Public View of the Catalog or How and When to Talk to Your Catalogers IUAG Public Services Forum Feb

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Public View of the Catalog orHow and When to
Talk to Your CatalogersIUAG Public Services
ForumFebruary 24, 2006Kankakee, IL Susan
BraxtonAssistant LibrarianIllinois Natural
History Survey Library
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How do patrons perceive cataloging?

• Huh? How do those records get in there?
• Never heard of AACR or MARC.
• Cannot distinguish errors from correct but
  perhaps confusing displays.
• Cannot fully appreciate all the catalog can do
  for them.

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How do PS librarians perceive cataloging?

• When is an integrated library system not?
• May remember basics from cataloging class in
  library school, but
• May have trouble distinguishing errors from
  Voyager display issues.
• Rely on the OPAC, but...
• How well do we really understand how it works?

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What users see is a product of many converging
realities

• MARC and its application
• AACR and its application
• Thesauri / vocabularies used and their
  applications
• System (Voyager, version)
• Implementation of the system (locally,
  consortially)
• Individual catalogers work
• Mediation (but only if sought)
• Following all threads to the desired end result
  is our communal challenge
• (Thanks SKR)

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From your catalog to I-Share

• What happens at home doesnt stay there
• I-Share updated daily from the bib records of
  member library catalogs, including yours.
• Responsibility for keeping I-Share clean is
  shared by member libraries.
• Corrections must be made locally, not in I-Share,
  where theyd be overwritten in next update
  (opposite of how things worked in former
  system).
• PS librarians can really make a difference by
  reporting problems we observe in action in the
  public interface to catalogers!

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Browsing headings its a jungle in there

• Imprecise language on x-ref button in headings
  displayalways see also
• See also button displays only ifheading has
  no subdivisions, ANDheading is x-ref in
  authority, ANDbibs attached to authority (w/o
  subdivisions)
• Good cataloging demands subdivisions when
  applicable, even though (see above)
• Users not fully empowered, even if cataloging is
  perfect
• BUT, perfect application of headings helps

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Subjects What is Java?
var combo1new Array() combo10new
Option("JavaScript Kit","http//javascriptkit.com"
) combo11new Option("Dynamic
Drive","http//www.dynamicdrive.com") combo12ne
w Option("Freewarejava.com","http//www.freewareja
va.com") combo13new Option("Free Web
Templates","http//www.freewebtemplates.com") comb
o14new Option("Web Monkey","http//www.webmonke
y.com") combo15new Option("BACK TO
CATEGORIES","")
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(No Transcript)
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3 computer, 1 Indonesia(no such LC heading)
extra word? incorrect heading
missing qualifier, heading in wrong place
transposed,extra heading
incorrect subdivision, extra heading
Five of the first twelve headings should not be
there
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Non-LC headings look like errors due to
displayin fact, some may not belong
Why are there two identical headings?
Why is one not applicable???
6XX _4 headings that duplicate LC subject
headings in the same bib record are candidates
for deletion (ILCSO, 2003). Seven of first
fourteen java headings suspect
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650_0 a Java (Computer program language)650_4
a Java (Computer program language)
other heading offers no additional info or
access,it could go.
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When 6XX _4 heading is the only subject heading
in the record, and its an LCSH
650_4 a Java (Computer program language)
does no harm to change 2nd indicator to 0 to
identify as LCSH rather than source not
specified.
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Cleaner application of headings ? better
gathering ? better for the user
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Subjects What are windows?
Not! Attached record is false lead, lost from
correct heading
not x-ref inauthority,no button
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• Names Who is the realGabriel Garcia Marquez
  
• and how would a patron know?

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name authorities dont look specialuser at a
disadvantage
File under G?
I928 instead of 1928,extra heading
attached bibs are false leads, and lost from
correct heading
or M?
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The Note Button

• Only button other than see also that might
  appear in headings lists
• Appears only ifheading has no
  subdivisionsheading is an authority with a
  scope note
• Scope notes occasionally offer search under
  advice to users
• Note button may appear on a heading that is used
  in bib records not a problem. (In contrast, bib
  records on a heading with a see also button
  often is a problem).

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Note button may appear on a heading that is used
in bib records not a problem.
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Authorized heading or not how can you tell?

• Library of Congress Authority Files
  http//authorities.loc.gov/webvoy.htm
• Subject Heading Name
• Title
• Name/Title
• More convenient, informative, and current than
  the Big Red Books

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More about authorities

• Local correction/enhancement possible, but may be
  overwritten, and misses point of authority
  control.
• Who can correct or enhance LC authorities?
• SACO, NACO libraries / trained librarians
  http//www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/saco/http//www.loc
  .gov/catdir/pcc/naco/
• YOU! Errors in LC name or subject authorities
  report to Cataloging Policy and Support Office
  cpso_at_loc.govEnhancements to subject authorities
  use SACO change proposal form to suggest cross
  references http//www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/saco/chng
  form.html (Catalogers can help ensure
  suggestions meet criteria and are formatted
  correctly.)

