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Subject headings: the province of Luddites or key to effective resource discovery?

This presentation by Carol Bradsher explores the role of subject cataloging in effective resource discovery. It discusses the challenges faced by catalogers and the importance of assigning subject headings. It also examines the guidelines for evaluating subject catalogs and the Library of Congress subject cataloging guidelines.

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Subject headings: the province of Luddites or key to effective resource discovery?

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  1. Subject headings: the province of Luddites or key to effective resource discovery? Presented by Carol Bradsher For NOTSL October 29, 2004

  2. Image problem • Catalogers as drones and dust jacket jockeys • “Assigning subject headings” vs. “postcoordinate full text or semantic retrieval”

  3. Subject cataloging Role cataloging plays in the path of a work from generation to consumption

  4. Exercise • Determine the subject content of a work • Write down key words and concepts that describe the subject content

  5. Guidelines for assigning Framework bounded by two tracks : • Guidelines for evaluating subject catalogs • Library of Congress subject cataloging guidelines

  6. Evaluating subject catalogs • Recall • Relevance • Precision • Exhaustivity • Ease of use • Cost

  7. Recall • A subject search should bring back enough, but not too much • Is the subject search “Large type books” useful? • Compare with searching the Internet

  8. Relevance • A subject search should match the searcher’s needs • Inverse relationship between recall and relevance, i.e. • Higher recall, lower relevance • Lower recall, higher relevance

  9. Precision • The searcher should be able to specify exactly what is wanted, without having to use broader subject headings • Penguins vs. water fowl

  10. Exhaustivity • Refers to the indexing level • How many headings are assigned and what level do they represent? • Is there a subject heading assigned for every idea contained? • How does this relate to cost?

  11. Ease of use • How easily can the general public perform subject searches? • What are we requiring of our users?

  12. Cost • Difference between perfection and excellence • What factors are involved?

  13. LC Subject Cataloging Guidelines • Found in Library of Congress Subject Cataloging Manual • Essential cataloging reference tool • Available from LC Cataloging Distribution Service

  14. Subject Cataloging Manual: Subject Headings (SCM:SH)

  15. LC Subject Heading Guidelines • Found in SCM, H180 • 20% of the work • Objectivity • Exception to 20% rule for names • Aboutness

  16. Rule of 3; rule of 4 bring out the geographical and chronological treatment of a subject Not everything gets a subject heading LCSH based on literary warrant LCSH guidelines

  17. How did we do? • Applying the guidelines of evaluating subject catalogs and assigning headings, how would you evaluate the terms and concepts for The professor and the madman?

  18. Headings assigned by LC 1. Murray, James Augustus Henry, Sir, 1837-1915 $x Friends and associates. 2. Minor, William Chester. 3. New English dictionary on historical principles. 4. Oxford English dictionary 5. Psychiatric hospital patients $z Great Britain $x Biography. 6. Lexicographers $z Great Britain $x Biography. 7. English language $x Lexicography. 8. English language $x Etymology. 9. United States $x History $y Civil War, 1861-1865 $x Veterans $x Biography.

  19. Be not dismayed • Study by Lois Chan found a very low level of consistency (15%) for all subject heading elements between LC and non-LC catalogers. • Study did find a higher level of partial agreement (80%) between catalogers in terms of the subject heading elements they assign

  20. Points to ponder • Are subject headings still effective? • Do the benefits of a controlled vocabulary outweigh the costs or problems associated with them? • Is keyword searching more effective?

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