This document summarizes Heather Lea Moulaison's presentation at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting on October 26, 2010. The presentation compared how geographic locations in the Muslim West are classified in the Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC) and the Ibn Rushd Thesaurus (IRT). Moulaison analyzed geographic terms from the IRT related to the Muslim West and compared their classification to DDC. She found that DDC was able to provide close classification for over 80% of locations in Morocco and over 90% in Spain, suggesting it can adequately classify materials for a collection focused on the Muslim West. However, the IRT grouped locations by historical areas of conquest while DDC focuses more
Information Competencies: A Bridge to Narrow the North-South Knowledge GapsJesus Lau
Mortenson Distinguished Lecture
Mortenson Center for International Library Programs
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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https://www.academia.edu/22843510/AFRICAN_RENAISSANCE_UNIVERSITY_A_VISION
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Information Competencies: A Bridge to Narrow the North-South Knowledge GapsJesus Lau
Mortenson Distinguished Lecture
Mortenson Center for International Library Programs
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana, Illinois, USA
September 23, 2003
This short paper is the first presentation (March 2005) of a research project started in 2004. It focuses on post-Soviet cultural heritage policies and trends in Central Asian countries, with special regard to the situation of museums and galleries.
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The session was part of the ADIBF Academy Expert Librarian 2015 - certificate.
Considerations about the Nature and the Necessary Fundamental Elements of AfRUn or
How a University can serve African Renaissance
https://www.academia.edu/22843510/AFRICAN_RENAISSANCE_UNIVERSITY_A_VISION
This document discusses regional planning concepts including regionalism, critical regionalism, and theories of regional planning. It defines regionalism as developing a sense of regional identity based on local culture and environment. Critical regionalism balances local character with modern influences. Theories of regional planning consider regions as administrative units and examine types like physical, cultural, economic, and political regions. Regionalization divides national space into manageable regional units for various goals while debates consider regions as bounded territories or relational networks.
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The Western definitions of the "smart cities" are concentrated around three main elements. First approach describes the "smart city" as the organized body, using the new technologies in the manner to increase the efficiency of the infrastructure and communication interconnectivity (Azkuna, 2012). Another approach emphasizes the role of the sensors,
mobile devices, to create digital dimension of the city (Schaffers, 2012). Yet another approach presents the city as the area consisting of populations implementing activities and effectively acting institutions in terms of knowledge creation, developed broadband infrastructure and on-line tools for knowledge management and solving problems that arise
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2) A case study examining search results for "poverty alleviation" found very little content from or relevant to South Africa, despite significant work being done. Similarly, a climate change research group's work had low initial visibility, though internal mapping showed strong online presence.
3) Visibility and discoverability are now essential for participation in knowledge networks. While open access and digital afford new opportunities, achieving visibility remains challenging without attention to infrastructure, affordability, algorithms, and reward systems that currently privilege global north perspectives
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This document summarizes a research project that will examine the role of libraries at the University of Sussex in shaping pedagogical cultures and knowledge formations from a post-colonial perspective. It will do this through archival research of the university's collections and interviews with staff and students. Specifically, it will analyze how the library has developed in relation to the university's colonial foundations and responses to calls to decolonize. The research aims to center marginalized voices and make the case for libraries to actively support decolonization through collections, teaching, and collaboration.
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This document summarizes the history and structure of CIFNAL (Collaborative Initiative for French and North American Libraries), an initiative to enhance cooperation between francophone and North American academic libraries. It discusses CIFNAL's origins from a 2004 conference, its membership structure under the Global Resources Network, and some of its current projects including consortial agreements for electronic resources, a Bibliothèque Bleue digitization project, and a microfilm identification project. It also briefly highlights findings from a study on current initiatives for French-language collections in North America by Sarah Sussman.
The Reality of the Cloud: Implications of Cloud Computing for Mobile Library ...University of Missouri
The document discusses how cloud computing enables mobile library technologies and services. It defines cloud computing and explains how software, products, and data can reside in the cloud. Examples are given of library services, products, and data that are being accessed remotely through cloud-based platforms. Challenges of cloud computing like loss of local control and data security are addressed, but benefits like increased access and lower costs are also outlined. The cloud allows the library to become a platform for sharing content and data between librarians and patrons on their mobile devices.
