Hispanic Heritage: Information Organization System · to create an organization system to aid...

Melody Ellison Summer 2018

INFO 5200 DENTON Draft 4

Hispanic Heritage: Information Organization System

1. Project description The librarian at Sotomayor Elementary School was inspired to develop the Hispanic Heritage collection when she noticed how teachers were always looking for books that could be used to share their culture with their students. The majority of teachers and students at Sotomayor Elementary are Hispanic and the lack of representation in the library was notable. The collection began with only 28 books available by shelf browsing only. The collection has grown to 1,362 books and counting and it has become necessary to create an organization system to aid teachers in locating the right books for their needs. An online system also benefits teachers in other schools as they are able to select books and request to borrow them through the interlibrary loan system.

1.1. Collection and information objects This collection of books is titled Hispanic Heritage. It is housed in the library at Sotomayor Elementary school in Fort Worth Texas, a school whose students and teachers are predominately Hispanic. Due to the high Hispanic population of both students and teachers a special collection of books related to Hispanic heritage was developed for teachers to incorporate into their lessons in language arts and social studies. The goal is to expose students to literature in a variety of genres that reflects their culture and helps them connect to their personal history. The Hispanic Heritage collection has 1,362 books including biographies of influential Hispanics, Hispanic folktales, geography, reference books about various countries and celebrations, and books written by prominent Hispanic authors. The collection has seen steady growth as the campus librarian makes purchases and accepts donations from community members.

1.2. Users' demographics and knowledge Sotomayor Elementary has grades K-5 with 97% of students identified as Hispanic with 53% English Language Learners (ELL). In grades K-2 60% of classes are dual language, taught in Spanish and English. The teachers at Sotomayor Elementary of 85% Hispanic and 87% are bilingual in Spanish and English. The users of the Hispanic Heritage collection are classroom teachers. Teachers from campuses in the district other than Sotomayor Elementary have access to the collection information and frequently request to borrow resources through inter library loan. The teachers range in age from 25 to 55 and are 90% female and 10% male. All teachers have at least a bachelor’s degree and are certified in teaching English as a second language. When evaluating the knowledge of the user base there are four types of knowledge to consider: General, Domain, System, and Information Seeking. General Knowledge is here used to mean intelligence and experience in common areas. Domain Knowledge is knowledge of a particular topic or field such as botany or law. Systems Knowledge is the ability to understand, navigate, and utilize a system such as a database or web program. Information Seeking knowledge is the ability to locate needed information

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efficiently. Understanding the different types of knowledge users possess helps system designers to match the system to the needs and abilities of the users. As college graduates the teachers have a General Knowledge level of moderate. The teachers possess a high Domain Knowledge in the area of Hispanic Heritage and education because they are themselves Hispanic, interact daily with Hispanics, and have taught Hispanic Heritage in the past. The teachers have a moderate level of Systems Knowledge because they have used various systems throughout their education and career. Their Information Seeking knowledge is rated as moderate because teachers retrieve information regarding curriculum, resources, best practices, units of study, and education policy regularly. When creating a system to organize the Hispanic Heritage collection the designers need to include substantial searchable fields and limiters to help teachers locate what they need with a high level of precision. As professionals with a moderate level of Systems Knowledge the teachers expect the system to provide sophisticated functionality with a user friendly, intuitive interface. Due to the size of the collection and the specific needs of the users an organizational system is vital. Without a system users are not able to locate the needed materials efficiently, items are easily lost, and materials are not used effectively.

1.3. Users' problems and questions It is important for children to learn about their cultural heritage and the cultures of others. In an American school whose majority population is Hispanic students taught by Hispanic teachers the topic of Hispanic heritage is very significant. Hispanic children living in America may not have the same opportunity to learn about and celebrate their culture as a child living in a Hispanic country. Hispanic teachers want to share their culture with their students, both Hispanic and non-Hispanic. Literature is an excellent way for teachers to incorporate Hispanic heritage into their lessons. The topic of Hispanic heritage covers many genres and writing styles that students need to learn in their language arts instruction (e.g. biography, folktale, reference) and teachers can use this collection of Hispanic oriented literature to fulfill the requirements of language arts instruction while incorporating cultural heritage. When using this system searches are looking for resources to match their learning objectives and the ability levels of their students. User question 1: I need 5 reference books about different Hispanic countries that my 2nd grade students can read independently for a research projects. The books need to have been published in the last 5 years so that the information is not out of date. Object attributes: subject, genre, reading level, date Desired precision: high Desired recall: high User question 2: I need to check out several folktales retold by Alma Flor Ada. Object attributes: subject, genre, author Desired precision: high Desired recall: moderate User question 3: My class is learning about recycling and collage art and I remember a book about a group of kids living near a landfill who made instruments out of garbage and the illustrations were collages. I would like to check out that book. Object attributes: synopsis, illustrative matter, subject Desired precision: high Desired recall: low User question 4: I need to find and check out a short book of poetry in Spanish to read with my Spanish speaking students.


Object attributes: length, format, genre, language Desired precision: moderate Desired recall: low Based on the above user questions the system created needs to include the attributes of subject, genre, reading level, date, author, synopsis, illustrative matter, length, language, and format. In addition to these attributes an illustrator, title, and call number field need to be included.

2. Representation of information objects

2.1. Entity level Broadly defined, an entity is a thing. A thing (entity) can be a physical item or a piece of information. The purpose of a database is to create records to represent entities. These records can then be searched and referenced, making it easier for users to access the entities that they need. The entity level defines what constitutes a single record in a catalog. For example if the subject of a catalog is poetry found in books the entity level can be defined as the whole book or as individual poems. In the first case a single catalog record is created for each physical book, regardless of the number of poems the book contains. In the second case a catalog record is created for each individual poem. If the user base of the catalog is more interested in the holistic work presented in a collection of poems the appropriate entity level is the book. If the user base is more interested in locating individual poems the appropriate entity level is the individual poems. The entities contained in the Hispanic Heritage collection are books. For the purpose of the Hispanic Heritage collection catalog the entity level is defined as the whole book. Because the collection contains books in a variety of genres, not all of which can be divided into discriminate parts such as individual poems, the book level is appropriate. A picture book, a book of poetry, and a biography (all of which are represented in the collection) cannot all be divided into equivalent entity levels beside the book as a whole because the contents of each is so varied. Each individual record in the catalog represents the whole object of one individual, physical book regardless of the content thereof.

