Showing papers on "Cataloging published in 2000"

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

Abstract: In 1960, medical librarianship was on the cusp of a revolution. The first issue of the new Index Medicus series was published. On the horizon was a computerization project undertaken by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to store and retrieve information. The Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System (MEDLARS) would speed the publication process for bibliographies such as Index Medicus, facilitate the expansion of coverage of the literature, and permit searches for individuals upon demand [1]. A new list of subject headings introduced in 1960 was the underpinning of the analysis and retrieval operation. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of the initial publication of Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) [2]. MeSH was a new and thoroughly revised version of lists of subject headings compiled by NLM for its bibliographies and cataloging [3]. Frank B. Rogers, NLM director, announced several innovations as he introduced MeSH in 1960. The adoption of a single subject authority list for both books and periodical articles is a departure from traditional practice. We take the view that subject cataloging and periodical indexing, as exemplified in the Index Medicus and in the NLM Catalog, are identical processes in their major dimensions. A single list can and should be used for both purposes. This has two major virtues: simplicity for users, in requiring familiarity with only a single scheme; and economy to the Library in the development and maintenance of a single scheme …. There is another departure from traditional practice represented in this list. This is the adoption of standard topical subheadings for cataloging books, as well as for indexing periodical articles …. The topical subheading is in effect a substitute for a phrase heading, and on the whole it is a preferable substitute …. The main heading-topical subheading combination is a pre-coordination of terms, reducing the problem of term permutation, which looms large in most manual retrieval systems in book form. [4] Three years later, the second edition of MeSH was distributed as part of the 1963 Index Medicus. Winifred Sewell described the changes made in anticipation of the introduction of MEDLARS to accommodate its use for both machine searching and publication. Though the number of subject headings in the second edition was a third greater than the number in the first edition, we followed the basic principles of assigning subject headings in medicine as set forth in the first edition. We are convinced of the value of using an identical authority list for the indexing of periodicals and the cataloging of books, and we regard subject headings as directional signals or vectors which, with other headings, serve to locate the essence of a particular paper or book in the universe of medical information. Rarely will a single subject heading encompass the total content of a citation. The advent of MEDLARS added two criteria to those used for earlier medical subject heading lists. By providing for much greater coverage and deeper indexing, it thus increased the need for specificity in descriptors. In addition it became possible not only to search for a single heading, … but also to include, in the search for that concept, all the specific terms that are comprehended in the meaning of the larger term …. This capability necessitated a delineation of all hierarchical relationships in the system. [5] Several major changes were made in response to these criteria. First, the terms in the list were sorted into broad categories, and categorized lists of terms were published to enable the user to find related terms. For headings that had attracted a large number of citations, more specific terms and precoordinated headings were introduced. The use of subheadings was discontinued, based on its effect on the printed Index Medicus (a decision that would later be reversed) [6, 7]. From its beginning, MeSH was intended to be a dynamic list, with procedures for recommending and examining the need for new headings [8–11]. The content of the vocabulary related to the usage of terms in the literature itself and evolved to meet new concepts in the field [12]. The use of the computer made revisions more practical and systematic, despite the difficulty in updating printed indexes and card catalogs. Forces today are pushing MeSH toward a new approach to organizing medical knowledge and information [13]. The non-mediated search requires simplification of MeSH by such means as eliminating most qualifiers and expanding entry terms and synonyms from natural language that map to subject headings. Translations of MeSH into other languages will also be linked to enable more efficient access for non-English speakers. An explosion of material, in all formats, to be organized has resulted from the Internet. This and the integration of other databases into MEDLINE increase the need to expand the coverage of MeSH and make it more universally approachable. The maintenance environment of MeSH will be the same as that of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) Metathesaurus to facilitate the import and export of terms. MeSH is evolving toward a concept-based system, rather than a term-based one. In this structure, the descriptor class, or set of related concepts, will include additional information about attributes of concepts and their relationship [14]. MeSH was a pioneering effort as a controlled vocabulary that was applied to early library computerization. Its impact on the organization and retrieval of health information has been enormous. In a broader sense, its alphabetical and hierarchical structures have been recognized as models for other thesauri [15, 16]. Even with advances in automation and resulting changes in the capabilities of indexing and searching, an important role remains for MeSH in organizing information in a way that provides precision and power in retrieval.

