Dewey in Scandinavia : exploring new translation models of Dewey

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Dewey in Scandinavia exploring new translation
models of Dewey

• Presentation at Dewey goes Europe on the use
  and development of the Dewey Decimal
  Classification (DDC) in European libraries,
  Vienna 28 April, 2009
• Ingebjørg Rype, National Library of
  NorwayMagdalena Svanberg, National Library of
  Sweden

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Outline

• Why consider new translation models of Dewey in
  Scandinavia?
• Sweden
• Norway
• The mixed translation model what is it?
• Exploring the mixed model the results of the
  pilot studies and a workshop
• New approaches to the mixed model
• Sweden
• Norway
• Future work

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Classification in Sweden a background

• Most libraries in Sweden use a national Swedish
  classification scheme, SAB.
• A Swedish switch to Dewey is under way.
• Decision by the National Library to switch from
  the national scheme SAB to Dewey.
• Recommendation by the Swedish Library
  Association.
• Research libraries have decided or are preparing
  for a decision.
• Interest among public libraries.

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Why consider new translation models of Dewey in
Sweden?

• Need for a Swedish translation of Dewey
• Until now, the only Dewey content available in
  Swedish is the Dewey Summaries
• The abridged edition is too brief.
• To translate and maintain the full edition means
  a lot of work.
• Translations of DDC numbers far down in the
  hierarchy with little or no literary warrant in
  Sweden would be of limited value.
• Following the Norwegian example, with an
  abridgment of our own
• Could cause problems with interoperability.
• Would be time consuming in itself.

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Classification and indexing in Norway a
background

• Dewey is used by most libraries in Norway
• Use of different editions of Dewey (DDK 5, DDC
  21, DDC 22 and WebDewey)
• Norway has no national subject heading system
• Different local indexes to Dewey in OPACs

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DDK 5

• DDK 5 based on DDC 21
• Special customized edition on the level between
  Abridged and full DDC
• Level of abridgment based on literary warrant in
  Norwegian libraries
• Used by
• Public and school libraries
• Biblioteksentralen (The Library Center)
• The National Bibliography
• Used for reference and for specific subjects by
  university and special libraries, but in general
  they use DDC 22 /WebDewey
• DDK 5 is important for development of Norwegian
  terminology in local subject headings

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Why consider new translation models of DDC in
Norway?

• Use of different versions of Dewey makes reuse of
  classification numbers in the copy cataloging
  process difficult
• Use of different versions of Dewey makes it
  difficult to search by Dewey numbers across
  catalogs
• One version of Dewey would make it easier to
  create end user tools (a la MelvilSearch) which
  could be used across catalogs

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Example from BIBSYS

• Mitt liv, min frihet en selvbiografi / Ayaan
  Hirsi Ali oversatt av
• Poul Henrik Poulsen. - Oslo Cappelen, 2008. -
  431 s., pl. ill.
• Originaltittel Infidel
• BIBSYS
• 297
• 305.486
• 305.486092
• 305.48697
• 305.486971
• 920.0092
• 920.72
• Number assigned by LC
• 949.207/3092   

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Important considerations before switching to a
web version

• How can the classification praxis be more
  standardized among all Norwegian libraries?
• Is it possible to develop one edition of Dewey
  which could be used by all libraries?
• Is it possible to develop a model which is not as
  time consuming as translating the whole Dewey or
  continue the special customized DDK?

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What is the mixed translation model?