2.2. Metadata elements and semantics The metadata scheme of this database includes 12 elements. The element of format that was identified in section 1.3 has been removed as it shows considerable overlap and is interchangeable with the genre element. Because the users of this collection are teachers it is important to include the reading level information so that they can retrieve materials suited to their students. The illustrative matter element is also beneficial to this user group so that they can locate materials that support student learning in visual literacy and recognizing different art styles. The Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) provides a framework for creating bibliographic records and recording and utilizing bibliographic relationships. FRBR identifies three groups of entities: (1) products, (2) creators, and (3) subjects. These groups can be broken down into attributes such as (1) title, medium (2) author’s name, author’s birthplace, and (3) concepts, topics. The information found in these recorded attributes provides the basis for creating networks of bibliographic relationships. These networks of relationships support four specific user tasks identified by FRBR: Find, Identify, Select, and Acquire. These are the tasks that a user engages in when they set out to retrieve information. The Find task happens when a user enters a search in order to retrieve results. The Identify task occurs as the user browses results retrieved to rule out unsuitable results and isolate potential matches. The Select task occurs when the user chooses an item or items from the results to retrieve for use. The Acquire task occurs when the user moves from the search terminal to the material storage to retrieve the physical item(s) selected. These four user tasks are supported by the elements included in the database catalog.


The Find task is supported by the following elements found in the metadata scheme. The element of Subject supports this task by allowing the user to search for items that contain information or content that matches their needs. The Author element supports this task by allowing users who know the author of the item they wish to retrieve to locate all items by that author. The Illustrator element supports this task in the same way as the author element. The Identify task is supported by the following elements found in Appendix A. The Reading Level element allows users to rule out items that do not match the difficulty level of the desired item. The Date element allows users to rule out items that fall outside of a desired date range, most commonly to eliminate potentially outdated information in nonfiction. The Author element allows users to rule out items that are not written by their desired author. The Synopsis element allows users to rule out items that do not meet their needs regarding plot or information content. The Length element allows users to rule out items that are too long or too short to meet their needs. The Language element allows users to rule out items that are not presented in the desired language. The Select task is supported by elements 7-10 found in Appendix A. The Reading Level element allows users to select items from the search results that match their desired reading level. The Synopsis element allows users to get a brief description of the book’s contents in order to select an item that fits their needs regarding plot or information content. The Length element allows users to determine which items meet their needs regarding length. The Language element allows users to identify items that are in their required language. Each of these elements provides users with the detailed information needed to make choices about which items to retrieve from the shelf. The Acquire task is supported by the call number element found in Appendix A. This element gives the user the information necessary to locate the item in the physical collection.

2.3. Record structure and specifications A database field is portion of the record that contains information. Some fields employ controlled vocabulary, which is a list of words or terms that may be used in the field. Controlled vocabulary ensures that a term is being used consistently by not allowing catalogers to add unapproved terms. Whether or not a field employs a controlled vocabulary is a specification for the field. Specifications are requirements for each field. Specifications are an important part of the database because they control what can be entered, how it is entered, and how it is searched. There are 12 fields in the database structure of the Hispanic Heritage collection. These fields are directly related to the elements in the metadata scheme, each metadata element is one field in the database structure. Each field is subject to a set of specifications as to what information is entered and how it is formatted and utilized by the system. The Subject field is a text field that is required and searchable by the user because Subject is identified as one of the primary elements associated with the Find task. The cataloger may enter up to 10 terms in the subject field to ensure that the subject is thoroughly represented. This field has a controlled vocabulary in the form of a subject heading list. There is no drop down list because there are so many potential subjects that the drop down list is unwieldy. The Title field is a text field because most titles are in the form of words. This field is searchable and required as it is strongly associated with the Find task. Only 1 term may be entered in the Title field because each entity is made up of one complete object with one unifying title. There is no controlled vocabulary or drop down list for this field because the collection continues to grow and add new and unique titles. The Author field is a text field because most author’s names do not include numbers. Author is a required and searchable field as it is a prime component of the Find task. As many as 3 terms may be entered into this field as an item may have multiple authors. There is no controlled vocabulary or drop down list


associated with this field as new authors are published regularly and it is not possible to predict what authors will be added to the collection. The Illustrator field is a text field because most illustrator’s names do not include numbers. This field is not required because not all objects in the collection have illustrations. The field is searchable as it is associated with the Find task. As many as 3 terms may be entered into this field because illustrators can collaborate on a work or the work can be an anthology of stories illustrated by a variety of artists. There is no controlled vocabulary or drop down list associated with this field for the same reasons listed for the author field. The Date field is a numeric field entered as a 4 digit year and is required. This field is not searchable as it is not identified as a primary source of information for the Find task. Only 1 term may be recorded in this field as there is only one date of publication associated with each item. There is no controlled vocabulary or drop down list associated with this field. The Genre field is a text field. This field is required and searchable as it supports the Find task. There may be up to three terms in the Genre field because some items may fit more than one genre (e.g. a book of biographical poems is both the biography genre and the poetry genre). This field operates under a controlled vocabulary because there is a finite number of genre terms applicable to the items in the collection or that will be added to the collection in the future. This field uses a drop down list. The Reading Level field is a number field because the Lexile leveling system is numerically based. This field is not searchable but is required as the information is very important to the user when conducting the Identify and Select tasks. There is only 1 term allowed in this field as each item only has one reading level. The Lexile levels are entered from a drop down list of controlled vocabulary as there is a finite group of potential terms for this field. The Synopsis is a text field. It is a searchable field that is required because it is a key field in supporting the Select task. Only 1 term may be entered. There is no controlled vocabulary because each item has a completely unique synopsis. Length is a numeric field entered as the number of pages. This field is not searchable but it is required because it aids the user in the Identify and the Select tasks. There is not a controlled vocabulary or drop down list for this field. Language is a text field. This field is not searchable but is required because of its importance to the Select task and to the purpose of the Hispanic Heritage collection. This field is required and may have only 1 term, Spanish, English, or Bilingual. There is a controlled vocabulary and a drop down list because there are only two languages being addressed in the collection. The Illustrative Matter field is text based and is not searchable. It is not a required field because not all items in the collection have illustrative matter. The cataloger may enter up to 5 terms in this field because an item may have a variety of illustrative features. There is not a controlled vocabulary or drop down list required because this is not a searchable field, merely a way to give users more information to aid them in the Select task. The Call Number field is required because it is crucial to the Acquire task. This field is number based and is not searchable. Only 1 term may be entered because each item in the collection is given only 1 unique call number. There is no controlled vocabulary or drop down list. See Appendix B for a complete table of fields and requirements.

