CFFC Bibliography 6/96

CFFC Bibliography:

Journal Articles on the topic of the Future of the Online Catalog

June 1996 - January 1997

Report to the Committee from Sarah Bryan, Topics Subcommittee Chair, including the semiannual Bibliography of Articles Relating to the Future of the Online Catalog. This report submitted Thursday, Feb. 6, 1997 to Arlene Taylor, Chair of the CFFC Committee.

List of Journals Reviewed from July through Dec. 1996 for Midwinter 1997 ALA Meeting:

Advanced Technology Libraries - 1 article found - Bazirjian, reviewer.
Cataloging & Classification Quarterly - 10 articles found - Wasylenko and Bryan, reviewers.
College and Research Libraries - 1 article found - Bazirjian, reviewer.
Computers in Libraries - no relevant articles - Greenberg, reviewer.
Current Cites - 4 sites/articles found - Callahan, reviewer.
D-Lib Magazine - no relevant articles - Greenberg, reviewer.
Electronic Library - no access - Schwartz, reviewer.
Information Technology and Libraries - Bryan, reviewer.
International Cataloging and Bibliographic Control - 2 articles found - Callahan, reviewer.
Journal of Academic Librarianship - 3 articles found - Wasylenko, reviewer.
Journal of Information Science - no relevant articles - Greenberg, reviewer.
Journal of the American Society for Information Science - 6 articles found - Taylor, reviewer.
Library Hi Tech - 2 issues full of state electronic library reports - Turitz, reviewer.
Library Resources and Technical Services - no relevant articles - Schwartz, reviewer.
Library Software Review - no access - Schwartz / 1 article found - Bryan, reviewer.
Technical Services Quarterly - 1 article found - Bazirjian, reviewer.

Relevant articles (A few of these do not have annotations, since the articles were unavailable, but their titles represent titles which may be relevant to our cause):

Anderson, Laura Challman, and Jeffrey B. Lotspiech. 1995. Rights management and security in the electronic library. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science 22.1: 21-3.

The Institute for Scientific Information is developing the Electronic Library Project to provide end-users with easy access, yet at the same time maintain the rights of copyright holders to control and be paid for usage of his or her work.

Bangalore, Nirmala S. “Mystery Names : Plausible Sounding Names Resulting in Zero Hits in OPACs.” Technical Services Quarterly 14.1 (1996): 15-31.

This article focuses on zero-hits among searches in the OPAC. It cites patron confusion when accessing multiple types of databases which reside side by side and are accessed on the same terminal or workstation, i.e. bibliographic sources such as indexes as well as catalog items. The author claims that this confusion leads to inappropriate searches that result in no matches, and that search strategies for online information is often difficult for the user to master. The author then outlines specific patterns in search errors.

Bates, Marcia J. “The Getty End-User Online Searching Project in the Humanities: Report No. 6: Overview and Conclusions.” College & Research Libraries 57.6 (Nov. 1996): 514-523.

This article describes, in summary format, the Getty End-User Online Searching Project in the Humanities. A major study was undertaken at the Getty Information Institute on how Humanities scholars use search strategies when approaching DIALOG. Because this article was only a summary of Reports 1-5 of the actual project, the results are not provided in great detail. Regarding cataloging, the author states that the analysis of Report 1 focuses on character of vocabulary and the implications for online cataloging. Because cataloging is now in “flux”, “catalogers may be called upon to make substantial changes in descriptive and subject cataloging for this new age.”

“Books, Bricks, and Bytes.” Daedalus 125.4 (Fall 1996)

Borgman, Christine L., Sandra G. Hirsh, and John Hiller. "Rethinking Online Monitoring Methods for Information Retrieval Systems: From Search Product to Search Process." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 47.7 (July 1996): 568-583.