The Intellectual Foundation of Information Organization

Abstract: Instant electronic access to digital information is the single most distinguishing attribute of the information age The elaborate retrieval mechanisms that support such access are a product of technology But technology is not enough The effectiveness of a system for accessing information is a direct function of the intelligence put into organizing it Just as the practical field of engineering has theoretical physics as its underlying base, the design of systems for organizing information rests on an intellectual foundation The subject of this book is the systematized body of knowledge that constitutes this foundationIntegrating the disparate disciplines of descriptive cataloging, subject cataloging, indexing, and classification, the book adopts a conceptual framework that views the process of organizing information as the use of a special language of description called a bibliographic language The book is divided into two parts The first part is an analytic discussion of the intellectual foundation of information organization The second part moves from generalities to particulars, presenting an overview of three bibliographic languages: work languages, document languages, and subject languages It looks at these languages in terms of their vocabulary, semantics, and syntax The book is written in an exceptionally clear style, at a level that makes it understandable to those outside the discipline of library and information scienceDigital Libraries and Electronic Publishing series

Wynar's Introduction to cataloging and classification

Abstract: This revised edition offers practitioners and students of library and information science a practical guide to the world of cataloguing and classification as it stands at the beginning of the 21st century. It emphasizes online catalogues and cataloguing, with all the attendant terminology. The author addresses such vital issues as Internet cataloguing, international access control, metadata, and ontologies. A new chapter, "Encoding", has been added to introduce users to the area of mark-up language that allows data to be read by computer and displayed online. Emphasis in this chapter is on "MARC 21". The chapter on "Description" reflects the major conceptual shift in description of resources with a new organization based on the eight areas of the "International Standard Bibliographic Description" (ISBD) rather than according to the type of material being catalogued. Other changes covered by the work encompass the 1998 revision of the "Anglio-American Cataloguing Rules", second edition (AACR2), the 21st edition of "Dewey Decimal Classification", current schedules of the LC Classifications, the latest "Library of Congress Subject Headings", and the 17th edition of "Sears List of Subject Headings". In addition, the section on adminstrative issues has been completely rewritten, and suggested readings have been updated in all chapters.

Electronic book having library catalog menu and searching features

Abstract: An electronic book selection and delivery system for distributing books and other textual information and for cataloging and searching the electronic books. The textual information is encoded onto an electronic signal and transmitted via any one of a number of different mediums. A viewer or library unit stores the electronic books for display on the viewer. A user may catalog and view menus of the stored electronic books organized according to various criteria, and the user may also search for particular electronic books within the stored electronic books.

The Catalog as Portal to the Internet

Abstract: A store having magnetic elements arranged in columns and rows forming an integer multiple of two fields; each of two sense-inhibit wires couples one half the columns and said wires cross each other between two adjacent fields in the column direction. All elements of a field are orientated along a single diagonal, elements of adjacent fields in the direction of the rows being orientated according to two different diagonals whereas those of adjacent fields in the direction of the columns are orientated according to a single diagonal. The sense-inhibit wires are arranged to form spirals through the fields.

The IFLA Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records

Abstract: The formal charge for the IFLA study involving international bibliography standards was to delineate the functions that are performed by the bibliographic record with respect to various media, applications, and user needs The method used was the entity relationship analysis technique Three groups of entities that are the key objects of interest to users of bibliographic records were defined The primary group contains four entities: work, expression, manifestation, and item The second group includes entities responsible for the intellectual or artistic content, production, or ownership of entities in the first group The third group includes entities that represent concepts, objects, events, and places In the study we identified the attributes associated with each entity and the relationships that are most important to users The attributes and relationships were mapped to the functional requirements for bibliographic records that were defined in terms of four user tasks: to find, identify, select, and obtain Basic requirements for national bibliographic records were recommended based on the entity analysis The recommendations of the study are compared with two standards, AACR and the Dublin Core, to place them into pragmatic context The results of the study are being used in the review of the complete set of ISBDs as the initial benchmark in determining data elements for each format

Business Unusual: How "Event-Awareness" May Breathe Life into the Catalog?.