2.4. Record content and input rules Content and input rules keep records consistent and organized. Content rules dictate what information goes into a record while input rules dictate how the information is formatted. A content rule may stipulate


that each record must include the name of the publisher of the work. An input rule gives exact instructions regarding how the name of the publisher is to be capitalized or punctuated. These rules remove guesswork from cataloging and ensure that every time an entry is created it matches previous entries. This ensures that results are not excluded from a search due to inconsistent data entry. The chief source of information for a field refers to where the cataloger is to look to find the information to input into the field. Because information may be represented differently in different parts of an item (e.g. the way a title is capitalized on the front cover of a book versus the title page) using the same source of information for each record creates consistency within the field. The most common chief source of information for the Hispanic Heritage collection is the title page of the book. For some fields such as genre or subject the book must be considered as a whole and therefore the chief source of information is the entire item. Titlewave.com is used as a chief source of information for some fields because it provides bibliographic information (e.g. Lexile level) that may not be located on the item itself. See Appendix C for content and input rules for the Hispanic Heritage collection and Appendix G for example records.

3. Access and authority control Authority control is a way of bringing consistency to entries in fields of a database. This is accomplished through the creation of a controlled vocabulary of terms authorized to serve a function. Authority control comes in two forms: subject authority control and name authority control. Subject authority control operates by employing a finite list of approved subject terms recorded in a thesaurus or subject heading list. The thesaurus or subject heading list of authorized subject terms are controlled vocabularies. A controlled vocabulary is a group of terms that have been selected and approved to serve a function. The controlled vocabulary represents the only terms that are to be used to serve the function. When cataloging materials the cataloger determines what the subject of the work is and then looks up that subject in the thesaurus to determine the authorized version of that subject. For example a cataloger might determine the subject of a work to be folk tales. The cataloger consults the thesaurus and sees that folk tales is not listed. The cataloger looks at possible synonyms and discovers that folklore is an authorized subject. The cataloger enters the work into the record under the subject folklore. If the cataloger enters the work under folk tales it is not collocated (brought together with records of similar nature) with the rest of the works representing folk tales because they are under the approved heading of folklore. Other terms that a cataloger enters under the approved heading of folklore include folk stories, oral tradition, and folk myths. If the cataloger is free to choose whatever term is first thought of there is not consistency in the records and works are not correctly collocated. Name authority control performs the same function for names such as authors, illustrators, publishers, etc. that the subject authority control performs for subject: it creates consistency between records and facilitates proper collocation of works. Name authority does differ from subject authority in a few key points. The thesaurus used for subject authority is a finite, predetermined list to which the cataloger must adhere. The cataloger does not have authority to add terms to the thesaurus and if there is a term that needs to be added it must be done by an administrator in order to limit the growth of the thesaurus beyond usefulness. Name authority files are not finite and limited as new authors are published daily and an author may be published under an assortment of name variations (e.g. pen names, pseudonyms, maiden names, nick-names, etc.). The name authority file is not a controlled vocabulary. When a cataloger is entering the author of a work into a record the cataloger consults a name authority file to determine the authorized version of a name which is entered into the catalog record. If the name located on the work itself is a variant form of the authorized name it is entered into the record as a variant. If the name authority file does not contain a record of the name the cataloger is searching for the cataloger may consult an outside authority file, such as the Library of Congress Authorities. The cataloger can then add an authority record to the local name authority file.


Authority controls benefit both the cataloger and the end user of a system. For the cataloger it removes the guesswork from creating records. For the end user it provides search results that are thorough and accurate. The fields of the Hispanic Heritage collection that use authority control are Subject, Author, Illustrator, Genre, and Lexile. The Subject field is under the control of a thesaurus (Appendix D) in order to maintain consistency between records and collocate results. The Genre field is under the control of a thesaurus because there is a finite list of genres that are represented in or can be added to the collection. The Genre controlled vocabulary is limited to twelve terms which are listed in the input rules for that field. The Lexile field is under the control of a thesaurus because the Lexile reading level system has a finite scale of levels. The Lexile controlled vocabulary is drawn from the Lexile reading leveling system and is whole numbers 5-2,000 inclusive. The Author and Illustrator fields are under a name authority control (Appendix F) in order to maintain consistency and proper collocation of records.

4. Representation of information content

4.1. Subject access Subject representation is both a verb and a noun. As a verb subject representation means the process by which a subject is assigned to an item. The noun subject representation means the result of the process of assigning a subject to an item. Example: a cataloger performs subject representation and determines that marine biology is the subject of the item. Marine biology is the subject representation of the item. Part of performing subject representation is the process of subject analysis. Subject analysis is a three step process through which the cataloger determines what terms will be entered into the system to represent the subject of an item. The first step of subject analysis is familiarization. In this step the cataloger observes the item, looking at sources of information such as the table of contents and the index as well as flipping through the pages. Once the cataloger is familiar with the item the next step is extraction. During extraction the cataloger pulls out important terms from the item that represent the subject. If the record field is under authority control the cataloger must compare the terms pulled from the item to the terms listed in the authority control document to determine the authorized versions of the selected terms. The final step, assignment, is when the cataloger enters the authorized terms into the record field. If the record field is not under authority control the cataloger does not have to consult an authority control document for authorized terms and enters the selected terms into the record. The process of selecting terms from an item or based on the cataloger’s background knowledge without consulting an authority control is known as natural language indexing. The purpose of subject analysis and subject representation is to provide the user with subject access. Subject access is the capacity of the organization system and catalog to allow users to locate materials based on subject. If the cataloger does not go through the process of subject analysis and representation then there are no subject terms in the catalog record and the user cannot locate materials to meet their subject needs. The FRBR task Find is supported by subject access. When a user of the Hispanic Heritage collection goes to the system to find an item the user is most likely to search by subject, so the system provides subject access through the subject element located in the tag field. Users also search for author and illustrator to locate materials so the author and illustrator elements located in the author field of the system are also a point of subject access. Classification is the grouping together of items based on shared characteristics. One important characteristic of items in a collection is the subject. Grouping items based on subject provides intellectual access to users by facilitating browsing. The field in the catalog records of the Hispanic Heritage collection that contains classification information is the call number field.

