LS 500 Lecture 14 Classification of Information Resource IV: Information Architecture, Digital Libraries and Social Classification AKA - The "Web Opportunities" Lecture Steven L. MacCall, PhD Associate Professor School of Library and Information Studies The University of Alabama

Subject Access Problem, Revisited The Great Soda versus Pop Controversy . How does this apply to libraries? How does this apply to Web searching?: Automatic indexing, such as Google: Does this address the soda versus pop controversy? What about the human indexing of Web resources?

The Great Soda versus Pop Controversy .

How does this apply to libraries?

How does this apply to Web searching?:

Automatic indexing, such as Google: Does this address the soda versus pop controversy?

What about the human indexing of Web resources?

Challenge of Providing Access to Web Resource Collections Can we build digital libraries? Can we systematically arrange Web resource collections by subject in a way that is useful to those seeking information? Can we replicate the “great reduction” phenomenon? Can we insert these digital libraries into the lives of our users? While at home While at work

Can we build digital libraries?

Can we systematically arrange Web resource collections by subject in a way that is useful to those seeking information?

Can we replicate the “great reduction” phenomenon?

Can we insert these digital libraries into the lives of our users?

While at home

While at work

Search vs Browse of Info Packages Search Surrogates Bibliographic Cataloging Verbal subject analysis Results list Website search engine Browse Actual info packages Bibliothecal Shelf arrangement Classification Navigation Website architecture

Search

Surrogates

Bibliographic

Cataloging

Verbal subject analysis

Results list

Website search engine

Browse

Actual info packages

Bibliothecal

Shelf arrangement

Classification

Navigation

Website architecture

Managing Links to Web Resources Links to what types of files? Text Audio Video PPT etc Links to whose content and to what kind of structures? Content: Our information (“stickiness”) or someone else’s information (traditional library approach) Structure: Websites, sub-sites or web pages

Links to what types of files?

Text

Audio

Video

PPT

etc

Links to whose content and to what kind of structures?

Content: Our information (“stickiness”) or someone else’s information (traditional library approach)

Structure: Websites, sub-sites or web pages

What is Documentary Unit? For collections of links to external Web resources: Links to web pages: Google and other search engines Links to web sub-sites: Yahoo directory and other human constructed indexes such as those on library websites Links to Websites: Yahoo directory and other human constructed indexes such as those on library websites. For collections of links to internal Web resources (i.e., self contained websites): The emerging field of Information Architecture.

For collections of links to external Web resources:

Links to web pages: Google and other search engines

Links to web sub-sites: Yahoo directory and other human constructed indexes such as those on library websites

Links to Websites: Yahoo directory and other human constructed indexes such as those on library websites.

For collections of links to internal Web resources (i.e., self contained websites):

The emerging field of Information Architecture.

Information Architecture Also referred to as website design . About creating navigational and organizational structures that put users in touch with the information they need in a website as efficiently as possible (similar to physical library signage). Job titles include: Interaction/Interface Designer Usability Engineer User Experience Designer (UX)

Also referred to as website design .

About creating navigational and organizational structures that put users in touch with the information they need in a website as efficiently as possible (similar to physical library signage).

Job titles include:

Interaction/Interface Designer

Usability Engineer

User Experience Designer (UX)

Structural Standards for Web Resources? Are websites structured like books? Lack of standards for structuring websites across publishers: Many “vanity” web publishers Commercial publishers are making inroads Emergence of the “ inverted L ”

Are websites structured like books?

Lack of standards for structuring websites across publishers:

Many “vanity” web publishers

Commercial publishers are making inroads

Emergence of the “ inverted L ”

Classification of Web Resources Main goal is to transcend the limitations of shelf arrangement in physical libraries: Multiple class numbers (classified catalog) Placing links in multiple hierarchical locations (polyhierarchy) Another important goal is to take enduser perspective into account (e.g., synonyms): “ Views” Social bookmarking (let “pop” be pop)

Main goal is to transcend the limitations of shelf arrangement in physical libraries:

Multiple class numbers (classified catalog)

Placing links in multiple hierarchical locations (polyhierarchy)

Another important goal is to take enduser perspective into account (e.g., synonyms):

“ Views”

Social bookmarking (let “pop” be pop)

