Is276 Final Presentation

Team Lightning presents:

LAPL Photo Collection
A case study in Information Retrieval

Presented December 8th, 2009 by Dalena Hunter, Michael Mocciaro,
Shelly Ray, Dan Schell, Chris Salvano, Teresa Soleau

Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection

A case study in Information Retrieval

I. Background: About the photo collection and the
system that organizes it.

II. Problem Statement: Three specific information
retrieval problems and solutions:
1. Sessions timing out
2. Ranking search results
3. Interface issues

III. Going forward …



 Background on the collection:
Materials and System


Background: What is the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection ?

 Consists of: the Herald Examiner photo collection, Shades of
LA, and the Security Pacific National Back Collection.

 The Security Pacific National Bank collection is comprised of
8 sub-collections:
 a. Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Collection;
 b. Turn of the Century Los Angeles;
 c. Hollywood Citizen News/Valley Times Newspaper Collection;
 d. Central Library’s Historical California Photographs;
 e. Portrait Collection;
 f. Federal Writers Project;
 g. Ralph Morris Archives;
 h. William Reagh Collection

TEAM LIGHTNING: LAPL Photo Collection

Background: The collection and the system

 Collection is part of LAPL’s online catalog

 Items are described using MaRC metadata schema
 Results in truncated keyword search results.

 Rich indexing and descriptive elements are only available to
staff working with the items themselves.


Background: System constraints

 IT department is stretched thin and unable to devote
time to backend or UI capability issues.

 Only one photo archivist working on the project

 Processing memory is limited
 Results in system crashes (on a weekly basis) and timeouts

 This may affect any attempt to add information or
functionality to the system.



 Problem Statement


Problem Statement

 What are the impediments to good information
retrieval?

 Lots of them …

1. Session timeouts

2. Ranking of search results

3. User interface



 Problem #1: Session Timeouts


Problem: Session timeouts

 Users get interrupted with message that their session
has “timed out”

 A major disruption

 When did they “time in”?

 We suggest: Remove the automated time out feature
and allow users to perform more elaborate, linked
searches.


Problem: Session timeouts

Eliminating timeouts is #1 recommendation

 This will enhance information retrieval by:

 Allowing users to progress further in their search in the course
of a session

 Allowing for the addition to add greater user interface
capabilities, such as a "View Personal List" feature

 Acts as a form of search memory so that users do not have to
remember or record their past searches



 Problem #2: Ranking search results


Problem: Ranking Search Results

 The current ranking system (keyword searching):

 Keyword search picks up hits in all descriptive fields of a
photo’s metadata record

 Favors “Subject” and “Summary,” often to the detriment of
good recall and precision



Example 1: “Airport” as keyword search
Page 1: Page 38:


Comparative analysis of “Airport” returns: Records #1 and #379


Example 2: “Raymond Chandler” as keyword search


Comparative analysis of “Raymond Chandler” returns: Records #1 and #6

What’s going on here?

 A keyword search favors the “Summary” and “Subject”
fields and sorts returned photos by reverse chronological
order

 Therefore, a photo with 1 “airport” hit in the “Summary” or
“Subject” fields and a photo date will be returned ahead of a
photo with 3 “airport” hits that does not have a photograph
date (n.d.)

How can Team Lightning bring some rationality
to a keyword search?

Behold, the proposed ranking system…

Metadata Element Metadata Value Point Value
Click for Images: Direct link to photo --
Title(s): Title of photograph 3
Photographer: Name of photographer 1
Order Number: Control number for ordering purposes --
Filing Information: Filing box location / name 1
Publisher: Date of photograph --
Description: Item’s physical description --
Series: Associated Series Name (Name files) 1
Notes: LAPL control number --
Summary: Photo description 1
Subjects: Controlled vocabulary (LCSH) 2
Other Entries: Other entry names associated with item 2

The “Airport” example using Team Lightning’s Relevancy Ranking:
RECORD #1
Elements Metadata Value Point Value

Click for Images: Link --
Title(s): George W. Bush [graphic] --
Photographer: Leonard, Gary --
Filing
Information:
Portraits-Bush, George W. --
Publisher: 1999 --
Description: 1 photograph : b&w --
Closeup view of George W. Bush, Republican presidential
Summary: candidate, taken at the Los Angeles International Airport. Photo 1
dated: September 1, 1999.
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
Los Angeles International Airport
Subjects: Presidential candidates--United States 2
Airports--California--Los Angeles
Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Total Point Value = 3

The “Airport” example using Team Lightning’s Relevancy Ranking
RECORD #379

Title(s): Los Angeles International Airport [graphic] 3
S-002-348.3 4x5 Transportation-Aviation-Airports-L.A. 1
Filing Information:
International Airport.
Publisher: [n.d.] --
Aerial view of Los Angeles International Airport and 2
Summary:
surrounding area.
Los Angeles International Airport and surrounding area 2
Aerial views
Subjects:
Airports—California—Los Angeles
Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.)

Analysis: This photo should appear before the photo Total Point Value = 8
of George W. Bush when doing a keyword search for “Airport”

The “Raymond Chandler” example using TL’s Relevancy Ranking
RECORD #1
Elements Metadata Value Point
Value
Title(s): Appian Way Apartments --
Photographer: Solomon, Cliff --
Filing
Information:
HE Box Raymond Chandler 1
Publisher: 1986 --
Series: Herald Examiner Collection --
Front view of the Appian Way Apartments with windows and
trim in need of a paint job. Possibly used for location shooting
Summary:
in Robert Altman's version of "The Long Goodbye". Photo
--
dated: Jul. 18, 1986.
Marlowe, Philip (Fictitious character)
Subjects: Apartment houses—California—Los Angeles --
Motion picture locations
Altman, Robert
Other Entries:
Chandler, Raymond
2
Total Point Value = 3

The “Raymond Chandler” example using TL’s Relevancy Ranking

RECORD #6

Title(s): Raymond Chandler [graphic] 3
Filing Information: HE Box… --
Publisher: 1939 --
Series: 8389 Chandler, Raymond 1
Summary: Novelist Raymond Chandler in 1939 2
Chandler, Raymond, 1888-1959 2
Subjects:
Authors

Analysis: Though photographs of filming locations of “The Long Total Point Value = 8
Goodbye” may be useful for a user, photos of Raymond Chandler
should appear first in a search for “Raymond Chandler”


 Final Analysis:

 Incorporating a metadata “point” system can help improve
recall and precision (within a keyword search)

 Search results should be based on content across all fields,
irrespective of reverse chronological order

LAPL won’t fool me
twice


 Problem #3: Interface issues


User Interface: Revised Main Search Screen
Subject Browse By Letter

Simplified Year Limit
Options New Search Options


User Interface: Revised Advanced Search Screen

Added
Boolean
search
options

Advanced Search Options

Added Year Options


User Interface:
LAPL Results Screen


User Interface:
Google Life Results Screen


User Interface:
LAPL item listing
Very small image on
initial record

Detailed summary
provided

Can browse by Subject


User Interface:
Google Life item listing
Large Picture on
initial record
Limited
One click to purchase metadata
screen provided

Can browse
related images

Can browse by “label”


 Future enhancements
 Conclusions


Going forward …

 Future enhancements we recommend:

 Dynamic term suggestion/real-time query expansion


Going forward …

 Future enhancements we recommend:

 Cross-walking to Dublin Core for inclusion in an aggregate


Going forward …



 Conclusions



 Questions??


Is276 Final Presentation

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Viewers also liked

Viewers also liked (15)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Is276 Final Presentation