Abstract: DOCUMENT RESUME

A user-centered interface for information exploration in a hetergeneous digital library

Abstract: The advent of the heterogeneous digital library provides the opportunity and establishes the need for the design of new user interfaces. As a single portal to a wide array of information sources, the heterogeneous digital library requires that a variety of cataloging schemas, subject domains, document genres, and institutional biases be accommodated. SenseMaker is a user-centered interface for information exploration in a heterogeneous digital library. It unifies citations and articles from heterogeneous sources by presenting them in a common schema with affordances for quick comparisons of properties. At the same time, SenseMaker users can recover a degree of context by iteratively organizing citations and articles into higher-level bundles based on either metadata or content. Furthermore, SenseMaker enables users to move fluidly from browsing to searching by introducing structure-based searching and structure-based filtering. This paper outlines the SenseMaker interface design and details some of our experimental findings surrounding its use.

Cataloging Staff Costs Revisited

Abstract: Staff costs for cataloging have declined at Iowa State University Library. This is demonstrated by data from a longitudinal time and cost study begun in 1987. We discuss the national developments, technological advancements, and reengineering efforts that have supported greater cataloging effectiveness and quality. We use the ISU findings as an example of a nationwide phenomenon resulting from the remarkable ability of catalogers to share work through national bibliographic utilities.

Metadata and Organizing Educational Resources on the Internet

Abstract: From the Publisher: This book documents the experiences of metadata creators (both catalogers and indexers), library administrators, and educators who are actively engaged in projects that organize Internet resources for educational purposes. It examines the status quo of cataloging Internet resources, explores the relationship between traditional cataloging practices and Internet cataloging, introduces a number of educationally focused metadata schemes, and examines theoretical and practice aspects of metadata in relation to today's evolving Internet-based educational terrain. EXTREMELY VALUABLE AND WELL-TIMED. The breadth of experience reported in the individual papers suggests that a wide variety of models exist and are applicable. Of particular pragmatic value is the crosswalk suggested for GEM, IMS, and CDL. (Richard P. Smiraglia, PhD, Professor, Palmer School of LIS, Long Island University, New York)

Closing the Books: A Reference Librarian Reflects on 37 Years of Library Service.

Abstract: Mr. Lorenzo Gurreri began his long and distinguished library career in 1962 by taking an MSLS degree from Syracuse University. The ensuing years found him in cataloging and reference positions while the library profession began to feel the effects of the new Information Age. Mr. Gurreri's values as a professional and his experience as a people-oriented librarian are invaluable to librarianship, and indeed to our society as we move into the 21st century.

Structured Metadata Spaces

Abstract: SUMMARY This paper presents the concepts of a metadata space as it relates to cataloging and discovery. A space has multiple dimensions; in the case of resource metadata, these are descriptive dimensions. We explain the needs for orthogonal descriptive dimensions, and present a method for achieving maximally efficient, independent dimensions using semantic structures realized in structured metadata. A specific example of this system as developed in the IEEELearning Technology Standards Committee (LTSC P1484) Learning Object Metadata (LOM) is presented. The LOMis the collaborative work of many organizations including ADL, AJCC, ARIADNE, GESTALT, and IMS(see acronym list at the end of the article, following references). The scope of the concepts presented in this paper encompasses general concepts of metadata systems.

Organizing Internet resources: teaching cataloging standards and beyond

Abstract: Recognizing changes in the information environment and related changes in cataloging standards, Catholic University of America’s LIS program adopted a strategy to offer students three levels of knowledge in organizing Internet resources. In the basic cataloging course, the instructor raises student awareness of Internet resources cataloging and metadata through demonstrations and discussions. In the advanced cataloging course, students apply cataloging standards and Dublin Core to Internet resources and selected types of material, and consider issues related to the implementation of metadata standards. In the advanced Internet resources organization course, students obtain hands‐on practice in creating electronic pathfinders and using metadata schemes such as Dublin Core, text encoding initiative (TEI), and encoded archival description (EAD). The instructor’s objectives are to broaden students’ understanding of the types of resources that need to be organized, give students knowledge and skills for the organization of digital resources, and prepare them to redefine cataloging in the twenty‐first century.