• Use Dewey data in the vernacular as framework
• Update the vernacular data to match the current
  version of the DDC
• Where needed, add English-language classes from
  full edition to complete hierarchies
• Translate the auxiliary tables (Tables 1-6) in
  full
• Use standard terminology for instructions in the
  language of each record (e.g., Her / Class
  here)
• Include logical abridgment instructions to
  address use by smaller collections
• Provide separate indexes featuring the
  terminology available in each language

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Excerpt from DDK 5
616.047 Symptomer og generelle patologiske prosesser som problemer i seg selv Inkluderer Betennelser, feber, infeksjoner, koldbrann, sjokk, ødemer, kroniskt tretthetssyndrom (myalgisk encefalomyelitt) Her Symptombeskrivelse tidligere 616.072 patologi, diagnose, behandling av symptomer med ulike sykdomsårsaker Klassifiser tolkning av symptomer for diagnose og prognose i 616.075. Klassifiser symptomer og patologiske prosesser vedrørende en bestemt sykdom eller kategori sykdommer med sykdommen eller kategori sykdommer, for eksempel symptomer på hjertesykdommer 616.12. Klassifiser kronisk tretthetssyndrom betraktet som en bestemt type sykdom med sykdommen, f.eks, kronisk tretthetssyndrom betraktet som en sykdom i immunsystemet 616.97.
616.047 2 Smerte Klassifiser hodepine i 616.84

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Excerpt from Mixed edition
616.047 Symptomer og generelle patalogiske prosesser som problemer i seg selv Inkluderer Feber, koldbrann, ødemer Her Patologi, diagnose, behandling av symptomer med ulike sykdomsårsaker symptombeskrivelse Infeksjoner klassifiseres nå i 616.901-616.96 Klassifiser oversiktsverker om palliativ pleie i 616.029 klassifiser tolkning av symptomer for diagnose og prognose i 616.075 klassifiser virkninger av skader og sår i 617.2 klassifiser komplikasjoner og følgesykdommer i 617.91/9. Klassifiser symptomer og patologiske prosesser vedrørende en bestemt sykdom eller kategori sykdommer med sykdommen eller kategori sykdommer, for eksempel symptomer på hjertesykdommer 616.12.
616.047 2 Smerte Klassifiser hodepine i 616.84/91
616.047 3 616.047 8 (English language subdivisions)
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Excerpt from Mixed edition English language
subdivisions
616.047 3 Inflammation
616.047 5 Shock and multiple organ failure Standard subdivisions are added for either or both topics in heading For shock associated with injury or surgery, see 617.21
616.047 8 Chronic fatigue syndrome Class here chronic fatigue syndrome discussed as a specific kind of disease formerly with the kind of disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis See also 616.04/4 for chronic diseases.
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Excerpt from Mixed edition Norwegian index
terms to captions in English
616.0473 Inflammation Betennelser Symptomatologi
616.0475 Shock and multiple organ failure Flerorgansvikt Symptomatologi Sjokk Symptomatologi
616.0478 Chronic fatigue syndrome Kronisk tretthetssyndrom Symptomatologi Myalgisk encefalomyelitt - Symptomatologi


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Pilot studies

• Usability as a classifiers tool
• Navigation between Norwegian and English
  terminology
• Difference between classifying Norwegian or
  English literature?

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Advantages

• More index terms
• Index terms in both English and Norwegian
• The whole Dewey from one source

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Disadvantages

• Norwegian content in instruction notes and
  including notes disappeared
• Not all Norwegian librarians have mastered
  English well enough to use it as an entry point
  to Dewey.
• Confusing with mix of languages

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Workshop

• Arranged by the Norwegian committe on
  classification and indexing (NKKI), the National
  Library, and Library Education
• What level do we need for a new Norwegian
  translation?
• Is it possible to create a Norwegian edition
  which could be used by all libraries?

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New approach to the mixed model - Norway

• The workshop gave a recommendation for full
  translation
• Norwegian terminology is important.
• for cataloguers to understand the instructions in
  Dewey and classify fast and correctly.
• as a basis for subject headings
• as an access point for librarians and end users
• Need for consistency in classification - easier
  to maintain if all libraries use one Dewey
  edition
• Those who use a full edition today would not use
  a mixed edition
• The need for exchange of classification data
  makes it important with interoperable data
• A full translation needs abridgment instructions
  on DDK level.