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The document discusses a survey of technical services librarians regarding their perceptions of education and continuing education. The survey examined how adequate LIS education prepares librarians for technical services work and the need for continuing education. It reviewed literature on education in technical services and continuing education. The methodology section outlines a 28 question Qualtrics survey distributed to email lists. Key findings were that over 80% of respondents felt their LIS education with or without on-the-job training provided adequate skills for their first professional position, and the most common areas of work were cataloging, acquisitions, and digital collections.
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2. Advantages of cloud computing for libraries include scalability, flexibility, and cost savings, though security, privacy and loss of control are potential disadvantages.
3. When considering cloud services, libraries must understand requirements, costs, legal issues, and have a plan for exiting cloud-based systems. Comprehensive service level agreements are also important.
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This document discusses how library catalogs provide subject access to works of fiction. It outlines how genre terms from the Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, Etc (GSAFD) are used in MARC records to help patrons find fiction by genre. The GSAFD list of 153 genre terms has been developed into MARC authority records. Libraries use genre headings from GSAFD in the 655 or 690 tags to help patrons identify the kind of fiction they want more easily than subject headings alone.
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Ose-t-on parler d'un « bibliothétiquetage» ? Vers une participation active de...University of Missouri
Presentation by H. L. Moulaison, at the ASTED (and others) conference, "Congrès des milieux documentaires du Québec" in Montreal, Canada, on November 3, 2010.
This document outlines a proposed framework for creating a cultural heritage digital library in Morocco to provide access to non-textual information for non-literate people. The author conducted a literature review on digital libraries in developing countries and on the culture of Morocco. An ethnographic study was also performed including informal observation, conversations, and content analysis. The findings from this research could inform the creation of a cooperative digital library between the US and Morocco called CAMEL, which would provide audio-visual cultural heritage documents in a way that is accessible to non-literate users based on the cultural context.
The document provides details on planning a mini-symposium titled "Intersecting Diasporas" at the Museum of African Diaspora. The 3-hour event will feature 4 presentations exploring histories and cultures of African diasporic groups. It will be held in October 2009 and involve 3 phases: pre-event planning over 8 weeks, the event itself, and post-event follow up. The goal is to gauge interest for a longer speaker series while fostering new partnerships.
1_Lecture_Introduction to regional geography and the focal study regionPrivate
- Regional geography has evolved over time through the work of pioneers like von Humboldt and Ritter in the 19th century.
- Current strands of regional geography study how regions are socially constructed and constituted through power relations, governance, and everyday life.
- New regional geography since the 1980s views regions as both absolute spaces and abstract experiences shaped by social practices across scales.
This document outlines three topics that will be covered by the GDRI-caINTI research group on territories: 1) concepts of territory, territorial intelligence, sustainable development and well-being; 2) fundamental scientific methods for analyzing territories; and 3) territorial development systems such as clusters, science parks, and partnerships. The research aims to advance understanding of how to combine economic, social, environmental and cultural objectives for sustainable development at the territorial level.
This document provides background information and outlines a proposed study on developing digital libraries to provide access to cultural heritage materials for non-literate people in Morocco. It begins with an overview of the author's experience in Morocco and rationale for the study. It then reviews relevant literature on concepts of literacy, culture, cultural heritage and digital libraries. The document proposes research questions about how cultural usability and library and information science theories can inform the design of such a digital library system and interface. It concludes with an outline of the proposed ethnographic methodology for the study.
Re-discovering the African philosophy of the architecture through the other/o...Anna Rynkowska-Sachse
THE UIA 2014 PROCEEDINGS, DURBAN 2014, 2014
The Western definitions of the "smart cities" are concentrated around three main elements. First approach describes the "smart city" as the organized body, using the new technologies in the manner to increase the efficiency of the infrastructure and communication interconnectivity (Azkuna, 2012). Another approach emphasizes the role of the sensors,
mobile devices, to create digital dimension of the city (Schaffers, 2012). Yet another approach presents the city as the area consisting of populations implementing activities and effectively acting institutions in terms of knowledge creation, developed broadband infrastructure and on-line tools for knowledge management and solving problems that arise
for the first time, as the key to the assessment of the intelligence (Komninos, 2008).