4.2. Thesaurus structure


Subject authority control is a way of bringing consistency to a database and ensures that records collocated. In the Hispanic Heritage system subject authority control is implemented by use of a controlled vocabulary in the form of a thesaurus in the subject element of the tag field. Employing a thesaurus provides catalogers with a selection of subject terms that can be used and takes some of the guesswork out of subject representation. Users are able to look at the thesaurus to find what subject search terms will bring results, taking some of the guesswork out of searching. Because the tag field is open ended and allows many terms to be entered it is important to limit the cataloger to a controlled vocabulary to maintain consistency and prevent the use of redundant terms. A thesaurus is a controlled vocabulary for a limited domain or collection and provides an organized way for catalogers and searchers to locate subject terms and identify relationships among terms. The syndetic structure of the thesaurus is the way in which terms and the relationships among terms are organized. A semantic relationship is a relationship between words or terms based on the meanings of the words or terms. There are three types of semantic relationships represented in a thesaurus: equivalent, hierarchical, and associative. An equivalent relationship refers to terms that have the same or very similar meaning; picture and image, for example. It is redundant to include both terms as authorized vocabulary, so only one term is listed as authorized. Both terms still appear in the thesaurus. If the authorized term is image then the term picture is listed below the term image following the letters UF, an abbreviation of “use for”. This means that the word image is used in any instance where the word picture might have been used. The relationship must go both ways and be notated on both ends. These are known as mandatory reciprocals and the rule applies to all three types of semantic relationships. In the case of equivalent relationships the reciprocal entry for the current example is an entry for the term picture with the term image listed beneath it following the letters USE, meaning use. In this case the user knows that instead of using the term picture it is appropriate to use the term image. The second relationship, hierarchical, refers to terms that are related by scope. Portrait is a more specific term than image, but both refer to a kind of visual representation. The narrower term, in this case portrait, is entered into the thesaurus with the broader term, image, listed beneath it following the letters BT, an abbreviation of “broader term,” to indicate that image is a broader term for portrait. Because of mandatory reciprocals the term image must appear and have the term portrait listed beneath it following the letters NT, an abbreviation for “narrower term,” to indicate that portrait is a narrower term for image. If portrait is entered as an authorized term the cataloger is permitted to use it in the record. If portrait is not authorized the cataloger follows the indicated relationship to the term image, which is authorized and can be used in the record in place of portrait. The third type of relationship, associative, refers to terms that are related but not the same. Image and motion picture are related terms because they are both types of visual representations. In the thesaurus the term image lists the term motion picture beneath it following the letters RT, an abbreviation for “related term,” indicating that motion picture is a related term. Once again the rule of mandatory reciprocals applies. The thesaurus includes the term motion picture with the term image listed beneath it following the letters RT to indicate that it is a related term. If motion picture is not an authorized term the cataloger may choose to use the authorized term image because it is a related term. Examples of all three types of relationships and how they are notated can be seen in Appendix D. The domain of a thesaurus refers to what sort of content or discipline it covers. The domain of the thesaurus in Appendix D is Hispanic Heritage. The terms included cover a variety of aspects of Hispanic Heritage. The scope of a thesaurus refers to the depth and breadth of the included terms. The Hispanic Heritage thesaurus is both broad (geography, celebrations) and narrow (landmarks, Cinco de Mayo) in order to meet the needs of the user base. The users of the Hispanic Heritage collection sometimes need to find books about celebrations in general in order to compare and contrast different holidays, and sometimes they need to find books about specific celebrations that their students are learning about. The specificity of a thesaurus refers to the precision of the included terms. The term celebrations has low


specificity because it covers many different holidays. The term Mexican celebrations has medium specificity because while it still covers many holidays it is more precise than celebrations. The term Cinco de Mayo has high specificity because it refers to one precise holiday. The Hispanic Heritage thesaurus includes terms in a range of specificity to meet the needs of the users, who sometimes need precise information and sometimes need a more general overview. When a user searches using a less specific term more results will be retrieved for the user to browse through. When the user searches using a more specific term the recall will be lower, but the probability of locating exactly what the user needs is higher. Exhaustivity refers to how minutely the indexer assigns subject terms to an item. On the more exhaustive end of the exhaustivity scale is depth indexing. In depth indexing the indexer assigns subject terms to cover as many portions of the item’s content as possible. On the less exhaustive end of the scale is summarization. In summarization the indexer only assigns subject terms to cover the more general topics of an item. In the Hispanic Heritage collection the indexer works more on the summarization end of the scale, with exceptions. Because the collection is limited in size but covers a breadth of topics and genres it is not necessary to index every potential term related to an item. The primary users of the collection are elementary school teachers who are less likely to need in-depth information about specific subjects and are more likely to search for materials based on fairly broad subject terms. A less exhaustive index results in lower recall with higher precision, while a more exhaustive index yields higher recall but lower precision.

