Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Arabic Web Dewey Project An Overview Iman Khairy Bibliotheca...

Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Arabic Web Dewey Project

An Overview

Iman Khairy

Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Outlines

• Arabic Web Dewey Project Overview• Dewey Translation Software• Bibliotheca Alexandrina Subject Headings

(BASH)• Bibliotheca Alexandrina Names and Subjects

Authority File “bibalex”• Correlating between Arabic Dewey and “bibalex”• Recommendations & Conclusion

Arabic Web Dewey Project

• Overview1993, BA selected DDC because it is the widely used classification

scheme in the Arab world2001, DDC short falls is not providing close class marks for subject

areas related to Islam and the history of the Arab world, this was noted after shelving 300000 volumes in the main library

2002, BA consultants for classification, oversaw the development of expansions of the Dewey classification system, these expansions was based on the third million-volume collections of the library

2003, The consultants and a group of librarians started working on a proposal to further expand Dewey class marks to better express all knowledge aspects of the Arab world, this proposal will be part of an agreement with the copyright owner of DDC (OCLC)

Arabic Web Dewey Project Phases

• 1st Phase (translation, 2006-2010) In July of 2006, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) and OCLC

signed an agreement that gives the right for the BA to translate into Arabic

– The 4 volumes of the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC22)

– DDC22 practical guide (a publication entitled DDC: principles and application by Lois Mai Chan and Joan S. Mitchell)

In July of 2007, a group of translators (subject specialists) and professional librarians will be assigned to do the translation and editing processes respectively

Arabic Web Dewey Project Phases

• 2nd Phase (2010-2012) Expansions

Work on expansions of Class numbers for subject topics of Islam, History and Geographic Areas of the Arab world, Arabic language and Literature

Review Committee

A Committee from the region will review these expansions and after being approved by OCLC it will be included in the Arabic version & translated into English to be included in the English version of Dewey as well.

Dewey Translation Software

In November of 2006, In order that the Arabic version of web Dewey will be mapped to all other translated versions of Dewey to have a multilingual version of the DDC, the DDC chief editor recommended that BA uses a specific software that enables the translation of DDC22 into Arabic

In January of 2007, The BA contacted the software owner to discuss the specific needs of the Arabic language.

In February of 2007, BA contracted the software owner for the purchase of their translation software.

In June of 2007, The software will undergo an Arabization process by the software owner and the BA programmers.

Dewey Translation Software

DDC (Proposed Expansions)

• Structure and Notation of ExpansionsThe expansions will follow the same sequence in the original

English version to ensure an international use of the proposed expansions for Islam.

To facilitate copy cataloguing relocations will be kept to the minimum.

Optional numbers to class Islam in 210 to give local emphasis and shorter number will be outlined for libraries through conversion tables.

DDC Conversion Tables (samples)BASH LCSH

DDC (Original)

DDC (Optional)

DDC (Expansion)

LCCS

النبى أبناءMuhammad, \c Prophet, \

d d. 632 \x Family297.64 216.4 297.645 BP76.8

أحكام التصوير

Photography (Islamic law)

297.267 212.67 297.2677KBP190.5.

A7

الذبح أحكاموالذبائح

Slaughtering and slaughter-houses

(Islamic law)297.576 215.76

KBP144.383

أحكام الصيد

Game laws (Islamic law) 297.5693 215.693 KBP144.3

84

أحكام الغناء

Singing (Islamic law) 297.267 212.67 297.2678KBP144.3

77

أحكام المرتدين

Apostasy (Islamic law) 297.289 212.89 KBP144.6

55

إباضية Ibadites 297.833 218.33BP19.13-32-BP157

* Red color indicates proposals

LCSH-BASH Islamic Law Project (samples)

LCSH BASH

Islamic Law اإلسالمي - - الفقه اإلسالمية الشريعةاإلسالمي القانون

4Abortion (Islamic law)( إسالمي ( فقه اإلجهاض

4Absence and presumption of death (Islamic law) ( إسالمي ( فقه المفقود و الغائب

Abuse of rights (Islamic law) فقه ( الحق استعمال في التعسفإسالمي)

Accomplices (Islamic law)( إسالمي ( فقه الجريمة في االشتراك

Acquisition of property (Islamic law)( إسالمي ( فقه الملكية اكتساب


• Structure and Notation Proposed expansions for Islamic topics

The following class marks will be fully expanded297.14 Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)340.59 Shari‘ah (Islamic Law)297.122 Quran and Sciences of the