While the authors use "information retrieval systems" in their title and throughout their article, virtually everything they cite has to do with transaction log analysis of online catalogs. They examine evaluation goals and methods for studying information retrieval behavior, drawing examples from their own and others' research. They observe that online monitoring is one of the few methods that can capture detailed data on the search process at a reasonable cost. However, it is a data collection technique, not a research design. The design must be determined by such things as determining what variables to collect, which to treat as independent variables to manipulate, and which to treat as dependent variables to observe effects. They observe further that in many studies, searching behavior is often treated as an independent variable, with search outcomes, time, and search paths as the dependent variables. They point out that searching behavior can also be a dependent variable. For example, in their own research, they have learned that some searchers have a "style," while others vary their searching behavior by task.

Borgman, Christine, "Why Are Online Catalogs Still Hard to Use?" Journal of the American Society for Information Science 47.7 (July 1996): 493-503.

In 1986 Borgman wrote an article entitled, " Why Are Online Catalogs Hard to Use?" A decade later she wrote the article being reviewed here. The earlier article maintained that online catalog design did not incorporate sufficient understanding of searching behavior. In this 1996 article Borgman indicates that that lack still exists, and, in addition, discusses the effects of transferring card catalog design to the online environment. She describes three layers of knowledge required for online catalog searching: conceptual knowledge of the information retrieval process, semantic knowledge of how to implement a query in a given system, and technical skills in executing the query. She concludes that in the short term we can make online catalogs easier to use through improved training and documentation based on knowledge of information-seeking behavior; but our long term goal must be system design that results in intuitive systems that require a minimum of instruction.

Brugger, Judith M. “Cataloging for Digital Libraries.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 22:3-4 (1996): 59-73.

Leading creators of digital libraries provide access to networked resources utilizing USMARC and the TEI header. But even in these two systems of providing access, some information has no appropriate place. This article urges the cataloging community to take the lead in exploring other metadata systems to establish homes for information about electronic cites such as access time, completeness, authenticity, purpose, point of view.

Caplan, Priscilla and Rebecca Guenther. “Metadata for Internet Resources: The Dublin Core Metadata Elements Set and Its Mapping to USMARC.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 22:3-4 (1996): 43-58.

Goals and Outcome of OCLC/NCSA Metadata Workshop. Lists and describes Dublin Core data elements and their corresponding USMARC equivalents.

Carlyle, Allyson. "Ordering Author and Work Records: An Evaluation of Collocation in Online Catalog Displays." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 47.7 (July 1996): 538-554.

In an effort to learn something about collocation of authors, works, and "superworks" in online catalogs Carlyle compared the results of five author queries and five work queries in 18 catalogs. Searches were done using both exact string matching searches and boolean searches. The five authors and five works searched were "worst-case" examples associated with large retrieval sets. Results showed that string matching resulted in sets that were better collocated than the sets retrieved by boolean searching; that author records were collocated more successfully than were work records; and that catalog size had only a small effect on collocation. Although collocation has been a principle governing catalog design since Cutter, current online catalogs are far from following this standard. As a result users seeking known works or known authors may have to spend considerable time or may not be able to locate items they seek.

Connell, Tschera Harkness. "Use of the LCSH System: Realities." Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 23.1 (1996): 73-98.

Analysis of subject heading management in academic library catalogs indicates that subject authority control is not maintained consistently.

Crawford, Walt. “Developing Eureka: Rapid Access to Very Large Databases.” Information Technology and Libraries 15.1 (March 1996): 9-19.

Discusses RLG's development of Eureka, which is designed to be a system which library users can search swiftly without any training and which provides access to national bibliographic information including RLIN's databases which include information about unique materials held by libraries nationwide and beyond. This article represents the trend to provide the end users in academic and large public libraries with “full access to the universe of bibliographic information.”

Drabenstott, Karen M., and Marjorie S. Weller. "Failure Analysis of Subject Searches in a Test of a New Design for Subject Access to Online Catalogs." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 47.7 (July 1996): 519-537.

Drabenstott and Weller used an experimental online catalog to test a new subject-access design that had a wide range of searching capabilities and search trees that governed the responses to user's queries. Quantitative analysis was inconclusive, but qualitative analysis showed that the design with search trees was more effective than the design in which users select their own subject-searching approach. However, the experimental systems contained less than 15,000 records focused on specific subject areas; so it is still unknown whether the same results would be found in a system that contains millions of records and is encyclopedic in coverage.