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Local Subject Headings WHAT IS

• If locally devised subject headings are used,
  they should be given MARC tags of 690 or 691
  (ILCSO 2003). Examples may include department
  in a thesis record.
• 69X fields excluded from subject browse. Adding
  them not an option. No way to browse local
  headings in 69X fields.
• All 690 and 691 subfields keyword searchable
  using "Any Word" (gkey index) or "Any Word
  Anywhere (ft index).
• Most subfields of the 690 and 691 fields are
  searchable in "Subject Words (skey index)
  search 690 c (location of event) and 690 d
  (active dates of event) to be added.
• Keyword indexes can be invoked in Quick Search by
  selecting "Boolean search" and specifying index
  name (e.g., skey "dissertations academic").

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Local Subject HeadingsWHAT COULD BE

• Create left-anchored 690 and 691 indexes for all
  databases during the Voyager upgrade where they
  do not exist now?
• With left-anchored 690, 691 indexes in all
  databases, add 690/691 indexes as Quick Search
  options locally or consortially? (NOTE headings
  would not be browsable.)
• Develop additional documentation on which indexes
  include 690 and 691, and on searching indexes
  from Quick Search page?
• Develop local keyword search definitions for
  libraries uses of 69X fields (e.g., a
  dissertation search definition), which could be
  added options in local OPAC Guided/Advanced
  search?

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Local Subject HeadingsWHAT COULD BE

• Make subject keyword searching an option on the
  Quick Search page, either consortially or
  locally?
• Create left-anchored other subjects composite
  index to include 690, 691, 650 _4, and 650 _7 as
  recommended by OPAC Database Reindexing TF
  (ODBRTF 2003)?OR, Create an All subjects
  composite index?(NOTE Headings would not be
  browsable in either case.)
• Change I-Share standard to recommend 650 _4 for
  local headings so that they would be browsable in
  existing subject index? (NOTE Retrospective
  conversion is a concern).

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Local Subject HeadingsWHAT WILL BE???

• IUAG CCAC is currently considering options for
  access to local subject headings in I-Share
  Library catalogs.
• Input and inquiry from Public Service Librarians
  is invited and welcome.
• Please contact me braxton_at_uiuc.edu or another
  member of IUAG CCAC to share your views
  http//office.ilcso.illinois.edu/Comm/iuagccac.htm
  l

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• Varying forms of title (MARC 246)

only 2 records found neither is work sought
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Varying forms / and in titles
No 246 College and university administrator.Pat
ron searching that form will not find record.
245 00 a College university administrator.
260 __ a Tuscaloosa, Ala. b Published for
members of the American Association of
University Administrators by BSC Consulting, c
1997-
Alternate forms included patrons chance of
success higher.
245 10 a Medicine science in sports exercise
h electronic resource b MSSE. 246 3_ a
Medicine and science in sports and exercise 246
30 a MSSE 260 __ a Baltimore, MD b
Lippincott Williams Wilkins
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Extent of / and problem

• All records141,072 bibs have " " in the 245
  (title). 85 lack 246 or 247 containing " and
  " 
• Publication dates after 1995 31,817 bibs have
  " " in the 245. 54 lack 246 or 247 containing
  " and Data as of 1 November 2005, courtesy of
  Cathy Salika and CARLI.

More efficient for system to translate and / in
user search statements sadly, Voyager does not
do this.
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Spelling countsvery high probability examples
from Ballards (2005) list
You Searched Any Words accomodat? Search
Results Displaying 1 through 20 of 670 entries
38 in subject
417 in title
You Searched Any Words "untied states" Search
Results Displaying 1 through 19 of 19 entries
13 in subject
4 in title
You Searched Any Words mangement Search
Results Displaying 1 through 20 of 80 entries
8 in subject
20 in title
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Can wreak havoc with headings
10 extra headings
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Spelling counts a lot
1/3 to 100 of keyword search retrievals are from
subject heading words alone (Gross Taylor
2005). Titles are also important source of
keyword matches. Subjects and titles weighted
heavily in our Voyager keyword searches
misspellings mean missed hits that would have
been highly ranked.
.and yet
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Match with patrons misspelling access point!
(perhaps the only one)
no x-ref for Gremke
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Errant record led to headings
?
?
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Which demonstrates the importance of

• Headings
• X-refs
• Navigation between them

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Sources cited

• Ballard, T. (2005). Typographical errors in
  library databases. Retrieved from
  http//faculty.quinnipiac.edu/libraries/tballard/t
  yposcomplete.html on Oct. 4, 2005.
• Gross, T. Taylor, A.G. (2005). What have we
  got to lose? College Research Libraries 66(3),
  212-230.
• ILCSO. (2003). ILCSO Standards for
  Bibliographic Records in Illinet Online.
  Retrieved from http//office.ilcso.illinois.edu/Re
  ports/iuagccac/031203_standards.pdf on Oct. 26,
  2005
• ODBRTF. 2003. OPAC Database Reindexing Task Force
  Recommendations. Retrieved from
  http//office.ilcso.illinois.edu/Reports/iuagodbr/
  030312_recomend.html on Feb. 15, 2006.
• Acknowledgements
• CARLI CCACC
• CARLI staff
• Bibliographic Services Librarians of Milner
  Library
• Illinois Natural History Survey