Quran297.124 Hadith Sciences and

terminology297.26 Islam and secular

disciplines297.27 Islam and social sciences297.6 Islamic leaders and

organizations297.8 Islamic sects and doctrines


• Structure and Notation Index terms and manual

Relative index terms & a detailed instruction manual will be provided in both Arabic and English

Number BuildingNotation from the Schedules: 000-999 can be added to

indicate a specific subject that is discussed from Islamic view

297.266 Islam and Technology297.2661 Islam and medicine297.126618178 Islamic view of human artificial

inseminationHowever, the class mark of the secular topic is preferred

if it received fuller treatment in the work being classified


• Structure and Notation Number Building

Additions for Specifying the sect for any Islamic topic will be as follows:

Add to each class mark identified by * from the list of sects that follow the class mark 297.8

297.1411 Hanafites Fiqh 297.1421 Twelvers (Ithna Asharites) Fiqh

However, Comparative studies between state law and Islamic law regarding any subject is classed with the subject in law not in Shari‘ah (Islamic law)


• Call NumbersExpansions and rules for Cuttering Arabic Names

and a manual for Arabic call numbers standards will be developed and incorporated with the Arabic version of DDC22.

Call numbers 1st option 297.4 M56

Call Numbers 2nd option 56م 297.4

Subject Headings

• English subject headings are assigned from (LCSH)• Arabic subject headings are assigned from (QRMAK)

and other lists thesaurus as appropriate.• Arabic subject headings proposals are added after

confirmation from the authority control team.• French Subject Headings are assigned by the French

Catalogers from Les notices d'autorité de BN-OPALE PLUS (Rameau).

• English subject headings proposals will be added to LCSH after submitting it through the Middle East Librarian's Association (MELA), Arabic Funnel.

• In September of 2006, Work started to create Bibliotheca Alexandrina Subject Headings List (BASH),The BASH will be an adapted translation of selected

parts of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH), with expansions in subject areas related to Arabic and Islamic topics.

The BASH will be created by consulting four available tools of Arabic lists of Subject Headings and thesaurus to produce an expanded tri-lingual thesaurus Arabic-English and French that covers all knowledge aspects of the Arab World.

Bibliotheca Alexandrina Subject Headings (BASH)

Bibliotheca Alexandrina Subject Headings (BASH)

• Arabic Subject Cataloguing ManualArabic Subject headings are constructed according to a

local subject cataloguing manual in Arabic in accordance with Library of Congress subject cataloguing manual.

However, there are some differences between “BASH” and LCSH in the construction and formulation of subject headings due to differences in Arabic language structure.

Tools used for updating (BASH)

Arabic Subject Headings

•Qa’imat ru’us al-mawdu‘at al-‘Arabiyah al-qiyasiyah lil-maktabat wa-marakiz al-malumat wa-qawaid al-bayanat” by Dr. Sha‘ban Khalifah is the main list used for assigning Arabic subject headings. It has marc21 code “qrmak”

• QRMAKTools used for updating (BASH)

• QRMAK AdvantagesGeneral subject headings listThe most up to date list (published 2001)A brief subject cataloguing manual is available in the

introduction Includes free-floating subdivisions


• QRMAK DisadvantagesX Subject headings are in Arabic language only

X Not carefully edited

X Does not identify broader, narrower or related terms and therefore cannot be converted to a subject authority file

X Not suitable for in-depth subject analysis

X Personal, corporate and geographic names in qrmak doesn’t follow AACR2 rules

X Not continuously revised and updated


• Arabic Subject Headings Proposals– Due to that, new subjects appear every day and the slow updating

phase of QRMAK, catalogers may send Arabic subject headings proposals to the authority control team, identifying their equivalents from LCSH and the literary warrant.

– These proposed subject headings must be approved by the BA authority control team before they are used in MARC 21 bibliographic records in 6xx tags with 2nd indicator four which indicates that the source of subject term is not specified.

– After the authority control authorize the new subject heading and create authority record for this proposed subject the marc 21 source code become “bibalex” which stands for Bibliotheca Alexandrina Names and Subjects Authority File.