Laura Czerniewicz Open Repositories Conference 2016 Dublin Laura Czerniewicz
1) Knowledge production and dissemination have historically been unequal, with the global south marginalized. Digital technologies provide new opportunities but can also exacerbate inequalities if discoverability and visibility are not achieved.
2) A case study examining search results for "poverty alleviation" found very little content from or relevant to South Africa, despite significant work being done. Similarly, a climate change research group's work had low initial visibility, though internal mapping showed strong online presence.
3) Visibility and discoverability are now essential for participation in knowledge networks. While open access and digital afford new opportunities, achieving visibility remains challenging without attention to infrastructure, affordability, algorithms, and reward systems that currently privilege global north perspectives
This document provides an overview of key concepts in regional planning. It defines a region as an area with specific boundaries and characteristics. Regions can be classified in different ways, such as formal, functional, and perceptual regions. Formal regions are based on physical similarities, while functional regions are organized around nodes and flows. The document also discusses techniques for delimiting regions and identifies different types of regions, such as economic development regions and activity regions. Finally, it explains the concepts of planning regions and regional planning, which involves coordinating resources and development across administrative boundaries.
Alice Corble BLDS Workshop 17-05-23.pptxDannyMillum1
This document summarizes a research project that will examine the role of libraries at the University of Sussex in shaping pedagogical cultures and knowledge formations from a post-colonial perspective. It will do this through archival research of the university's collections and interviews with staff and students. Specifically, it will analyze how the library has developed in relation to the university's colonial foundations and responses to calls to decolonize. The research aims to center marginalized voices and make the case for libraries to actively support decolonization through collections, teaching, and collaboration.
Cooperation and French Collections in Academic Libraries of North America: CI...University of Missouri
This document summarizes the history and structure of CIFNAL (Collaborative Initiative for French and North American Libraries), an initiative to enhance cooperation between francophone and North American academic libraries. It discusses CIFNAL's origins from a 2004 conference, its membership structure under the Global Resources Network, and some of its current projects including consortial agreements for electronic resources, a Bibliothèque Bleue digitization project, and a microfilm identification project. It also briefly highlights findings from a study on current initiatives for French-language collections in North America by Sarah Sussman.
The Reality of the Cloud: Implications of Cloud Computing for Mobile Library ...University of Missouri
The document discusses how cloud computing enables mobile library technologies and services. It defines cloud computing and explains how software, products, and data can reside in the cloud. Examples are given of library services, products, and data that are being accessed remotely through cloud-based platforms. Challenges of cloud computing like loss of local control and data security are addressed, but benefits like increased access and lower costs are also outlined. The cloud allows the library to become a platform for sharing content and data between librarians and patrons on their mobile devices.
Perceptions of Education and Continuing Education in Technical Services Lib...University of Missouri
The document discusses a survey of technical services librarians regarding their perceptions of education and continuing education. The survey examined how adequate LIS education prepares librarians for technical services work and the need for continuing education. It reviewed literature on education in technical services and continuing education. The methodology section outlines a 28 question Qualtrics survey distributed to email lists. Key findings were that over 80% of respondents felt their LIS education with or without on-the-job training provided adequate skills for their first professional position, and the most common areas of work were cataloging, acquisitions, and digital collections.
The document discusses the relationship between online public access catalogs (OPACs) and the web. It notes that library users now have many information sources beyond the OPAC. The presenters examine how semantic web technologies like linked data could improve discovery by allowing OPACs to incorporate curated web resources. They provide examples of existing linked data projects relevant to libraries and discuss challenges in applying these approaches to library data and systems.
1. The document discusses cloud computing and its applications in libraries. It defines cloud computing and provides examples of infrastructure, platform, software and data services.
2. Advantages of cloud computing for libraries include scalability, flexibility, and cost savings, though security, privacy and loss of control are potential disadvantages.
3. When considering cloud services, libraries must understand requirements, costs, legal issues, and have a plan for exiting cloud-based systems. Comprehensive service level agreements are also important.
