Rockymountain Wilderness Survival Library: Information Organization Project

Jason MooreSpring 2012

SLIS 5200 TXWI-ADraft 4

Rockymountain Wilderness Survival Library:Information Organization System

1. Project description

1.1. Collection and information objects

This collection, the Rockymountain Wilderness Survival Library, is housed in the Philmont Training Center at the Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico. The collection consists of 1200 non-fiction books of the following types: general wilderness survival guides, field guides, regional historical accounts, handbooks, and atlases. The subject coverage in this collection is broad and includes, but is not limited to, Northern New Mexican geography, Native American history and culture, regional plant and animal identification, orienteering, cooking and food preparation, outdoor sporting, hiking, and camping. This collection is used as a supplement to official Boy Scouts of America publications for use by troop leaders and camp counselors. For this reason, items are borrowed primarily in relation to official camp programs and activities. Materials are purchased through limited grant funds and collection growth relies solely on donations from Boy Scouts of America members and alumni.

1.2. Users' demographics and knowledge

This collection is strictly limited to use by visiting Boy Scout troop leaders and Philmont camp counselors. These two user groups can be considered together demographically as consisting primarily of educated middle-class males of generally high socio-economic status, ranging between eighteen and forty-five years of age. Most of these users should have similar cultural backgrounds and can be considered to be comfortable with a moderately complex information retrieval system.

In order to best understand the various decisions that factor into the way in which this system is designed, the users’ level of knowledge of the four following types should be considered: general, domain, system, and information seeking. These knowledge types represent what users bring along with them before their interaction what a system and must be recognized and accounted for in a system's design in order to accomplish the best possible user experience. General knowledge is defined as knowledge related to a user’s intellectual capabilities, their life experiences, and their attitudes and inclinations. Users of this system can be considered to have a high level of general knowledge because of their relatively strong educational backgrounds as well as their generally high socio-economic status. Domain knowledge can be defined as the users’ over-all level of knowledge of the subject material of the collection. This system’s users can be considered to possess a high level of domain knowledge related to the subjects covered by this collection. Since all users of this collection serve in a roll of general authority and expertise, their level of understanding of these subject areas should be well above novice. System knowledge can be defined as a broad understanding of the structures, architectures, and technical aspects information systems. Users of this system have a mostly moderate level of knowledge in this area. A large majority of them are comfortable with high-level computing tasks such as word processing, general internet use, as well as navigation and configuration of an operating system’s basic graphical user interface. There are some users with a lower-than-moderate understanding of systems, but it can be safely assumed that these

users are capable of receiving assistance from more technically proficient colleagues. Information seeking knowledge can be defined as a user’s ability to search for, retrieve, and use information. Most users of this system have a low to moderate level of information seeking knowledge. While many of these users are familiar with searching for information online, only a small sub section of them have any experience with concepts such as Boolean operators, regular expressions, or classification systems. Because of these factors, a relatively simple system that relies heavily on the user's domain knowledge is most appropriate.

1.3. Users' problems and questions

When interacting with the system, users look for material that is related to specific activities and programs that take place at the camp but are not sufficiently covered by material in official Boy Scouts of America publications. Because of this, many of the questions that users have are subject oriented, but users often request items from specific publishers and authors, especially in the case of field guides and historical texts. A random sampling of questions asked by users of this system is as follows:

User question 1: I am looking for a couple of books on general orienteering skills, preferably illustrated and including supplemental materials such as a map and possibly a protractor. I would like to use them in order to prepare for a map and compass activity with my scouts. Can you help me find some that I can check out?Object attributes: Subject, Type, Illustrations, Supplemental Materials, Related ActivityDesired precision: HighDesired recall: Moderate

User question 2: I was at a meeting the other day and I heard someone mention some books about the history of Native Americans in this region, I think I heard the name Veronica Tiller mentioned as an author, I think one of them was called Tiller’s Guide to Indian Country. I’d like to find some other books by her, but if you don’t have any, I’d like to check out a few books on that subject anyway. Object attributes: Author, Title Subject, TypeDesired precision: HighDesired recall: Moderate

User question 3: I’m looking for four or five field guides on poisonous plants and animals from this area. We’re planning a hike and I need something a little more specific than what is included in my Boy Scout Manual and relatively easy for the youngsters to understand. I’ve heard that Peterson Field Guides are really great. It would help if they were illustrated and small enough to carry on the trail. Object attributes: Subject, Type, Content Difficulty, Publisher, Dimensions, Related Activity, IllustrationsDesired precision: ModerateDesired recall: High

User question 4: I need to check out a handbook on basic shooting and archery skills. It’s for the beginner’s shooting and archery program, so I need it to be pretty basic. I’d like it to include pictures as well. Object attributes: Subject, Type, Content Difficulty, Related Activity, IllustrationsDesired precision: ModerateDesired recall: Low

As these questions suggest, attributes that are important to the users of this collection and that should be included in the system records are as follows: author, title, publisher, subject, type, content difficulty, illustrations, related activity, supplemental materials, and physical dimensions. It will be necessary to include the ISBN of every title so that lost materials can be more easily replace in the event that funding becomes available.