Drabenstott, Karen M. And Marjorie S. Weller. “Improving Personal-Name Searching in Online Catalogs.” Information Technology and Libraries 15.3 (Sept. 1996): 135-155.

Discusses problems with personal-name searches, illustrates sample searches, offers solutions in the form of experimental online catalogs featuring search screens which prompts the users with user-friendly reference interview type inquiries and choices to place the name in context to do a more efficient search. Search trees are the concept here.

Elrod, J. McRee. “Cataloger's Role in Catalog Construction: A Modest Proposal.” Library Software Review 15.2 (Summer 1996): 68-71.

Urges catalogers to take back control of the final display of their work.

Ferl, Terry Ellen and Larry Millsap. “The Knuckle-Cracker's Dilemma: A Transaction Log Study of OPAC Subject Searching.” Information Technology and Libraries 15.2 (June 1996): 81-98.

Interesting observations and study of who uses subject index searchng (ie. library staff vs. undergraduates, graduates, etc.), where they are when they do their search (remote user vs. in the library), how searches look, persistence in phrasing and rephrasing, who uses library's catalog and who gives up and moves on to different databases from the main menu.

Harmon, Joseph C. "The Death of Quality Cataloging: Does It Make a Difference for Library Users?" Journal of Academic Librarianship 22.4 (1996): 306-307.

This essay makes a case for "quality cataloging" as an essential tool for providing quality service to library users. Joseph Harmon believes that the cataloging function is under siege -- both as a result of staffing cuts aimed at cost reduction and because of pressure to streamline cataloging (through relaxation of standards, creation of "lean" records with less detailed description and fewer subject headings, etc.) However, as the author points out, not even the most sophisticated library sytem can extract data that are lacking in catalog records; retrieve data that have been incorrectly entered, misspelled, or miscoded; provide useful cross-references without controlled subject headings; and undergo global-change updating without uniform entries. The effectiveness of a library system's retrieval capability is determined in great measure by the intellectual work of catalogers who organize, describe, and index library resources, and by the intellectual work of people who develop the integrated structure of vocabulary control, classification, cross-references, and authority control.

Hert, Carol A. "User Goals on an Online Public Access Catalog." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 47.7 (July 1996): 504-518.

Hert set out in the research reported here to understand goals of users searching an OPAC in order to gain insight into appropriate retrieval strategies and system design. She conducted inductive and qualitative research of users' interactions with the OPAC. She followed users through a catalog search seeking to learn whether their goals changed during the course of the search (as has been hypothesized by others). Hert found that a user's goals remained relatively constant throughout a search. She discusses some implications for OPAC design based upon this finding.

Hill, Janet Swan. "The Elephant in the Catalog: Cataloging Animals You Can't See or Touch." Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 23.1 (1996): 5-25.

This essay discusses the cataloging of remotely-accessible information resources and the expansion of the concept of the library catalog -- which now, rather than simply providing control over and access to locally owned inventory, can encompass information resources well beyond the local collection. Library users are becoming accustomed to using their local catalogs to get information about other institutions' holdings, to identify relevant resources not on site, and to retrieve not just citations to materials but actual information sources themselves. As users come to expect more and more access to electronic resources, it becomes more compelling to include and describe remotely-accessible resources in the library catalog.

In cataloging, one of the most problematic characteristics of remotely-accessible information resources is their intangibility, whichs seems at odds with a guiding principle of AACR2, namely that description should be based on the item in hand. But there are historical precedents for including in the local catalog both "things you don't own" (e.g., items held by other libraries within a consortium) and "what you can't see or touch" (e.g., original works for which only microform reproductions are held); and there has been a general trend against exclusion. In determining whether or not to catalog electronic resources a library does not own, the catalog department must consider the desired level of inclusiveness of the catalog, availability of staff, ability to work with evolving (or nonexistent) standards, potential reprioritization of workflows, and training.

Hillmann, Diane I. “`Parallel Universes' or Meaningful Relationships: Envisioning a Future for the OPAC and the Net.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 22:3-4 (1996): 97-103.