Arabic Subject Headings Proposals (Samples)

Proposed LCSH Rameauااللكترونية التجارة Electronic commerce Commerce électronique

المعرفى النفس علم Cognitive psychology Psychologie Cognitive

المعلومات تكنولوجيا Information technology Technologie de l'information

الحكومية غير المنظماتNon-governmental

organizationsOrganisations non

gouvernementales

االستراتيجى التخطيط Strategic planning Planification stratégique

الشوارع اطفال Street children Enfants de la rue

االجتماعية المهارات Social skills Compétences sociales

العولمة Globalization Mondialisation

االطفال لدى العنف Violence in Children Violence chez l'enfant

التفكيكية Deconstruction Déconstruction

البنيوية Structuralism Structuralisme

التوحد Autism Autisme

االطفال عند التوحد Autism in children Autisme infantile

Arabic Subject Heading Proposal Form


• The Expanded Thesaurus (CD-Rom) produced by Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, Dubai Municipality, Juma Al-Majed Centre for Culture & Heritage, collected & edited by : Mahmoud Itayem


Expanded Thesaurus

• Expanded Thesaurus Advantages It is tri-Lingual (Arabic – English – French)General thesaurus, covering all subjects It contains 50000 terms, 25000 descriptors within 27

facetsElectronic version (CD-Rom), web version will be also

available Identify rejected, broader, narrower and related terms


• Expanded Thesaurus DisadvantagesX Includes index terms not subject headings

X No subdivisions such as free-floating

X The English and French equivalent terms are translation and not taken from available lists of subject headings like LCSH or RAMEAU

X Not suitable for in-depth subject

X No manual on how to construct terms



Qaimat ruus al-mawduat al-tibbiyah = Medical subject headings (MeSH), National Library of Medicine, translated into Arabic by the World Health Organization, Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean

• Arabic MeSH Subject Headings Advantages It is bi-Lingual (Arabic – English) In depth coverage of medical and scientific termsThe Arabic terms are equivalent to English terms in a

standard list (MeSH) Identify rejected, broader, narrower and related termsA brief manual on how to construct terms is available

in the introduction in volume 1


• Arabic MeSH Subject Headings DisadvantagesX Terms are arranged alphabetically in Arabic language

no index available for searching in English language

X The Arabic terms are equivalent to English terms in MeSH that may disagree with the same term in LCSH

X Not suitable for general or public libraries



al-Faysal : maknaz Arabi shamil fi ulum al-hadarah : qism ulum al-din al-IslamiA List of subject headings used for Islamic studies by Markaz al-Malik Faysal lil-Buhuth wa-al-Dirasat al-Islamiyah (King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

• Al-Faysal Thesaurus Advantages In depth coverage of Islamic terms and all related

subjects like economics, language, etc. Identify rejected, broader, narrower and related termsOriginally prepared and not a translation


• Al-Faysal Thesaurus DisadvantagesX Terms are in Arabic language only

X The Arabic term needs to be translated to find the equivalent English term in LCSH


Bibliotheca Alexandrina Names and Subjects Authority File “bibalex”

• Names authority control began in mid 2004 • Subjects headings authority control began in mid 2006. • The Arabic subject headings authority control methodology is to

consult different thesaurus, dictionaries and cite it in the subject authority record (SAR).

• In case we didn’t find the term in any thesauri or reference source we use the term as found in the literary warrant (book, chapter title, etc.) and cite the literary warrant in the authority record.

• The bibalex authority file is intended to be bi-script Arabic-Roman for names and to be trilingual Arabic English and French for subject headings.

• A correlation between subject headings in the three languages Arabic (QRMAK) and English (LCSH) and French (Rameau) is done using 7XX linking fields in authority records.

Correlating between Arabic Dewey and “bibalex”

Correlating between BASH, Rameau and LCSH

Classified Arabic Literary Authors Project

Modern Author

Classified Arabic Literary Authors Project

Classical Author

Recommendations & Suggestions Developing Standards and Policy Documents

It is recommended that experts from MELCOM work on the development of standards and policy documents for the correlation between subject headings and Dewey class marks and exchanging subject authority records and classification data.

Cooperation in Dewey Translation and EditingSubject specialists, translators and editors from MELCOM, who are fluent in both Arabic and English and wishing to work with BA in translating or editing portions of Dewey class marks are encouraged to contact Ms. Manal Amin, Director of the Technical Services Department by email [email protected]

BA Authority Control Training Program Libraries that started automation in the Arab world and started working on developing their names and subjects authority file can request training from BA in creating names and subjects authority records in Arabic language using marc 21 format for authority data. The training will be a workshop for 5 days in Bibliotheca Alexandrina training labs. The trainees completing the workshop can submit records for review by BA. Trainees reaching the quality of 90% or higher in creating authority records will receive a certificate and can start developing authority files effectively in their libraries as well as being independent in updating “bibalex”. Training requests can be sent to [email protected]

Conclusion

No perfect system, no one size fits for all, addition, updating & expansion are a way of life

Thank you

• Email: [email protected]

Bibliotheca Alexandrina’s Arabic Web Dewey Project An Overview Iman Khairy Bibliotheca...

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