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Future work - Norway

• NKKI will give a recommendation to the National
  Library on a full translation with abridgment
  instructions
• If not a full translation How to use the
  experiences from the Mixed edition project?
• a datafile containing the full (English-language)
  Dewey from which we can produce an abridged
  Norwegian version?
• abridged on DDK-level with extended index?
• indexes in both Norwegian and English?

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New approach to the mixed model - Sweden

• For Sweden, the mixed model still seems to be a
  possible way to reach a Swedish translation in
  reasonable time and with reasonable resources.
• Differences from the Norwegian circumstances
• No translation at all to start from.
• University libraries are the main user group.
• Svenska ämnesord (Swedish subject headings) is an
  additional access point and source of
  terminology.
• SAB does not provide detailed notes, and the
  scheme is not extensively indexed. Swedish
  librarians are used to coping without this kind
  of information in the classification scheme.

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Level of initial translation to Swedish

• Dewey classes mapped to SAB in the converting
  table SAB-Dewey.
• Dewey classes found in the abridged edition of
  DDC.
• All superordinate classes to translated classes.

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(No Transcript)
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SAB is guiding the level of translation
DDC number Caption
616 Sjukdomar
616.04 Särskilda medicinska förhållanden
616.042 Genetiska sjukdomar (Ärftliga sjukdomar)
616.043 Medfödda sjukdomar
616.044 Chronic diseases 
616.047 Symtom och allmänna patologiska processer som problem i sig
616.0472 Smärta
616.0473 Inflammation
616.0475 Shock and multiple organ failure
616.0478 Chronic fatigue syndrome
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Swedish subject headings will be mapped to DDC
DDC number Swedish subject headings (examples)
616 Sjukdomar
616.042 Genetiska sjukdomarKromosomrubbningarMedicinsk genetik
616.043 Missbildningar hos människanSiamesiska tvillingar
616.044 Kroniska sjukdomar 
616.047 SymtomFeber
616.0472 Smärta
616.0473 Inflammation
616.0475 Chock
616.0478 Kroniskt trötthetssyndrom

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The abridged DDC will complement the level

• 363.4 Controversies related to public morals
• No counterpart in SAB.
• Will still be translated, since it is a number
  from the abridged edition.

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Future work - Additional translation into Swedish

• Guided by
• Literary warrant in LIBRIS, the Swedish union
  catalog
• Need for Swedish terminology and Swedish
  examples, based on problems reported by Swedish
  librarians.
• Work in progress
• Possibly an intermediate step on the way to a
  full translation?

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Future work -The mixed edition as an end-user
tool?

• The mixed edition as an end-user tool has not
  been studied yet.
• How will the mix of languages work for an
  end-user, possibly with no knowledge of English?
• Browsing top-down no big difference from using
  an abridged edition for browsing.
• Searching could be more of a problem, but the
  mappings SAO-DDC will help up the situation
• Plans for a pilot study of the mixed edition as
  an end-user tool using MelvilSearch.

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2009-04-16/Magdalena Svanberg
Captions will be in English further down in the
hierarchy. Do you want to continue browsing?
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Did you mean keratosis? No? Try another term or
try searching for an English term.
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The Swedish Dewey project

• Goals
• Translating Dewey to Swedish using the mixed
  model
• Mapping Swedish subject headings to Dewey
• Developing tools to search and navigate material
  with SAB codes and material with Dewey numbers
  together.
• Training
• Start May 2009
• The Swedish mixed edition will be made available
  when a reasonable amount of the content is
  translated into Swedish.
• National Library switches to DDC in 2011 or 2012.
• Libraries can switch to DDC during the project,
  or wait for the switch of the National Library.

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Thank you!

• Ingebjørg Rype
• National Library of NorwayTelephone 47 23 27
  6217E-mail ingebjorg.rype_at_nb.no
• Magdalena Svanberg
• National Library of Sweden
• Telephone [phone]
• E-mail magdalena.svanberg_at_kb.se