Asks questions we are asking but doesn't seem to give any answers that we haven't already considered.

Hurtig, Brent, “A/V Streaming Brings the Web to Live ... Almost.” New Media 6.14 (Oct. 28, 1996): 52-63.

This is an overview of the tools and issues related to the next stage in developing electronic resources, namely moving from text databases and static web pages to making A/V resources available online. It describes the technical process called “streaming.”

“International Seminar on the Creation and Use of Authority Files, St. Petersburg, Russia, 4-6 October 1995” International Cataloguing and Bibliographic Control 25 (July/Sept. 1996)

This collection of papers presented at the seminar includes papers on authority control efforts in France, Germany, and Finland as well as a proposal for an Anglo-American authority file.

Larson, Ray R., Jerome McDonough, Paul O'Leary, Lucy Kuntz, and Ralph Moon. "Cheshire II: Designing a Next-Generation Online Catalog." Journal of the American Society for Information Science 47.7 (July 1996): 555-567.

This article consists of a description of a prototype system developed at the University of California, Berkeley, called Cheshire II. Cheshire II has been designed to provide a bridge between the realms of purely bibliographical information and the rapidly expanding full-text and multi-media collections available online. Development of Cheshire II has empahsized use of national and international standards for data description, communication, and interface technology. The system uses a client-server architecture with X window client communication with an SGML-based probabilistic search engine using the Z39.50 information retrieval protocol. Cheshire II provides a remedy for many of the current online catalog deficiencies: (1) it aids the searcher in formulating effective queries; (2) it fosters browsing of the database and provides hypertext searching to retrieve items with the same authors or subjects; (3) it orders records retrieved in topical searches by estimated probability of relevance; (4) it provides support for a wide variety of data types stored as tagged SGML records so that interface with the WWW and other resources is built in.

Lopes, Maria Ines. “Principles underlying subject heading languages: an international approach.” International Cataloguing and Bibliographic Control 25 (Jan/March 1996)

Describes the work of the IFLA Working Group on Principles Underlying Subject Heading Languages (SHLs) which is seeking to “devise the most general principles on which any subject retrieval system could be based; then to review existing real systems in light of such principles.”

MacEwan, Bonnie and Mira Geffner. “The Committee on Institutional Cooperation Electronics Journals Collection (CIC-EJC): A New Model for Library Management of Scholarly Journals Published on the Internet,” Public-Access Computer Systems Review 7.4 (1996)
Available at http://info.lib.uh.edu/pr/v7/n4/mace7n4.html

This is an overview of a cooperative project to catalog, archive, and provide structured access to a collection of electronic journals.

Mandel, Carol A. And Robert Wolven. “Intellectual Access to Digital Documents: Joining Proven Principles with New Technologies.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 22:3-4 (1996): 25-42.

Another attempt to reconcile time-honored, historical access principles with the cataloging of electronic, remote objects and provide direction for the future. Some problems include the lack of a recognizable title, and the challenge of subject access, and the importance of being able to discern between genre and object types as a means of harnessing the problem which the keyword concept and the powerful web-browsing search engines often present: search results that represent diverse and often unexpected contexts. Mentions that the nature of electronic documents, being that they are readily available at the touch of a key, means that perhaps a brief bibliographic description instead of a full one would suffice.

Martin, Susan K. "Organizing Collections Within the Internet: a Vision for Access." Journal of Academic Librariaship 22.4 (1996): 291-292.

In this essay, the author contends that providing library users with electronic rsources is simply a normal extension of libraries' traditional service role of identifying, locating, and organizing information to serve the research and scholarly community. Noting that people are increasingly using information found outside the library rather than within it, Susan Martin opines that the librarians who select print materials in their areas of subject responsibility should also select electronic resources, some of which will not be "owned' by their libraries. Going a step further, once selected, an electronic resource should be cataloged. Martin notes that more and more library systems offer users the capability to click on Internet or World Wide Web addresses (included in 856 fields in catalog records) to move directly from library catalogs to electronic resources themselves.

