used to explore inter-rule relationships. That is, the system determines whether two rules have an exclusive, parallel, complementary, or non-relationship. These relationships are based on the analysis of the structural parts described above in terms of the given rule-template. To assist in this process, the system applies external knowledge represented in the same fashion as the rule units themselves. Although the prototype system can handle only a restricted range of rules, the proposed approach is positively validated and shown to be useful. However, it is possibly impractical to build a complete rule-analyzing system of this type at this stage.