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Cross-Language Access to Information and
Practical Applications The MACS
Solution Patrice Landry Head, Subject
Indexing Swiss National Library
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Outline

• Various solutions for multilingual subject access
• What is MACS
• From Prototype to a Production database
• Moving into production (or how to move an
  international cooperative project into a library)
• The (New) MACS Project

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Introduction

• Goal of the presentation is to give an overview
  of MACS (as one solution to multilingual subject
  access)
• The MACS project as an international project and
  the difficulties in moving to an operational
  phase
• Moving from a theorical framework to a practical
  application

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Solutions for multilingual subject access -
Constructionapproaches

• Translation (RVM, MESH)
• Satellite thesauri approach (linking various
  online thesauri) with a common search interface
• Switching (Renardus)
• Direct mapping (equivalences between terms in
  different controlled vocabularies or between
  terms and classification numbers)

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Solutions for multilingual subject access
Methods used for link storage and access

• Authority records (equivalences coded in a local
  or networked database) RVM, MSAC
• Links database MACS
• Semantic Network (organised structure where each
  unit is linked to a cluster of equivalent terms)
  UMLS

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Why the MACS approach?

• In 1997, the need to find a  neutral  solution
  for linking SHLs forced libraries to find a
  solution not based on translation
• Approach to add value to existing data instead of
  creating new data (value added data)
• Linking work and management outside of each
  librarys authority files

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Short reminder What is MACS

• A project that is developing a system that offers
  multilingual subject access using current subject
  headings languages (SHLs)
• A project that is based on a coordinated approach
  between national libraries
• A system that will permit users to search library
  catalogues in the language of their choice

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MACS Basic principles

• Equality of languages and SHLs (no pivot) with
  autonomy of each SHL (only local, MACS is an
  external link database)
• Establishment of equivalences (no translation)
  between the SHLs involved (no new thesaurus)
• Equivalence links conceived as concept
  clustersMACS mappings and numeric identifiers
• Consistency of results (goal users retrieval)
• Extensible to other SHLs

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Sachkatalogisierung und Schlagwortsuche in einer
einsprachlichen Umgebung
Der Indexierer vergibt deutsche Schlagwörter
Der Benutzer muss die Suche in deutscher Sprache
durchführen
Dok. in Russisch
Dok. in Französisch
Dok. in Deutsch
Dok. in Englisch
Indexierer deutschsprachig
Italienische Schlagwörter
Englische Schlagwörter
Französische Schlagwörter
Deutsch Schlagwörter
?
?
?
Benutzer (englischsprachig)
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Sachkatalogisierung und Schlagwortsuche
in einer mehrsprachlichen Umgebung
Der Indexierer vergibt deutsche Schlagwörter
Der Benutzer kann die Suche in englischer Sprache
durchführen
Die Schlagwörter aus verschiedenen Sprachen sind
untereinander durch Links verbunden
Dok. in Russisch
Dok. in Französisch
Dok. in Deutsch
Dok. in Englisch
Indexierer deutschsprachig
Englische Schlagwörter
Deutsche Schlagwörter
Italienische Schlagwörter
Französische Schlagwörter
Benutzer (englischsprachig)
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Milestones

• Proposal Feasibility study (1997-1999)
• Prototype development (2000-2001)
• Specifications for developing the prototype in a
  productive system (LMI-II) (January-March 2002)
• Various releases and testing of the LMI-II (10
  releases) (April 2002-March 2005)
• Formal letter acceptance of the LMI to Tilburg
  University (January 2005)
• New Project Proposal June 2005

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From Prototype to a Production LM database

• Feedback from guest users re-inforced the value
  of MACS approach
• Improvements based on prototype tests
• MACS LM approach based on organisational
  principles

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MACS organisational principles

• Partners share equal responsibility for link
  authorisation no central editor
• Each partner is responsible for validating links
  proposed to their own SHL
• Partners may make proposals concerning any other
  parts of the link (but must be confirmed by the
  responsible partner)
• All partners may comment links (annotations)

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Short overview of the Link management database
and search interface

• The project has produced a Link Management
  Database which presently contains
• - 30000 RAMEAU-LCSH links and 3000 RAMEAU /
  LCSH / SWD links
• A search Interface that was developed as part of
  the prototype and will be fully developed as part
  of the MACS development

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Moving into production (or how to move an
international project into a library)

• The  project syndrome  is a common occurance in
  international projects succesful projects but
  difficulties in moving to production or applying
  results generally
• The MACS project accomplished many tasks with a
  lot of enthusiasm (and human resources, and a
  little money) but .
• The longer a project exists, the more there is
  the risk of staff turnaround and the decrease of
  institutional committment to the project

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The four MACS Project constraints

• Consortium agreement
• Financing
• Human resources
• Strategic

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The solution A new project proposal

• A new project structure with roles and
  responsabilities (project and within each
  partners institution)
• A project manual with specific action plan
• A strategic plan (operational and development)
• To be discussed with partners at the end of
  September 2005

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Current activities (SNL)

• Internal project to investigate
• - link creation tactics support for adding SWD
  headings by translation students from the Geneva
  University
• - drafting MACS linking manual for ensuring
  consistent linking approach
• Start of linking work process (adding and
  validating SWD terms) by staff of the Subject
  indexing service (September 2005)

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Future

• Investigate the possibility of integrating MACS
  in TEL as one of the multilingual options
• Possible funding in Germany for links creation
• Cooperation with MSAC
• Find new SHLs and partner
• AND more importantly, implement action plan

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Topics for the workshop

• Explain the organisation and work process of the
  Link management database with linking examples
• Show how subject searches can be done in a
  library database (Helveticat database of the
  Swiss National Library

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Contacts

• http//macs.cenl.org
• Patrice.Landry_at_slb.admin.ch