The impact of vendor records on cataloging and access in academic libraries

Abstract: The addition of low-quality vendor records to the bibliographic utilities (OCLC and RLIN) has had a significant impact on cataloging and access in academic libraries. Vendor records are brief, non-standard bibliographic records created by booksellers and loaded into the utilities. Because many libraries are choosing to copy these records from the utilities to their local online catalogs without editing or enhancing them, much effort is being duplicated, as individual libraries make the same enhancements locally. Less original cataloging is being conducted in the languages represented by the vendor records, and more upgrading of lower-quality records is now necessary, a change that has affected cataloging workflows, and ultimately access, in academic libraries. Quantitative research is needed on the impact of vendor records.

Interlibrary Loan Requests for Locally Held Items: Why Aren't They Using What We've Got?

Abstract: Interlibrary Loan (ILL) is intended to supplement a library's collection, but often patrons submit requests for items already owned. An analysis of a large academic library's ILL requests shows that in most cases the cataloging of bibliographic records is correct, but patrons need instruction in bibliographic searches and ILL policies and procedures. An unexpected result of the study was a realization that patrons are confused by the way items are shelved in the various branches.

Cataloging Internet Resources: Why, What, How

Abstract: Internet resources have brought great excitement but also grave concerns to the library world, especially to the cataloging community. In spite of the various problematic aspects presented by Internet resources (poorly organized, lack of stability, variable quality), catalogers have decided that they are worth cataloging, in particular those meeting library selection criteria. This paper tries to trace the decade-long history of the library community's efforts in providing an effective way to catalog Internet resources. Basically, its objective is to answer the following questions: Why catalog? What to catalog? and, How to catalog. Some issues of cataloging electronic journals and developments of the Dublin Core Metadata system are also discussed.

Subject Analysis: Blitz Cataloging Workbook

Abstract: This is the first of three workbooks in the Blitz Cataloging Workbook Series. The other two titles are Cataloging Non-Print Materials and MARC/AACR2/Author Control Tagging. Together they provide va...

The History and Status of Chinese Americans in Librarianship.

Abstract: This article reviews the brief history of Chinese Americans in the United States and their contributions to librarianship. Despite the hardships and challenges they faced, Chinese American librarians made great contributions to the building of East Asian libraries, to the cataloging of East Asian and Chinese collections, and to the development of library automation. They have advanced information technologies, promoted multicultural and diversity library services, and participated in library management and administration. Chinese Americans are active in library and information science education, in professional associations, in international librarianship, in national library and information services policy making and programming, and national policy making. Pioneers and key figures are identified with their accomplishments. The origin, purpose, programs, and activities of the Chinese American Librarians Association are also described.

A Common Ground: Communication and Alliance between Cataloguer and Curator for Improved Access to Rare Books and Special Collections

Abstract: Rare book catalogers and special collections curators can benefit greatly from cooperating on matters concerning cataloging policy and practice. This alliance is necessary for providing full access to special collections in a rapidly changing library environment. The authors examine rare book cataloging from the perspectives of cataloger and curator; discuss the areas where a cataloger–curator alliance can affect cataloging, as well as relevant factors over which the two have little control; and promote a concept of customized cataloging for special collections materials.

Turning Practice into Principles: A Comparison of the IFLA Principles Underlying Subject Heading Languages (SHLs) and the Principles Underlying the Library of Congress Subject Headings System

Abstract: SUMMARY The IFLA Section on Classification and Indexing's Working Group on Principles Underlying Subject Headings Languages has identified a set of eleven principles for subject heading languages and excerpted the texts that match each principle from the instructions for each of eleven national subject indexing systems, including excerpts from the LC's Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings. This study compares the IFLA principles with other texts that express the principles underlying LCSH, especially Library of Congress Subject Headings: Principles of Structure and Policies for Application, prepared by Lois Mai Chan for the Library of Congress in 1990, Chan's later book on LCSH, and earlier documents by Haykin and Cutter. The principles are further elaborated for clarity and discussed.