Mitchell, Steve and Margaret Mooney. “INFOMINE -- A Model Web-Based Academic Virtual Library.” Information Technology and Libraries 15.1 (March 1996): 20-25.

INFOMINE, developed at the University of California, Riverside. This article illustrates the virtual library concept utilizing alphabetical subject hierarchy screens to lead one to sites. The article hails INFOMINE as “one of the first Web-based, academic virtual libraries, as well as one of the first to develop a system combining the advantages of the hypertext and multimedia capabilities of the Web with the organizational and retrieval functions of a database manager.” It also has a URL Checker which attempts to keep site connections current.

Morgan, Eric Lease. “Possible Solutions for Incorporating Digital Information Mediums into Traditional Library Cataloging Services.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 22:3-4 (1996): 143-170.

Proposes a new definition of the function of a library catalog incorporating the concept of cataloging information sources not physically held by the library. Features a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of the Alcuin database at NCSU Libraries of MARC records representing Internet resources and the methods of collection management of this database.

Nichols, Margaret F. "Finding the Forest Among the Trees: The Potential of Collection-Level Cataloging." Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 23.1 (1996): 53-71.

Discusses collection-level cataloging as a possible solution to provide access to some collections in times of resource constraints. Discusses the creation of record hierarchies, and the advantage of collection-level over minimal-level cataloging.

Nicholson, Dennis and Mary Steele. “CATRIONA: A Distributed, Locally-Oriented, Z39.50 OPAC-Based Approach to Cataloguing the Internet.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 22:3-4 (1996): 127-141.

Subject-tree approach to providing database control and management over Internet resources. Utilizes a model which encourages the participating institutions to catalog their own Internet resources in their own opacs and then utilizing a subject-tree which strives to “encourage efficient use of the network by directing to geographically close sites first.” Local institutions might then be responsible for maintaining current URLs for their Internet sites.

“OCLC, CIC to Build Virtual Electronic Library.” Advanced Technology Library 25.10 (October, 1996): 1, 10-11.

This article describes the CIC Virtual Electronic Library, a partnership between OCLC and the Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC). The electronic catalog provides access to books, serials, databases and digital systems owned and operated by the members of the CIC. The Virtual Electronic Library uses OCLC's Prism, the Internet and OCLC's WebZ software to integrate resources and end-user services with a single interface. It allows the patron the ability to initiate ILL or document delivery requests and place holds on items through E-mail.

Potter, William Gary, et al. “GALILEO: Georgia's Electronic Library.” Library Hi Tech 14.2-3 (1996): 9-18. (Special double issue of the journal entitled "Web connectivity and the advent of virtual full text" Including state of the state reports: statewide library automation, connectivity, and resource access initiatives. Note from Mitch Turitz: From my own personal experience, I noticed that the article on California: Library Information Technologies by Barbara Will, which included relevant information on the UC Berkeley Library and the State Library and state government initiatives, did not include recent information about the California State University's UIAS which will link all 23 campuses of the CSU into a union catalog for resource sharing and web access.)

Discusses features of GALILEO, which is a “web-based library union catalog maintained by the university system of Georgia.” Includes abstracts and indexes and some full text access to journals and facilitates sharing of journal resources. The system supports universal borrowing priveliges throughout the university system. Provides electronic access to publications and statistics produced by state of Georgia agencies. Future plan is to include public schools and libraries.

“RSTP is a Proposed Standard for Delivery of Real-Time Media Over the Internet and Intranets”
http://home.netscape.com/newsref/pr/newsrelease263.html

News release announcing the Real Time Streaming Protocol, a new standard for delivering audio, video, animation, etc. over the Internet.

Seaman, David M. “Selection, Access, and Control in a Library of Electronic Texts.” Cataloging & Classification Quarterly 22:3-4 (1996): 75-84.

Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia describes how they have integrated electronic text databases into the “training, cataloging, Preservation, and collection development areas of their library. SGML texts only, which are platform-independent and therefore that is taken as an indication that they are not ephemeral, are considered worthy of the selection and cataloging effort.

