Arrangement of bibliographic sources

Structure of bibliographic databases

Technical Processes in Bibliographic Control

1. Description

2. Name access

3. Subject analysis

4. Record formatting

5. Record organization

Filing

Fundamental element of the arrangement of bibliographic records, effecting relevance, browsing context, etc.; Intricately linked with the concept of form of entry

General Concepts

1. Alphabetical vs. Classified

e.g. books of Bible in alpha order or grouped, cf. Pentateuch

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, DeuteronomyorDeuteronomy, Exodus, Genesis, Leviticus, Numbers

Filing: General Concepts

2. Single alphabet vs. Categoricali.e. one alphabet or Person, Places, Things

Illinois, RaymondIllinois. Capitol.ILLINOIS‑‑HISTORYorIllinois. Capitol.ILLINOIS‑‑HISTORYIllinois, Raymond

3. Word‑by‑word vs. Letter‑by‑letter

"Nothing‑before‑something"

Filing: General Concepts

4. As‑is vs. As‑read

10 vs. ["Ten"]St. vs. [Saint] Schönberg, Schonberg, or Schoenberg?Mac, Mc [together or alpha.]

5. Punctuation regarded or disregarded

1/2 or 1 2 1,200 1200 1 2006. Subarrangement

Title, Publisher, Date

Filing Codes/Rules

Cutter's Rules

a. Categorical word‑by‑word

Person, Place, Subject, Form, Title

b. Classified

Under an author

Complete works, Selected works,

Single works, Works about

Filing Codes/Rules

• 1942, ALA Rules

• a. Word‑by‑word

• b. Identical entries alpha. or (option) class.

• i. Classed: Person, Place, Subject, Title• ii. One alphabet word‑by‑word

Filing Codes/Rules

c. Under an author two alphabetsWorks by, Works aboutVoluminous authors grouped:Cicero Works, Selections, Single, Subjects

d. Subarrange by title proper

i. Scientific works by dateii. Belles lettres by publisheriii. Subjects by main entry

Filing Codes/Rules

• 1968 ALA rules – added nonbook materials

• 1980 ALA rules and LC rules – Designed for machine systems

• Letter by letter• As is

– LC: Person, Place, Thing, Title– ALA: Title, date

Initial Articles

• Los angeles custodios [title in A]

• Los Angeles in fiction [title in L]

• Los Angeles Bar Association [corporate body in L]

• L’enfant abandonee [title in E]

• L’Enfant, Edouard [person in L]

Numbers

• Manual filing• 6 concerti grossi• 9 to 5• 10 times a poem• XIXth century art• 90 days to a better

heart• 1984

• Machine filing• 10 times a poem• 1984• 6 concerti grossi• 9 to 5• 90 days to a better

heart• XIXth century art

INITIALS

• A.A.

• A.A.U.W.

• A B C programs

• AAA

• Aabel, Marie

• Abacus calculating

• ABCs of collecting

United States--History

• Manual filing• Revolution, 1775-

1783• 1800-• 1801-1809• War of 1812• Civil War, 1861-1865• 1900-• 1945-

• Machine filing• 1800-• 1801-1809• 1900-• 1945-• Civil War, 1861-1865• Revolution, 1775-

1783• War of 1812

STRUCTURE OF BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABASES: DEFINITIONS

• DATA: the actual information that we gather. Lowest unit of information in a field. The content of a field.

• FIELD: A collection of units of information, normally having specific meaning

• RECORD: A collection of fields usually containing information about an information object.

STATUS OF A FIELD

• fixed or variable

• control or data

• repeatable or non-repeatable

• mandatory or required or optional

• indexed or not indexed

Status of a Record

• Newly created

• Upgraded

• Corrected

• Deleted

Database

• Database: A database is a collection of well organised records within a commonly available mass storage medium. It serves one or more applications in an optimal fashion by allowing a common and controlled approach to adding, modifying and retrieving set of data.

Database

A Database is Created:

1. To answer simple questions

2. To answer questions that require some manipulation of data

3. To maintain the updated information about the party

Functions of a Database

1. Insertion of a new record

2. Deletion of an existing record

3. Modification of records

4. Location for a particular record

5. Retrieval of a type of information in all records

6. Correlation of records according to a type of information

Database Management System

• A set of programs that provide for the input, retrieval, formatting, modification, output, transfer, and maintenance of information in a database.

• Elements of a DataBase Management System– Definition, (or Scheme or Structure or Format)– DataBases– Data Entry Screens– Indexes– Query Language– Report Generator

Advantages of Database Management System

• Reduce redundancy

• Avoid inconsistency

• Share data

• Enforce standards

• Apply security

• Maintain integrity

• Allow data independency

Data Structure

• the description for the use of a database concerning:

• 1. The nature of data– a) contents (or names) of data field (field id, field

name, field tag)– b) types of data field (numeric, character, logical,

date)– c) length of data field: fixed, variable.

• 2. The order of data fields • 3. The delimitors that signify the beginning and

ending of data fields, e.g., the punctuation system

System Design

• How does the system accept queries? Commands? Forms to fill in? menus to be navigated? If commands are used, how are they constructed?

• In what ways can one search? By author? By title? By subject? By form/genre? By combinations of these? If keyword searching is available, which fields are searched?

• Are Boolean searches allowed? If so, in what order are operators executed? If default Boolean is used, is the default AND or OR?

• How are results of a search displayed? In what order?• Are guides presented before actual listings of records? If

so, how do they divide up responses? If not, what method is to be used for finding a particular record or records in a multiscreen response?

System Design

• Is a record displayed in full, briefly, or in some intermediate fullness? What information is omitted at each level?

• Do records contain subject data in the form of controlled vocabulary?

• Does the system support controlled vocabulary by displaying relationships (e.g. broader terms, narrower terms)?

• How are author searches interpreted by the system -exact match, near match, keyword?

System Design

• How are hyphens, other punctuation, and symbols treated in the system?

• Does the system "remember" where a user is in a search, and can one get back to the first response to a search, or is the system "stateless" (i.e. unable to keep track of the searches done by a user, and unable to combine search "sets")?

Searching Surprises

• Too few error messages to help users understand mistakes

• No hits or too many hits; user does not know how to increase or reduce results

• Long displays that are hard to scan• Misspelled search words that are not identified as

such, and a user is left to guess whether the system does not contain the word or an error has been made

• Help screens that are not clear• No references at lower levels of hierarchy (e.g. no

reference from IRS Audit Division to United States. Internal Revenue Service. Audit Division, because there is a reference from IRS to United States. Internal Revenue Service)

Suggestions for Improving Current Systems

• Standard interfaces and Z39.50

• Labels and brief displays

• Exploitation of MARC

• Browsing

• Spelling correction

• Controlled vocabulary and classification