4.3. Classification scheme Classification is the process of arranging items into logical groups are sections. When items are grouped together based on important features such as subject or format it allows users to locate similar or related works through browsing. There are two major types of classification schemes: faceted and hierarchical. In a faceted scheme there is a selection of facets that each contain specific information. A facet is a piece of information or an aspect of an item. The facets are strung together to create a classification number. This allows the classification number to contain many different pieces of information such as subject, author, date, format, etc. and omit any irrelevant information. Items are arranged into groups based on the first facet, which is then arranged into smaller groups based on the second facet. This allows for items to be organized based on more than one factor. The drawback of this scheme is that related subjects may not be shelved in the same location. In a hierarchical scheme the sections of the classification number are classes that go from broad information to more specific information. This scheme is useful collections that have many subjects that include a variety of sub-topics. This allows items to be arranged in groups based on specific subject and those groups to be arranged by broader subjects. Browsers can go from broad subject and narrow down to more specific subjects. The drawback of this scheme is that the classification number contains only one type of information. The Hispanic Heritage system employs a faceted classification scheme. This allows users to browse the shelves based on subject as well as author and Lexile level. Items with like subjects are grouped together and the user is able to scan all the items on the same subject. This provides both intellectual access (being able to find the information needed) and physical access (being able to locate items based on where that subject is shelved). The first facet of the classification scheme employed by the Hispanic Heritage collection is subject based. Users most commonly search for items by subject and having it as the first facet facilitates browsing. The second facet is author. This facet is included so that works on like subjects by like authors are grouped together. Frequently users discover an author whose writing suits their needs and are interested in locating more works by that author. The third facet is Lexile level. Teachers browsing the collection need to know if an item will be a good match for the students who will be using the item. The classification number ends with a unique identifier that ensures that no two items have the same classification number. This unique number is the record number assigned in Libib. When items are shelved they are shelved alphabetically by facet 1, alphabetically by facet 2, and numerically by facet 3.


A book in the collection that deals with the subject of music and is by the author Susan Hood with a Lexile level of 820 and a record number of 491 would be assigned the classification number MUS.HOO.820.0491. MUS represents the subject music, HOO represents the author Hood, 820 represents the Lexile level, and 0491 represents the record number 491. See Appendix E for rules and instructions for creating classification numbers for items in this collection.

5. Name authority control Name authority control is the process of bringing consistency to the name fields of database records in order to facilitate collocation and recall of records. A name authority file is a type of controlled vocabulary. Without name authority a user searching for works by an author who has written under various pennames or whose name is spelled or punctuated in a variety of ways will have to perform a separate search for each potential penname or spelling in order to recall all the records of works by this author. If a name authority file is employed, however, the user only needs to search one name, the Authorized Version, in order to recall all of the records pertaining to this author. An authorized name appearing in a name authority file is a guarantee to the user that if they search that name they will get results. For this to work the cataloger must input the authorized name at the time of record creation. This requires the cataloger to consult a name authority file. Each entry in a name authority file has three sections: authorized form, variant form(s), and source used. The authorized form is the version of the name that is acceptable to enter into database records. The variant forms are all the permutations or alternatives to the authorized form. Names listed as variant forms are not acceptable for entry into the database record. The source used indicates what tool was used to determine what form is the authorized form. In the Hispanic Heritage collection the fields under name authority control are author and illustrator. These fields are under authority control to simplify the search process for the user by collocating all of the records associated with an author or illustrator. Authority control also benefits the cataloger as it removes uncertainty regarding how a name should be entered into the record. Authority control also means that the cataloger only needs to enter one name into the record to achieve correct collocation and recall of records instead of listing all variant forms in each entry. The name authority file for the Hispanic Heritage collection is found in Appendix F of this document.

6. System evaluation and development

6.1. SWOT The term SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. A SWOT analysis is a tool that can be employed when trying to understand and improve a system. When conducting a SWOT analysis the analyzer must look at the system from a variety of angles and consider the many factors that can contribute to the success, or failure, of the system. The end goal of a SWOT analysis is to recognize and capitalize on the strengths and opportunities of a system while identifying and minimizing the weaknesses and threats. Strengths: The system allows users to search for materials without having to browse the shelves. This allows teachers to find the items they need and have the call numbers ready when they get to the shelves. Users are able to perform searches on title, author, and any information located in the tags field. This helps them find items that meet their needs without having to hunt through all the items in the collection. The thesaurus that accompanies the collection is organized and clearly labeled so it is easy for users to locate terms that will bring results and helps catalogers select appropriate subject terms to enter in the records. The name authority file is neatly arranged for the cataloger to be able to identify authorized names to enter into the records. Off-site users of the collection are able to search for items remotely, allowing them to request items for inter-library loan. This means that the collection is able to be utilized by more teachers. The collection itself is tailored to meet the needs of teachers and is popular because of its usefulness. When viewing the record online users are able to click on entries in the tag field to view items


that share subject terms, illustrative matter, genre, and language. This facilitates browsing and helps teachers locate more materials that meet their needs. Weaknesses: There are five fields from the desired database described in section 2.3 that are not available in the Libib system. All of these fields have to be combined into other fields. The illustrator field is combined with the author field, while the rest are squeezed together into the tag field. This does not allow for any differentiation in searching are filtering results. Users cannot isolate one field to search. Libib does not have any drop down menu options. For fields that have a controlled vocabulary that is small a drop down list saves time and prevents errors in spelling. It is possible to enter anything into the tag field regardless of controlled vocabulary or spelling, so unauthorized or misspelled terms may be entered mistakenly and interfere with accurate search and recall. Most school libraries use the Follett Destiny system, so most teachers are used to searching and using that system. Libib does not function like Follett Destiny and so teachers have to learn a new system to search and access the catalog. When performing a search in Libib users are not able to filter results or search multiple fields at once. When browsing the results of a subject term search for Cuba it is not possible to select to have only items in a particular Lexile range displayed. Opportunities: Having a system that is accessible to off-site users widens the reach of the collection. As teachers access and utilize materials the reputation of the collection grows and can result is donations of materials or increased funding. Threats: The librarian in charge of the collection has many demands on her time. Managing the Hispanic Heritage collection is something that she does in addition to all of her regular responsibilities and duties. It is difficult to find time to keep the system up-to-date with new materials. SWOT Analysis Chart:

Strengths

System allows users to locate materials through a variety of searches

System is easy to search

Thesaurus is organized and understandable to both user and cataloger

Name Authority file is organized easily referenced by the cataloger

Provides intellectual access to off-site users

Cataloger is knowledgeable of the system and collection

Collection provides materials relevant to teachers’ needs

Entries in the tag field are clickable and link to items sharing the same tags

Weaknesses

There is no dedicated subject field

There is no dedicated field for illustrator

System does not allow for drop down menus for entering fields with small controlled vocabularies

There is no field for entering illustrative matter

There is no field for entering language of item

Catalogers must use the tag field to enter multiple elements with no way of distinguishing between elements

Tag field accepts any subject term whether it is authorized or not, leading to potential catalog errors due to misspellings

Most school libraries use the Follett Destiny system and teachers are used to using that interface

No way to filter results or search multiple fields simultaneously

Opportunities

The system allows offsite users of the collection to view materials so that they can send a loan request, broadening the user base

Threats

Limited time for librarian/cataloger to keep database up to date


6.2. Change and development Overall the Libib system is reasonably effective for the purpose of organizing and providing access to the Hispanic Heritage collection in the collection’s current state. As the collection continues to grow the system will become less effective. In future updates to the system changes will be made to make the system more accessible. In the update all of the fields that are sharing the tags field will be separated out and given their own fields. There will be a subject field that is searchable and does not permit the entry of unauthorized terms. There will be a field for genre that includes a drop-down menu from which the cataloger will be able to select the appropriate term. The genre drop-down menu will allow the cataloger to select up to three terms to ensure that the item is accurately represented. A field with a drop-down menu for selecting the language of an item will be added. The drop-down menu will have options for English, Spanish, and Bilingual. There will be a field for illustrative matter of an item that will allow up to 5 terms to be entered. The tags field may be kept as an optional area for the cataloger to add any other terms that he or she feels are particularly appropriate for an item regardless of controlled vocabulary. The author and illustrator fields that are combined in the current system will be separated in the future update. In the current system users are not able to tell from the record which name is the author and which is the illustrator. Having a separate field for author and illustrator will make it easier for users to locate books with particular authors and illustrators. The update will also include an advanced search option for users to input search terms for multiple fields simultaneously, e.g. author and length. The ability to filter and narrow down search results based on factors such as Lexile level, length, or publishing date will also be added. This will allow users to achieve more precise results, saving valuable time. If the collection grows large enough and receives funding then Libib will be abandoned in favor of Follett Destiny. One benefit of this switch is that the Follett Destiny system already has all of the desired features from the user standpoint. Fields are already differentiated and there are advanced search and filtering options. Because Follett Destiny is commonly used in school libraries the teachers are familiar with the interface and the librarians and catalogers are very experienced with the workings of the system.

7. Project summary This project was very intimidating at the beginning. I was very nervous about how technical and complicated everything was. All of the technical language was overwhelming to process. Once I got the gist of the course and had done draft 1 I started feeling more comfortable. I think the biggest challenge for me with this assignment was the fear factor associated with such a large scale, high stakes assignment. Every assignment was worth such a large percent of the overall class grade I was terrified of screwing up a draft and tanking my grade. The comments on each draft were very helpful in letting me see exactly what I was doing that needed to be improved. I took the cataloging course, INFO 5208, last semester and learned about AACR2, RDA, and MARC records. It was interesting to see how the information that goes into the MARC record is utilized in a database. I think that out of all of this I have learned an appreciation for the work that goes into creating systems and cataloging items. Understanding more about how systems work will also make me a more effective searcher and better able to locate needed items. I have had very little experience with technical writing prior to this course and learning the new style was challenging. I believe the technical writing experience will be useful to me in the future when I am managing a school library and am responsible for creating guides and reference materials.


At the beginning of the semester it seemed impossible to create such a complex and involved project. Now that I have finished it I have a great sense of pride looking at all the work that I have done. It is very satisfying to see all of the pieces finally come together into a complete whole.


Appendix A. Metadata elements and semantics

No. Element name Semantics

1 Subject The primary topic that the work is about

2 Title The individual identifying name of the work

3 Author Person(s) responsible for original writing of the work

4 Illustrator Person(s) responsible for the original art or visual component(s) of the work

5 Date Year that the work was first published or made available

6 Genre Literary category of the work e.g. poetry, realistic fiction, etc.

7 Reading Level Lexile difficultly level number assigned to the work

8 Synopsis Brief description of plot or informational content of the work

9 Length Number of pages included in the work

10 Language Primary language in which the work is presented

11 Illustrative Matter Type of illustration or art technique used within the work

12 Call Number Unique identifying number located on the spine of the work


Appendix B. Record structure and specifications 1. Record structure specifications

No. Field name Field type Searchable Required Number of allowed entries

Controlled Vocabulary?

Drop Down List?

1 Subject Text Yes Yes 10 Yes No

2 Title Text Yes Yes 1 No No

3 Author Text Yes Yes 3 No No

4 Illustrator Text Yes No 3 No No

5 Date Date No Yes 1 No No

6 Genre Text Yes Yes 3 Yes Yes

7 Reading Level Number No Yes 1 Yes Yes

8 Synopsis Text Yes Yes 1 No No

9 Length Number No Yes 1 No No

10 Language Text No Yes 1 Yes Yes

11 Illustrative Matter

Text No No 5 No No

12 Call Number Number No Yes 1 No No

2. Field comparison

No. Desired Field Libib Field Notes

1 Subject Tags There is no Subject field in Libib so the subject is recorded in the tag field. The controlled vocabulary is still followed.

2 Title Title

3 Author Author

4 Illustrator Author There is no Illustrator field in Libib. The Illustrator is to be added in the author field.

5 Date Published Date The Libib Published Date field includes month and day subfields. These are not to be used. Date is to be entered as the 4 digit year only.

6 Genre Tags Libib does not have a Genre option so the Genre field is to be recorded in the Tags area. No drop down list is possible, but a controlled vocabulary is used as described in the input rules for Genre

7 Reading Level Lexile The Reading Level is to be entered into the Lexile field using the


input rules for Reading Level.