Sheeran, Ruth. "Maintaining the Cohesive Collection: the Case for the Local Cataloger." Journal of Academic Librarianship 22.6 (1996): 462-465.

In this essay, Ruth Sheeran expresses concern about loss of local control over library databases that could occur with outsourcing of cataloging operations. In an initial section devoted to theory, the author addresses cataloging's twofold function (namely, "to place materials that are the same together; and to disntinguish each item from all the others and identify what makes it unique"). She then discusses how catalogers can contribute to developing a cohesive library collection designed to meet the needs of local users through involvement in maintenance of shelf order, maintenance of subject control, maintenance of name authority control, cataloging of Internet resources, appropriate database design, and bibliographic instruction.

Smith, Frederick E. “The Electronic Doorway Library Initiative.” Library Hi Tech 14.2-3 (1996): 19-32. (Special double issue of the journal entitled "Web connectivity and the advent of virtual full text" Including state of the state reports: statewide library automation, connectivity, and resource access initiatives.)

Goal in New York State is to make every library in the state an “electronic doorway” library, by enabling “the two-way flow of requests and information, into and out of a library...”

Stone, Alva T. "Up-Ending Cutter's Pyramid: the Case for Making Subject References to Broader Terms." Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 23.2 (1996): 5-16.

Supports the use of all LCSH hierarchical relationships in library catalogs to improve subject access to collections. Discusses potential techniques that may be worth trying for using the MARC format to generate these cross-references.

“U.S. Digital Library Initiative.” Computer (May 1996)
Available at http://www.computer.org/pubs/computer/dli

Wool, Gregory. “The Many Faces of a Catalog Record: A Snapshot of Bibliographic Display Practices for Monographs in Online Catalogs.” Information Technology and Libraries 15.3 (Sept. 1996): 173-195.

Illustrates diverse differences in divergence from the standard ISBD format of the old card catalog style in its replacement by the OPAC display screen with its unregulated use of labeling. Mapping of MARC fields is frequently out of the control of the Catalog Dept., so they no longer have the control that they used to on the format that the library user finally sees. On top of this is the issue of Z39.50 allowing outside access to catalogs via other library catalogs, which makes the final display subject to the programming of another system. Presentation and Organization of Catalog Record to the User is the concept here.

Goal in New York State is to make every library in the state an “electronic doorway” library, by enabling “the two-way flow of requests and information, into and out of a library...”

1996 Publications in OCLC:

Adam, Nabil R., et al., eds. Digital Libraries: Research and Technology Advances : ADL '95 Forum, McLean, Virginia, USA, May 15-17, 1995: Selected Papers. Berlin, New York: Springer, 1996.

Saunders, Laverna M., ed. The Evolving Virtual Library : Visions and Case Studies. Medford, NJ : Information Today, 1996.

Pitkin, Gary M., ed. The National Electronic Library : a Guide to the Future for Library Managers. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1996.

Fox, Edward A. And Gary Marchionini, eds. Proceedings of the 1st ACM International Conference on Digital Libraries : March 20-23, 1996, Bethesda, Maryland. New York, N.Y.: Association for Computing Machinery, 1996.

Beschloss, Michael R. The Digital Libraries in Our Future : Perils and Promise. Washington, D.C.: The Annenberg Washington Program, 1996.

Digital Libraries '95 : Report of a Conference at Austin, Texas, June 11-13, 1995. Wetherby : British Library Research and Development Department, 1996.

Hallman, Harvey K. Multimedia Technical libraries : Informedia digital Video Library System. Pittsburgh, Pa. : Carnegie Mellon University, Software Engineering Institute, [1996].

Kessler, Jack. Internet Digital Libraries : the International Dimension. Boston : Artech House, 1996.

Oddy, Pat. Future Libraries, Future Catalogues. London : Library Association, 1996.

Organizing the Global Digital Library II and Naming Conventions. [Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress, 1996].

Zhao, Fang. Metadata Collection and Automatic Indexing in a Digital Library System. 1996.

GIS in Libraries : Public Access to GIS. Redlands, Calif. : Environmental Systems Research Institute, 1994.

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