Forward to the past : resurrecting faceted search @ NCSU Libraries

1. Forward to the past :resurrecting faceted search@ NCSU Libraries Charley Pennell NCSU Libraries North Carolina State University charley.pennell@gmail.com ALCTS Authority Control Interest Group ALA Annual, June 2007

2. Progenitors: Catalog search limits

4. Progenitors: Commercial Web search sites

5. Faceting at the NCSU Libraries • Follows on what we have learned from the commercial Web search model • Mines metadata already available via MARC record, local class number, ILS item categories, circ status, and date stamping • Required massive clean-up of 6xx subdivisions • Allows both pre- and post-coordinate limits • Uses table mapping to enable drilling down through call number results • Has been well-received by patrons and staff

6. MARC bib record Subject: Topic (6x0$a$x, 611$a$x, 650$a$x) Subject: Genre (6xx$v, 655) Subject: Region (650$z, 651$a$z) Subject: Era (650$y, 651$y) Language (008/35-37, 041$a) Author (1xx, 7xx) New titles (909) Call number/Item record Format (Record format, Item type, Library) Library (Library) Call number range (Call number) Availability (Location=Charged out) Facets available in NCSU implementation of Endeca & their sources

7. Facet usage statisticsMay 2007

8. Facet usage statistics 2May 2006

9. Facet usage statistics 3May 2007

10. Facet usage statistics 4May 2007 – top facet selections

11. Some things we have learned in the past 18 months…

12. A single facet need not represent data from a single field • Single Unicorn item types (Book, Kit, Manuscript, Map, Data set) • Multiple Unicorn item types (Audio, Microform, Thesis/Dissertation, Software & Multimedia, Videos) • Leader byte 07 (Bib lvl: Journal, Magazine) • Library (Online)

13. Ranking facet results by number of postings makes sense in a short list, but not in a long list

14. The author facet is less useful in some types of searches …

15. … than others!

16. Some users haven’t figured out breadcrumbs

17. Once you have the data out of the ILS, it is much easier to build Web services to it

18. Other Endeca library catalogs • Phoenix Public Library: http://www.phoenixpubliclibrary.org/ • McMaster University: http://libcat.mcmaster.ca • Florida Center for Library Automation http://catalog.fcla.edu/ • Individual Florida universities http://fs.catalog.fcla.edu/, etc.

20. Endeca and Authority Control • Endeca is a keyword search engine; “browse” can only be effected using sort options • There is no authority control within Endeca itself, rather it relies on AC within ILS • To make use of available metadata, subjects were split along subdivisions. Authors were not • Talks were held with the vendor to explain the potential for drawing on authority x-refs to collocate searches

21. NCSU Endeca subject facets • Problems with wrong delimiter values (esp. $v) • Problems with context • Hierarchical problems • Potential solutions

22. Problems with context • One-way relationships • Canada$xRelations$zUnited States • English language$vDictionaries$xSpanish • Chronological headings devoid of geographic context • Cuba$xHistory$yRevolution, 1959 • United States$xEconomic conditions$y1918-1945. • Phrase headings expressed in multiple subdivisions • Prisoners$xAbuse of • Thomas Mann: scope-match cataloging vs. keyword

23. Hierarchical problems • Chronological hierarchy not built into $y (where is 045 when you need it?) • “19th century” does not subsume 1800-1809, 1801-1861, 1809-1817, 1815-1861, 1817-1825, Civil War, 1861-1865, etc. • Geological periods exist as text only (Ordovician, Pleistocene, etc.) • Some chronological headings are expressed as text in 650$a • Middle Ages • Nineteen sixties • Geographic hierarchy not consistent between 651 and 650 (where is 043 when you need it?) • $zNorth Carolina$zRaleigh • $aRaleigh (N.C.) • BT/NT/RT relationships from authority file lacking

24. Some potential solutions • Search behavior education • FAST • Web2 x-refs to redirect searches to Endeca • Combining $z hierarchies • Hierarchy lists

25. LC classification outline

27. McMaster’s geographic hierarchy

29. NCSU Endeca author facet • Positioned at the bottom of facet column because its utility was questionable in many circumstances • Entire 1xx/7xx string used • No hierarchical relationship between corporate body and its subunits • No cross-reference structure

31. Future directions • Additional hierarchies (geographic names, dates) • Make use of NAF, SAF, particularly cross-reference structure • Massage underlying metadata • Addition of Date Cataloged • Addition of LC Class numbers to e-resources • FRBR work numbers/records? • FAST headings? • Accommodation of true browse for all indexes

32. More information NCSU Libraries Endeca Website: http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/endeca/

33. When we make materials available, or when we make them more available than they have been in the past, we aren't just providing more service -- we are actually changing what knowledge will be created. We tend to pay attention to what we are making available, but not to think about how differing availability affects the work of our users. -- Karen Coyle, Coyle’s Information [kcoyle.blogspot.com], March 19, 2007