How Libraries Organize Web Resources Standards approach: Cataloging – use of 856 tag: MaRC information Example: “ Data mining your website ” Customization approach – Web lists by subject: Mathematics (flat HTML list at UA Rodgers Library)

Standards approach: Cataloging – use of 856 tag:

MaRC information

Example: “ Data mining your website ”

Customization approach – Web lists by subject:

Mathematics (flat HTML list at UA Rodgers Library)

Classified “Shelf” Arrangement of Links Traditional: Dewey Canadian Information by Subject Polyhierarchy by topic (or facet): Yahoo Directory Views (polyhierarchy – based on types of user): University of Alabama website Rice University website

Traditional: Dewey

Canadian Information by Subject

Polyhierarchy by topic (or facet): Yahoo Directory

Views (polyhierarchy – based on types of user):

University of Alabama website

Rice University website

Faceted Approaches Iokio CameraFinder “ Guided” search (faceted approach using Endeca ) Siderean ( LII example) Guardian newspaper in UK NCSU Catalog Home Depot Clinical Digital Libraries Project CCHS Digital Library

Iokio CameraFinder

“ Guided” search (faceted approach using Endeca )

Siderean ( LII example)

Guardian newspaper in UK

NCSU Catalog

Home Depot

Clinical Digital Libraries Project

CCHS Digital Library

Social Classification User added metadata. Shared resources (commonly used for collections of photos and URLs). Organized via third party collaborative websites. Also known as folksonomy, ethnoclassification and free-tagging.

User added metadata.

Shared resources (commonly used for collections of photos and URLs).

Organized via third party collaborative websites.

Also known as folksonomy, ethnoclassification and free-tagging.

Social Classification (cont.) Tagging – the establishment of a relationship between an online information resource and a user: No centralized vocabulary control However, intent is to match an individual with other individuals who not only have the same interest, but also share the same way to express the aboutness of that resource (let “pop” be pop and “soda” be soda) Contexts (know what is being organized!): Photographs Blog entries URLs (i.e., bookmark collections)

Tagging – the establishment of a relationship between an online information resource and a user:

No centralized vocabulary control

However, intent is to match an individual with other individuals who not only have the same interest, but also share the same way to express the aboutness of that resource (let “pop” be pop and “soda” be soda)

Contexts (know what is being organized!):

Photographs

Blog entries

URLs (i.e., bookmark collections)

Virtual Photographic “Shoeboxes” Collections of digital photographs stored at a third party website. Users “tag” their photos with descriptors and descriptors can be searched. Lack of vocabulary control; however, in this “social” context, neither precision nor recall is important. Flickr

Collections of digital photographs stored at a third party website.

Users “tag” their photos with descriptors and descriptors can be searched.

Lack of vocabulary control; however, in this “social” context, neither precision nor recall is important.

Flickr

Blog Postings Users “tag” their blog postings with descriptors that can be searched through third party services that monitor blogs. Lack of vocabulary control; however, in this “social” context, neither precision nor recall is important. Catalogablog and Technorati

Users “tag” their blog postings with descriptors that can be searched through third party services that monitor blogs.

Lack of vocabulary control; however, in this “social” context, neither precision nor recall is important.

Catalogablog and Technorati

URLs (i.e., Bookmark Collections) Collections of bookmarked URLs stored at a third party websites. Users “tag” their bookmarks with descriptors and descriptors can be browsed. Lack of vocabulary control; however, in this “social” context, neither precision nor recall is important. Furl and del.icio.us .

Collections of bookmarked URLs stored at a third party websites.

Users “tag” their bookmarks with descriptors and descriptors can be browsed.

Lack of vocabulary control; however, in this “social” context, neither precision nor recall is important.

Furl and del.icio.us .

Know your Resource Collection What type of information package? Pages or collection of pages? Webpages, articles, books or other? Are they structured consistently? How are information packages organized? Searchable surrogates? Authority control? Automatically indexed? Human (professional or civilian) indexer? Browseable directly? Both searchable and browseable?

What type of information package?

Pages or collection of pages?

Webpages, articles, books or other?

Are they structured consistently?

How are information packages organized?

Searchable surrogates?

Authority control?

Automatically indexed?

Human (professional or civilian) indexer?

Browseable directly?

Both searchable and browseable?