8 Synopsis Description The Synopsis is to be recorded in the Description field

9 Length Pages Length is to be entered as number of pages using only digits.

10 Language Tags The Language field is to be recorded in the Tags area following the input rules for Language.

11 Illustrative Matter Tags Illustrative Matter is to be recorded in the Tags area following the input rules for Illustrative Matter

12 Call Number Call Number Call numbers are also referred to as classifications. The cataloger creates the call number for the item at the time of cataloging following the rules found in Appendix F.


Appendix C. Record content and input rules Field #: 1 Field Name: Tags Semantics: Subject: The primary topic that the work is about Genre: Literary category of the work e.g. poetry, realistic fiction, etc. Language: Primary language in which the work is presented Illustrative Matter: Type of illustration or art technique used within the work Chief Source of Information:

Subject: Observation of the overall content of the book Genre: Observation or the overall content and format of the book Language: 1. Title page 2. Front cover Illustrative Matter: 1. Copyright information 2. Observation of the overall content of the book Input Rules:

Subject: Perform a subject analysis to select 1-10 subject terms. Refer to the controlled vocabulary in Appendix D to determine the authorized version of the selected terms. Enter authorized terms from the CV into the tag field. A maximum of 10 subject terms are entered. Each term begins with a capital letter. If the term is more than one word only capitalize the first letter of the first word, as shown in Appendix D. The only exception is for subjects containing proper nouns e.g. Cinco de Mayo. Separate each term with a comma. Genre: This field is required and uses a controlled vocabulary. The input options are Autobiography, Biography, Encyclopedia, Fiction, Reference, Poetry, Short Stories, Fantasy, Graphic Novel, Picture Book, Folktales, Non-Fiction. First observe the item to determine genre. A maximum of 3 genre terms may be entered. Terms are entered into the tag field. Terms are capitalized as they appear in this list and each term is separated by a comma. Language: This field is required and operates based on a controlled vocabulary. Input options are Spanish, English, and Bilingual. First determine the language of the object and then record that language capitalized as it appears in this list. Only 1 term may be entered. Terms are entered into the tag field. Illustrative Matter: This field is not required. First observe the book to determine if there is illustrative matter. Next determine what type of illustrative matter is included. Up to 5 terms may be entered. Each word of each term begins with a capital letter and each term is separated by a comma. The terms are entered into the tag field. Example:

Subject: Music, Recycling Genre: Picture Book, Biography Language: English Illustrative Matter: Collage Field #: 2 Field Name: Title Semantics: The individual identifying name of the work Chief Source of Information: 1. Title page 2. Front cover Input Rules: This field is required. Title is entered as it appears on the title page. Subtitles are entered following a colon. Both title and subtitle are entered in regular type, not italic, bold, or underlined. Both title and subtitle must adhere to the following capitalization rules: always capitalize the first and last word and important words. Important words are adjectives, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, subordinating conjunctions, and verbs. Do not capitalize articles, coordinating conjunctions, and short (less than five letters) prepositions unless they are the first or last word of the title. Example: Ada’s Violin: the Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay Field #: 3 Field Name: Authors Semantics: Author: Person(s) responsible for original writing of the work Illustrator: Person(s) responsible for the original art or visual component(s) of the work


Chief Source of Information: Author: Title page Illustrator: Title page Input Rules: Author: This is a required field with no controlled vocabulary. Up to 3 terms are allowed, each separated by a comma. Each name is entered as it appears in the Name Authority File in Appendix F. Names are entered in natural order (Firstname, Lastname), not inverted. If more than one author is listed they are entered in the order in which they are listed on the title page. If an author has a last name that includes a space the name is enclosed in quotes. Illustrator: This is not a required field and does not have a controlled vocabulary. If an illustrator is listed in the chief source of information their name is recorded using name style capitalization. Up to 3 terms are allowed, each separated by a comma. Input rules for illustrators are the same as for authors. Example: Author: Susan Hood Illustrator: Sally “Wern Comport” Field #: 4 Field Name: Published Date Semantics: Year that the work was first published or made available Chief Source of Information: Copyright information Input Rules: This is a required field. Enter the date as a year recorded in 4 digits. There can only be 1 term in this field. Example: 2016 Field #: 5 Field Name: Lexile Semantics: Lexile difficultly level number assigned to the work Chief Source of Information: Title detail page found at Titlewave.com Input Rules: This is a required field with a controlled vocabulary. Locate the book on Titlewave.com and enter the number listed next to the word “Lexile” in the product details area. If the Lexile number includes letters omit them in the record. Example: 820 Field #: 6 Field Name: Description Semantics: Brief description of plot or informational content of the work Chief Source of Information: Title detail page found at Titlewave.com Input Rules: Locate the book on Titlewave.com and copy the text of the book overview into the description box. Enclose the copied description in quotation marks. Example: “Ada Rios grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option...until a music teacher named Favio Chavez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Ada--and her town--forever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.” Field #: 7 Field Name: Pages Semantics: Number of pages included in the work Chief Source of Information: 1. Page numbers found in the book itself 2. Book listing on GoodReads.com Input Rules: This is a required field without a controlled vocabulary. Locate the last numbered page of the book and enter the page number into the Pages field. If there are no page numbers in the book locate the book on GoodReads.com and use the page number listed. Do not include letters or punctuation. Example: 40


Field #: 8 Field Name: Call Number Semantics: Unique identifying number located on the spine of the work Chief Source of Information: The Subject, Author, and Lexile fields of the catalog record as well as the record number assigned by Libib to the record. Input Rules: Follow rules in Appendix F to create a call number for the item. Enter the call number into the call number field. Example: MUS.HOO.820.0491


Appendix D. Sample thesaurus

Key: BT- Broader Term NT- Narrower Term RT- Related Term UF- Use For USE- Use Terms in bold type are authorized terms. Abbreviations in parenthesis, e.g. (HIST), represent the code used in the classification scheme. All Saints’ Day USE Dia de los Muertos All Souls’ Day

