Printed Resources and Digital Information The Digital Difference in Reference Collections Michael...

Printed Resources and Digital Information

The Digital Difference in Reference Collections

Michael Buckland,School of Information Management & Systems,Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative,University of California, Berkeley

University of Oklahoma LibrariesMarch 3, 2006

March 3, 2006 Univ of Oklahoma Libraries 2

Purpose of the Reference collection

1. Look up / verify factual data: “Ready Reference”2. Establish context for any topic.

esp. WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHO

Understanding means knowing context.

Reference Genre Vocabulary Displays FacetDictionary, encyclopedia Topics Cross-refs WHATAtlas, gazetteer Places Maps WHEREAlmanac, chronology Time Timelines WHENBiogr. Dict., Who’s Who Persons Personal relationships WHO


The Internet Public Library replicates the technology of the codex:- Hierarchical structure- Drill down for detail, climb back out, drill down again,...


But digital technology does not need to copy the hierarchical structure and constraints of codex technology . . .

Digital techniques can link directly and horizontally if there is:

-- Procedural interoperability (e.g. Z39:50) and

-- Vocabulary interoperability (e.g. Dewey’s Relativ Index to the Decimal Classification).

Suppose we designed directly to provide the functionality of a reference collection on those two assumptions.

Suppose that we started with the user’s need for know about WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHO.


WHAT Thesaurus Cross-references in& between thesauri

Hand-to-hand fighting, oriental, in motion pictures. (LCSH).

- PASS MOT VEH, SPARK IGN ENG (U.S.Import/Export statistics)

- TL 205 (Library of Congress Classification)- 180/280 (US Patent classification) - 3711 (Standard Industrial Classification)

HS 847120 Digital auto data proc mach contng in the same housing a CPU and input & output device.”(International Harmonized Commodity Classification System)

NEED TO MAP BETWEEN UNFAMILIAR VOCABULARIES

= Computer

To search for “Automobiles” in a network use:

Query: “Martial arts movies”?

None. Should have used

Classification may be simpler, e.g.


Text

Numeric datasets

It is difficult to move between different media forms.


Text TOPIC LIST

Maps GAZETTEER Captions Numeric datasets

Different media can be linked indirectly via metadata, but sometimes (e.g. for socio-economic numeric data series) you also need to specify WHERE.


WHERE Gazetteer Map

Ctesiphon (Ancient site)

Dots link to portal


Page of links relating to Ctesiphon

Links to library catalogs


Z39.50 search of Library of Congress catalog


Details of recordLink to image


Text TOPIC LIST

Maps GAZETTEER Captions Numeric datasets

Proper place name control requires a gazetteer -- and latitude and longitude allow points on maps.


WHERE -- PLACE Some problems with place names:

- Different forms: St. Petersburg, Санкт Петербург, Saint-Pétersbourg, . . .

- Multiple names: Cluj, in Romania / Roumania / Rumania, is also called Klausenburg and Kolozsvar.

- Names change: Bombay became Mumbai.

- Same names: 18 different places have been called Beijing.

- Anachronisms: No country called Germany before 1870.

- Vague, e.g. Midwest, Silicon Valley, Far East

- Boundaries change: 19th century Poland; Balkans; USSR.


WHERE -- Space

Spaces have coordinates: latitude and longitude.

. . . and a GAZETTEER links places and spaces!

A gazetteer is a list of place names and also

. . . says what kinds of place (Feature type): city, lake,…

. . . gives latitude and longitude

. . . shows when similar place names are for different places

. . . brings together different names for the same place and

. . . allows places to be displayed on maps.


Going places in the catalog! Linked to a gazetteer and map display.Geographic sort of books on Folklore.


Using a map and a gazetteer as a geographic search aid, e.g. lists capital cities (PPLC) in box around South America.


WHEN Time period directory Timeline

Prototype time period directory at ecai.org/imls2004

Sample entryGenerates catalog search


So a similar solution: A gazetteer-like Time Period Directory.

Gazetteer:

Place name – Type – Spatial markers (Lat & long) -- When

Time Period Directory

Period name – Type – Time markers (Calendar) – Where

Note the symmetry.

Note the connections between Where and When.

A directory of 2,000 named time periods derived from LCSH Chronological subdivisions is at ecai.org/imls2004

Relationship between place names & period names


WHO Biographical dict. Text & images

Lives involve events:

WHAT: Actions – Arab invasion

WHERE: Places - Ctesiphon

WHEN: Times – 632CE

WHO: People – Khosrau II

Need links to other sources also!


WHEN, WHERE and WHO. Search in LC catalog for

No standard form for personal names!

yields 65 records showing who was doing what:


BIOG. DICT. Text TOPIC LIST

Maps GAZETTEER Captions Social datasets

TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY Timeline Chronology

Metadata forms infrastructure


BIOG. DICT. 2 BIOG. DICT. TOPIC LIST 3

Text 2 TOPIC LIST 2Text TOPIC LIST

Maps GAZETTEER Captions Social GAZETTEER 2 etc datasets GAZETTEER 3

TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY Time line TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY 2 Chronology TIME PERIOD DIRECTORY 3

WHO

WHEN

WHERE

WHAT


Facet Vocabulary Displays Reference GenreWHAT Topics Cross-references Dictionary, EncyclopediaWHERE Places Maps Atlas, gazetteerWHEN Periods Timeline Almanac, ChronologyWHO Persons Personal relationships Biogr.dictionary, Whos Who

Reference Genre Vocabulary Displays FacetDictionary, encyclopedia Topics Cross-refs WHATAtlas, gazetteer Places Maps WHEREAlmanac, chronology Time Timelines WHENBiogr. Dict., Who’s Who Persons Personal relationships WHO

Paper-based reference collection: Codex determines structure and use.

Reversed in a digital environment: Metadata forms infrastructure.


The Electronic Cultural Atlas InitiativeAdvancing scholarship through increased

attention to place and time.http://ecai.org

We thank IMLS and NSF for support.Next ECAI conference, Fargo, April 18-19. Join us!

Understanding means knowing context.

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