Redesign of Library Workflows: Experimental Models for Electronic Resource Description

Abstract: This paper explores the potential for and progress of a gradual transition from a highly centralized model for cataloging to an iterative, collaborative, and broadly distributed model for electronic resource description. The purpose is to alert library managers to some experiments underway and to help them conceptualize new methods for defining, planning, and leading the e-resource description process under moderate to severe time and staffing constraints. The first section compares catalogs and bibliographies. The second section discusses the influence of the Internet and licensed electronic resources, including working assumptions for bibliographic control and typical progress of a new electronic resource. The third section addresses accommodations in ARL (Association of Research Libraries) libraries, including discovery of sample networked resources in seven ARLs. The fourth section presents a new model for resource description. The fifth section describes the following selected experimental models: (1) CORC (Cooperative Online Resource Catalog) at Brown University (Rhode Island) and Cornell University (New York)--resource descriptions from collection development, reference, and cataloging; (2) the National Agricultural Library--resource descriptions from authors; (3) Yale University (Connecticut) and the record set for EBSCO Academic Search Elite--resource descriptions from vendors; and (4) the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and the Rochester Institute of Technology--resource descriptions from information technology staff. (Contains 24 references.) (MES) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. 00 O11") Conference on Bibliographic Control in the New Millennium (Library of Congress) Redesign of Library Workflows: Experimental Models for Electronic Resource Description

The relationship between subject headings for works of fiction and circulation in an academic library

Abstract: Subject headings for individual works of fiction have appeared on LC cataloging copy from the inception of the OCLC/LC Fiction Project in 1991. This study seeks to determine whether there is any relationship between the number of subject or genre headings per fiction record and mean circulation per record. Analysis of results indicates that no statistically significant correlation exists. Recommendation for a similar analysis of data from a public library is made.

Organizing Audiovisual and Electronic Resources for Access: A Cataloging Guide

Abstract: Focusing on audiovisual materials and electronic resources that are rapidly being added to library collections, this book guides users in organizing sound recordings, video recordings, computer files, interactive multimedia, and Internet resources. It specifically demonstrates how to perform descriptive cataloging and subject analysis to these items using AACR2r, MARC, LC subject headings, classification schemes, and other guidelines accepted by the cataloging community.

PanoramaExcerpts: Video Cataloging by Automatic Synthesis and Layout of Panoramic Images

Abstract: Browsing is an important function supporting efficient access to relevant information in video archives. In this paper, we present PanoramaExcerpts — a video browsing interface that shows a catalogue of two types of video icons: panoramic and keyframe icons. A panoramic icon is automatically synthesized from a video segment taken with camera pan or tilt using a camera parameter estimation technique. One keyframe icon is extracted for each shot to supplement the panoramic icons. A panoramic icon represents the entire visible contents of a scene extended with a camera pan or tilt, which is difficult to represent using a single keyframe. A graphical representation, called camera-work trajectory, is also proposed to show the direction and the speed of camera operation. For the automatic generation of PanoramaExcerpts, we propose an approach to integrate the following: (a) a shot-change detection method; (b) a method for locating segments that contain smooth camera operations; (c) a layout method for packing icons in a space-efficient manner. In this paper, we mainly describe (b) and (c) with experimental results. key words: video handling, video browsing video analysis, panoramic image, image mosaic

Describing Jazz, Blues, and Popular 78 RPM Sound Recordings: Suggestions and Guidelines

Abstract: Since 78 rpm sound recordings of jazz, blues, and popular music are today a specialized medium, they receive limited attention in cataloging rules and guides. The cataloging of 78 rpm discs at Indiana University's Archives of Traditional Music is based on established standards; nevertheless, certain local decisions are necessary when general rules are not clear. The Archives' decisions related to the description of their 78 rpm collections are explained and presented with examples in MARC format, and issues of access related to the choice of main entry are also covered.