USE Dia de los Muertos Animals (ANI) RT Nature Art (ART) NT Collage RT Music Celebrations (CEL) UF Holidays BT Culture NT Cinco de Mayo Dia de los Muertos Cinco de Mayo BT Celebrations Civil rights UF Segregation BT History Collage BT Art Cuba (CUBA) BT Geography Culture (CUL) NT Celebrations Day of the Dead USE Dia de los Muertos Dia de los Muertos BT Celebrations UF All Saints’ Day

All Souls’ Day Day of the Dead

Environmentalism (ENV) NT Recycling Folktales (FOLK) Food (FOO) Geography (GEO) NT Cuba Landmarks Mexico Paraguay Puerto Rico Spain Hispanic heroes (HIHE) History (HIST) NT Civil rights Holidays USE Celebrations Landmarks BT Geography Mexico (MEX) BT Geography Music (MUS) RT Art Nature (NAT) RT Animals Paraguay (PAR) BT Geography Puerto Rico (PUE) BT Geography Recycling BT Environmentalism Segregation USE Civil rights Spain (SPA) BT Geography


Appendix E. Classification scheme 1. Scheme

Facet 1: Subject Facet 2: Author Facet 3: Lexile

Animals (ANI) See rule below. See rule below.

Art (ART)

Celebrations (CEL)

Cuba (CUBA)

Culture (CUL)

Environmentalism (ENV)

Folktales (FOLK)

Food (FOO)

Geography (GEO)

Hispanic heroes (HIHE)

History (HIST)

Mexico (MEX)

Music (MUS)

Nature (NAT)

Paraguay (PAR)

Puerto Rico (PUE)

Spain (SPA)

2. Notation rules Facet name: Subject Chief source of information: Subject element in the tag field of the catalog record Notation rules: Use the abbreviation for one of the subject controlled vocabulary terms (see Appendix D for abbreviations). If the CV term does not have an abbreviation listed follow the syndetic relationship to the broader term. This facet is three or four letters, all capitalized. This facet is required. This facet is ended with a period. Facet name: Author Chief source of information: Author field of the catalog record and title page of the item. Notation rules: Use the first three letters of the author’s last name. If more than one author exists use the name of the first author listed on the title page of the item. This facet is three letter, all capitalized. If there is no author omit this facet. This facet ends with a period. Facet name: Lexile Chief source of information: Lexile field of the catalog record Notation rules: Use the Lexile level number assigned to the item. This facet is a one to four digit number. If there is no Lexile level omit this facet. This facet ends in a period. 3. Rule for unique number The unique number ensures that each and every item in the collection has a distinct classification number. To create the unique number append the record number assigned in Libib to the end of the classification number. This is a four digit number attached to the end of the facets. If the record number assigned is less than four digits add zeros to the front of the number to reach four digits. There is no period at the end of this facet. 4. Example Item: Ada’s Violin: the Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood. Subject: Music, represented MUS. Author: Hood, represented HOO. Lexile: 820. Record number: 491, represented 0491.


Classification number: MUS.HOO.820.0491


Appendix F. Name authority file

1. Record content and input rules Field #: 1 Field name: AuthorizedName Semantics: The single authorized form of a name that is acceptable for use in this database. Input rules: Use the most widely recognized form of the name. If the most widely recognized form is a pseudonym use the most widely recognized form of the entity’s true name and enter the pseudonym into the VariantNames field. Names of individuals are entered Lastname, comma, Firstname using name style capitalization. Middle names, initials, titles, and honorifics are used only if necessary to distinguish one individual from another of the same name and are entered Lastname, comma, Firstname, comma, individualizing information. For entities that are not individuals, such as businesses, enter the title of the entity in the most widely recognized form, whether that be an abbreviation or a spelled out name. Words are entered in natural order with regular capitalization. Example: Hood, Susan; Random House Books Field #: 2 Field name: VariantNames Semantics: Names by which an entity may be identified that are not the authorized form. Input rules: Variant names include pennames, pseudonyms, birth names, married names, nicknames, alternate spellings, or variations in fullness of name (e.g. middle names, titles). Names entered are spelled exactly as they are found and are not inverted. Names are capitalized following standard name capitalization rules. Variant names are added to the file as they are encountered. Example: Susanna Hood, Suzy Hood Field #: 3 Field name: SourcesUsed Semantics: Source referenced in determining the authorized form of a name. Input rules: Enter the title of the source in full form, natural order, title-style capitalization, followed by a comma and the four digit year of publication or access. If the source is a website enter the web address in all lowercase. Example: www.susanhoodbooks.com, 2018 2. Sample records AuthorizedName: Ada, Alma Flor VariantNames: Alma Flor Ada, Alma Flor Ada-Fuente, Alma Flor Ada-Lafuente SourcesUsed: Library of Congress Name Authorities, 2018 AuthorizedName: Bullard, Lisa VariantNames: Lisa J. Bullard, Lisa Bullard Jones SourcesUsed: www.lisabullard.com, 2018 AuthorizedName: Colon, Raul VariantNames: SourcesUsed: Library of Congress Name Authorities, 2018 AuthorizedName: Cuellar, Olga VariantNames: Olga Cuellar Serrano SourcesUsed: Library of Congress Name Authorities, 2018 AuthorizedName: Herrera, Juan VariantNames: Juan Felipe Herrera SourcesUsed: Library of Congress Name Authorities, 2018


AuthorizedName: Hood, Susan VariantNames: Susanna Hood, Suzy Hood SourcesUsed: www.susanhoodbooks.com, 2018 AuthorizedName: Juarez, Christine VariantNames: Christy Juarez, Christie Juarez SourcesUsed: Library of Congress Name Authorities, 2018 AuthorizedName: Roth, Susan VariantNames: Susan L. Roth, Suzy Roth, Suzy L. Roth SourcesUsed: www.susanlroth.com, 2018 AuthorizedName: Thong, Roseanne VariantNames: Rose Ann Thong, Roseanne Greenfield-Thong SourcesUsed: www.greenfield-thong.com, 2018 AuthorizedName: Tonatiuh, Duncan VariantNames: SourcesUsed: www.duncantonatiuh.com, 2018


Appendix G. Sample records

Hispanic Heritage: Information Organization System · to create an organization system to aid...

Documents

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