(Changing the subject line as this is veering off into new territory...)
Hollly, you've really hit on something here. While incorporating the
syndetic structure of controlled vocabularies into search and browse
isn't without its issues, it's strongly supported by a significant
amount of user research. While we aren't using anything like this in the
vended ILS at Indiana University, we are increasingly doing it in our
home-grown digital library systems.
For a good example, see our Charles W. Cushman Photograph Collection at
<http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/collections/cushman/>. Any search that
matches a lead-in term (see reference) from the LC Thesaurus of
Graphical Materials I: Subject Terms (TGM I) immediately maps that
lead-in term to the authorized term and shows the user search results
right away. There's an indication on the results page that the lead-in
term maps to something else, but the user sees results immediately just
as if she's typed in the authorized term. No telling the user she's
using the "wrong" words in her search. Any search or browse that matches
a subject heading (either directly or through a lead-in term) retrieves
results using that term or any term narrower than it in the hierarchy.
For example, a search/browse on "sports" would retrieve images cataloged
with "sports" but also images cataloged with "basketball," "baseball,"
and "curling" if those terms were also used in the collection. On the
results screen, for each subject term matched, the next broader and
narrower terms for in the thesaurus are listed, allowing the user to
expand or refine her search based on what she sees in the initial result
set.
To see some of this in action, search for "boats" from the collection
search page.
This process was developed through our dissatisfaction with literal,
string-based subject searching, studying the literature on controlled
vocabulary usage, a series of user studies, and support from a number of
people in the IU Digital Library Program for a vision of how we might
better meet our users' needs. This type of functionality comes from a
perspective that says the system should get people where they want to go
no matter *what* they type in - that users should focus on *using* the
materials they find, rather than expending that effort learning the
"right" way to discover those same materials. Our users can do better
work with library materials if they don't have to spend so much of their
time looking for them.
We're incorporating these ideas into our larger digital library
infrastructure as we speak. A brief explanation of how this is all
accomplished in the Cushman collection can be found at
<http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/projectInfo/techImplementation.
jsp>. A larger, more in-depth explanation including the user studies we
performed that convinced us this strategy was the right way to go can be
found in Dalmau, Michelle, Randall Floyd, Dazhi Jiao, and Jenn Riley.
"Integrating Thesaurus Relationships into Search and Browse in an Online
Photograph Collection." Library Hi Tech 23, no. 3 (2005): 425-452;
<http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/07378830510621829>. (That link
should provide free access to the paper, at least for the time being.
Please let me know if that's not the case!)
Jenn
========================
Jenn Riley
Metadata Librarian
Digital Library Program
Indiana University - Bloomington
Wells Library E170
(812) 856-5759
www.dlib.indiana.edu
Inquiring Librarian blog: www.inquiringlibrarian.blogspot.com
________________________________
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries
[mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Holly Ledvina
Sent: Thursday, June 08, 2006 10:15 AM
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] who is the primary user?
I agree that we need to examine how patrons use the catalog to
determine if they are finding vs searching. I have been using the search
transaction logs in our system to determine which subject searches
retrieve no hits. After examining the results the patron sees - i.e.
where does the "no results" search take them in the index, I add the
term used as a 4xx see reference in our authority files. The 4xx see
reference will then take the patron to a catalog message that the term
is not used in this catalog but to search using the "subject heading"
listed which links directly to the subject term.
While this referral directs the patron to the "term used" it is
nonetheless an intermediary step and click. What I would really like is
a natural language interpretation within the catalog software that
authomatically directs the patron to the correct term of the controlled
vocabulary, seamlessly. Maintain the controlled vocabulary but make it
invisible to patron. And yes, there are a gazillion problems with this
thought but its patron friendly and merits exploration. It may even be
working somewhere in a library - anyone?
Holly Ledvina
K.G. Schneider wrote:
I'm less interested in defining who users are than
examining what they do
and working backwards from that premise.
I have a hypothesis: search logs (not transaction logs;
but special logs
that generate information about search behavior) for a
wide variety of
libraries would yield highly similar data on the types
of queries performed
by users-right down to top queries, lowest queries, top
successes, top no
hits, and patterns such as number of terms and
complexity of queries.
I have a bet: most libraries don't generate search logs
or any similar
search analytics for their user behavior. Much, much
discussion; little,
little data.
I have an observation: companies such as Google aren't
spending a lot of
time worrying about their various "communities." That's
not to say that
it's necessarily bad to do so... but as an initial
preoccupation, we may be
barking up the wrong tree.
Why don't we start from the user data and work
backwards? Re search logs,
I'll show you mine if you show me yours...and we aren't
even an OPAC (though
due to our name a lot of users think we are, as our logs
show-something we'd
like to address by building better no-results pages).
Karen G. Schneider
kgs_at_bluehighways.com
--
Holly Ledvina
Catalog Librarian
Outagamie Waupaca Library System
225 N. Oneida Street, Appleton, WI 54911
hledvina_at_mail.owls.lib.wi.us
920-832-6386
"If we are to have an educated and informed population we need a
strong and open library system supported by a committed administration.
We cannot call for a revival of quality education in America and close
our libraries. We cannot ask our children to learn to read and take
away their books." Jimmy Carter.
Received on Thu Jun 08 2006 - 19:55:13 EDT