Intervenion faites lors du Deuxième congrès mondial de l'association internationalefrancophone des bibliothécaires et des documentalistes (AIFBD ; Satellite IFLA, en collaboration avec la Section Préservation et Conservation:
This document discusses how library catalogs provide subject access to works of fiction. It outlines how genre terms from the Guidelines on Subject Access to Individual Works of Fiction, Drama, Etc (GSAFD) are used in MARC records to help patrons find fiction by genre. The GSAFD list of 153 genre terms has been developed into MARC authority records. Libraries use genre headings from GSAFD in the 655 or 690 tags to help patrons identify the kind of fiction they want more easily than subject headings alone.
The document discusses various approaches for solving the "more like this" problem beyond traditional library catalogs, including FRBR which aims to make relationships between entities explicit, user-generated tagging on sites like Delicious and LibraryThing to organize content, and recommender systems that attempt to predict what a user might want based on their history and that of similar users. It also covers library systems that are incorporating community contributions and tags into their catalogs to provide more personalized recommendations to patrons.
Ose-t-on parler d'un « bibliothétiquetage» ? Vers une participation active de...University of Missouri
Presentation by H. L. Moulaison, at the ASTED (and others) conference, "Congrès des milieux documentaires du Québec" in Montreal, Canada, on November 3, 2010.
This document outlines a proposed framework for creating a cultural heritage digital library in Morocco to provide access to non-textual information for non-literate people. The author conducted a literature review on digital libraries in developing countries and on the culture of Morocco. An ethnographic study was also performed including informal observation, conversations, and content analysis. The findings from this research could inform the creation of a cooperative digital library between the US and Morocco called CAMEL, which would provide audio-visual cultural heritage documents in a way that is accessible to non-literate users based on the cultural context.
La BU et les compétences informationnelles en réseautage social (CIRS) pour l...University of Missouri
The French version of the paper Joe Murphy presented at ACRL 2009. I presented this one at ENSSIB (French national library school) in Lyons, France on March 25, 2009.
La BU et les compétences informationnelles en réseautage social (CIRS) pour l...
Moulaison.asist.2010
1. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Perspectives on Geographic Location:
The Muslim West in Two Classification Systems
Heather Lea Moulaison, PhD
ASIS&T Annual Meeting
October 26, 2010
2. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Classification and the ‘Local Weather’
phenomenon
• The act of grouping together like things
is inherently biased
– Babel Instinct “when we can organise
things around us differently from other
people, we will do so” (Lambe, 2007, p,
xvi)
• Despite seeming absolute, geography
may be approached differently by
different cultures
– Number of continents is open to
interpretation
– “I” am in the middle of the map for most
societies
• Local Weather phenomenon and travel
in North Africa
– Fulbright Scholar teaching assignment
(2008-2009) at the Ecole des Sciences de
l’Informatino (ESI), Rabat, Morocco
• Goal of this study: compare different
approaches to geography in a Western
and non-Western classification systems
http://www.ecoles.cfwb.be/empescfkain/unioneurope07/index.html#
Sony VAIO’s Windows 7 pop-up screen
3. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Dewey and the DDC: Criticism
• DDC has been criticized for having a Western bias (e.g. Olson,
2001)
– Schedules result in the needless and arbitrary dispersal of
national literatures in the collection
– Canadian literature-English 810
– Canadian literature-French 840
– Canadian literature-Inuit 897.12 (Olson, 2001, p. 119)
• Shirky (2005) reminds us that classification schemes like DDC
are created to provide a physical shelf location.
– In the digital world, there is no shelf.
• Weinberger (2007) mocks DDC’s pigeonholes and finds
Dewey’s “original schema *…+ embarrassing in the modern
era” (p. 48).
4. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Ibn Rushd Thesaurus (IRT)
• Created to support access to the Ibn Rushd collection
– Housed in Casablanca, Morocco at the library of the Fondation du Roi Abdul-
Aziz Al Saoud pour les Etudes Islamiques et les Sciences Humaines
– Devoted to the “Muslim West”
– Composed of monographs, theses, journals, articles, and other documents
• Is a bilingual thesaurus of descriptors and class numbers
– Not uniformly bilingual in paper version
– Online access for French and Arabic
• Created and published by educated Moroccans
• Built according to AFNOR standards, I believe
– AFNOR (Association française de Normalisation) French version of NISO
• Used by trained paraprofessionals/technicians in providing access
to the collection
– Used in online database
– Used in CD-Rom (for purchase at the Library)
5. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
IRT structure: Predominantly Arabic
• Tête-bêche format – designed primarily for readers of Arabic
• French (opening right to left)
– Preliminary pages in French (pp. i-viii)
– Controlled vocabulary list
• Alphabetized Z-A by French headword
– Arabic translation listed on the same line
• List begins with “Zwawa” (p. 376) and ends with “alphabet” (p. 295)
– Thesaurus (pp. 292-145)
• Terms alphabetized by Arabic headword
– Listed with French translation
– Listed with classification notation
– Classification schedules (pp. 143-11)
• Listed by class
– Term in Arabic and classification notation
• Preliminary pages with regular numbering
– include TOC and introduction in Arabic
6. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Geography in the IRT
Preliminary observations
• There are 26 main classes – geographic lists are represented in 8 of the
main classes
• The Muslim West is the first main class designated in Geographic lists
– Muslim West = mostly North Africa and lands of Moorish conquest on the
Iberian Peninsula
• Historically, parts of Spain were Muslim before the Arabs were driven out
• Some of the approaches to creating geographic classes seem Western or
French
– Groupings by continents
• The Americas as one continent
• Other groupings are by alliances, proximity, etc. (OPEC countries,
Scandinavia, etc.)
– Seems more consistent with a worldview of a collectivist culture
7. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
« Geographic lists »
(Listes géographiques)
MAIN
CLASS
FRENCH TERM TRANSLATION
N OCCIDENT MUSULMAN Muslim West
O AFRIQUE Africa
P AMERIQUE Americas
Q ASIE Asia
R OCEANIE Oceania
S EUROPE Europe
T GROUPE DE PAYS Groups of countries
U ORGANISATIONS INTERNATIONALES
ET REGIONALES
International and regional
organizations
8. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Research questions
1. What differences exist in the way that IRT
and the DDC provide intellectual access to
geographic locations in the Muslim West?
2. Can a universal classification scheme like DDC
offer adequate* geographic access to a
specialized collection focusing on a non-
Western culture?
*Adequate: close classification of 80% of locations identified in IRT
9. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Methodology
• Geographic terms from the IRT “N” class -- Muslim West -- were
listed in a spreadsheet
– Corresponding classification notation was indicated
• one letter and a series of meaningful numbers based on the level of
hierarchy represented
– Classification notation explicitly showed the hierarchies underlying the
order in the list
– In practice, these thesaurus terms can be used as descriptors in the
database and can accompany other descriptors bringing out additional
facets
• The Iberian Peninsula and Morocco/Western Sahara were then
selected for further comparison
– Iberian Peninsula = Europe (covered well in DDC?)
– Morocco/Western Sahara = Africa (not covered well in DDC?)
10. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Methodology, cont.
• Classification notations from IRT for the selected
areas were compared directly with the notation in
the DDC Auxiliary Table 2
– DDC auxiliary tables allow for number building in the DDC
system
• Numbers from the tables are added to a base number
taken from the schedules
– When in doubt, locations from the IRT were searched in
the Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN) maintained by
the Getty
11. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Results:
Identifying the
Muslim West
• ‘N’ class (Muslim West)
– 438 notations representing
Muslim West locations
– Composed of 12 present-
day countries and political
areas:
• Morocco, n=114
• Spain, n=100
• Algeria, n=93
• Tunisia, n=57
• Mauritania, n=32
• Libya, n=22
• Western Sahara, n=8
• Portugal, n=6
• Mali, n=2
• Niger, n=1
• Ghana, n=1
• Italy (Sicily), n=1
http://www.moulaison.net/MoroccanMuslimWest.html
12. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Locations in IRT
compared to the DDC
Locations Spain and
Portugal
Morocco and
Western Sahara
In the IRT N=106 N=122
IRT terms that could be classed more
closely than at the country-level in DDC
• mentioned outright or in notes
n=54 n=72
IRT locations that logically could be
classed more closely than the country-
level in DDC but not mentioned outright
n=43 n=25
IRT terms/locations not in TGN or DDC 7.55% (n=8) 20.50% (n=25)
% IRT locations with potential for close
treatment in DDC
92.45% (n=97) 79.50% (n=97)
13. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Moroccan and Western Saharan
locations in the DDC
• Of the 93 primary
locations (i.e. excluding
suburbs of cities)
mentioned in the DDC
in “class here” notes,
23% (n=21) were not in
the IRT.
• Primarily new (young)
cities
14. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Question 1
1. What differences exist in the way that IRT and the DDC provide
intellectual access to geographic locations in the Muslim West?
RESPONSE:
• DDC is strong in providing specific access to modern locations
• The IRT groups by historic areas of conquer and discovery for the
Muslim West.
– Facets of history and time may be implied in the facet of location
Example of a location:
– Guadix and Niebla, (towns) indicated in the IRT and in the TGN
because of their historical importance in Muslim history
• These towns no longer exist
• Were important towns at a high point in Muslim history
15. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Intersection of the old and the new?
• Mixing the past and present,
former dynasties and modern
locations is evident in the IRT’s
taxonomy of geographic location.
• The Arab Knowledge Report
(2009) issues a call for Arabs to
move beyond tradition and the
past to “fuller reconciliation with
the values of the world we belong
to” (p. 17) as a way of tempering
religious extremism.
CD peddler with mobile sound system
in the market at Akkari (Rabat,
Morocco)
16. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Question 2
2. Can a universal classification scheme like DDC offer adequate
geographic access to a specialized collection focusing on a non-
Western culture?
RESPONSE: Tentative yes.
• DDC is able to represent closely 80% of the locations of interest in Morocco
and over 90% of locations important to Western Islamic studies on the
Iberian Peninsula for information professionals using the schema without
requiring the use of a thesaurus other than the TGN
– Assuming collection development is roughly equal in terms of geography across
the collection, then 80% of materials could be classed more closely than at the
country-level
• The need for such close classification, even in very specialized libraries can
be discussed
– In light of publishing patterns on specialized topics.
– Even in a specialized collection, somewhat broad classification can be argued as
a means of shortening otherwise overly-precise and long call numbers and
facilitating user access.
17. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Limitations to the study
• Two systems not designed to be used in the
same way
– IRT terms used as descriptors
• Associated class number not necessarily used to
provide access
– DDC notation primarily meant to be added to base
numbers to provide closer notation
• The bilingual nature of the Moroccan work
– Thesaurus is bilingual, created by and accessible
to educated Moroccans (i.e. bilingual)
– The collection is multilingual
18. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Discussion and Conclusions
Extent of adequacy of DDC to class places of importance in the Muslim
West
•As expected, the two systems are not identical
•Surprisingly extensive
– Satisfies the 80/20 rule for providing close treatment of Muslim
West locations in the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco/Western
Sahara
•Continued question of how adequate this schema is for users
•Reality of access in the developing world
– Problems of collection development, unmechanized libraries (3
ILSs in 2009), and limited access to technology require that shelf
locations work
– Literate scholars largely trained in the French tradition
19. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Future study based on this pilot
Related study:
• What can be learned from a study of topical approaches to access
based on the IRT’s taxonomy?
• Can and should information policies in Arab countries promote
more Western notions, as suggested in the Arab Knowledge Report
(2009)?
• Content analysis of DDC adaptations made by non-Western peoples
(e.g. Egyptian efforts)
• Whether discovery for Muslim Arab researchers in Western libraries
is hindered by Western biases in class schemes
• If we accept that classification is less important in online
environments, and that DDC is able to provide access across
different worldviews, is it possible to build an internationally viable
verbal subject access tool based on a decimal approach?
20. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
Acknowledgements
• Travel and stay in Morocco during the 2008-2009 academic
year were funded by a Fulbright Scholar grant from the US
Dept. of State.
• The Fondation Al Saoud in Casablanca graciously provided me
with a copy of their Ibn Rushd thesaurus.
• OCLC generously donated two copies of DDC 22nd for
teaching.
• Thanks to Andre Vellino and Edward Corrado for helpful
insights on previous drafts
21. October 26, 2010 H. L. Moulaison ASIS&T Annual Meeting
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