2. Representation of information objects

2.1. Entity level

Each record-- or collection of fields taken from metadata elements-- in a database represents one entity, or part, of the collection. The totality of these records, when viewed together, is a representation of the collection as a whole. For this to occur adequately, it is important to first identify the entity level, or the portion of the collection of which a single record makes a description. This level of representation creates a relationship between the structure of the system and the information objects of which it is composed that can be standardized across the entire collection. Declaring what constitutes the entity level of a collection determines what each record represents. In the case of this collection, each record describes a single book. Since users never have a reason to specifically request any entity below this level-- such as a single chapter, or a single page-- it is appropriate to set the baseline of what constitutes an entity in the collection at the level of an individual bound monograph.

2.2. Metadata elements and semantics

Each of the eleven attributes listed in section 1.3 translates to a single metadata element used to provide descriptions of the objects that are effective and useful to the user. The Title and Author of each book are included as elements due to their being the most easily identifiable attributes that are nearly unique to a specific work. Also included are the Subject and the Type of work represented by the objects which give insight into both their structure and intellectual content. Elements like Content Difficulty and Related Activity provide a connection between specific programs and activities at the camp and the intellectual content of the book. Other elements, such as Illustrations and Supplemental Materials, help to identify a work based on its potential use. Publisher, ISBN, and Classification are also included as elements, both for internal purposes, as well as for their potential to be used by patrons. For a detailed list of these metadata elements and semantics, see Appendix A.

Beyond the task of simply providing a description of the objects that make up the collection, these metadata elements should support the four essential user tasks, or activities that are necessary for a user to perform when attempting to access an item from the collection: finding, identifying, selecting, and obtaining. Finding refers to generating results that respond to the query entered by a user. This task is potentially supported by any searchable field that can be applied to multiple items, but more often is supported by content-descriptive elements such as Subject and Type. This is because most users approach the collection with some idea of what type of content they are looking for. Identifying refers to the process of determining whether or not the objects described by the records are the same as the ones sought out by the user. This task is supported by the more unique elements such as Title, Author, and potentially, ISBN since they are less likely to be repeated elsewhere in the collection. Selecting refers to isolating specific results that respond to the user's particular information needs. This task is supported by content-related elements that are more specific than subject, such as Content Difficulty and Related Activity. This is because most of the users of this system are looking for items with relation to a specific program at the camp or that are at a certain difficulty level. Obtaining refers to the process of actually locating the physical object to be utilized by the patron. This task is mainly supported by the Classification element.

2.3. Record structure and specifications

Since each of the elements represented in the metadata scheme can easily translate into exactly one field, the only additional fields in the record structure are RecordID, RecordDate, and Classification (See Appendix B) This amounts to a total of fourteen fields in the record structure for this database. There are specific database management reasons for including these additional fields. The RecordID field serves as

the primary key for the database and functions as a way to uniquely identify each record in the system. This field has no use for the end user and instead supports database management work by allowing a cataloger or system administrator to pull up individual records by executing a simple query. The RecordDate field serves a similar purpose in that it is mostly administrative in nature. This field places a timestamp on each record which provides a context for catalogers and system administrators pertaining to when a record was created. This can support a number of administrative functions, from statistical reporting to quality control. The Classification field allows the system to provide a code for the book’s physical location in the collection.

Technical specifications for the system are what controls how data is entered into the database as well as how it is organized and stored. There are four types of technical specifications for each field in the database record structure. These specifications are: Field Type, Indexing, Entry Validation, and Content Validation. The Field Type specification determines what kind of data is stored by the field. Every field, other than RecordID and RecordDate, is a text field that stores data as text. This means that the data entered into these fields is stored as text that has no numerical value. The RecordID field is of the field type “autonumber.” This field type is stored as an integer value that automatically advances as each new record is added to the system. The RecordDate field is of the field type “autodate” which stores a date value that retrieves the current date from the user’s system upon creation of a record.

The Indexing specification determines the way in which each field is searched in the database. Indexing the fields allows the database’s search engine to determine what constitutes a direct match to a user’s query. The two types of indexing available for fields in this database are Word and Term indexing. Word indexing allows for each word in an input field to be indexed separately so that when a user performs a query, the words are considered on an individual basis, without being contextually related to the rest of the data stored in the field. Term indexing indexes each full input value for a field. When this is done, full input values—such as a single subject term that may be composed of multiple words-- must be matched exactly by a query in order to be returned as a result. The fields: Author, Title, Subject, Type, Related Activity, Supplements, Illustrations and Publisher, are indexed using both Term and Word indexing specifications. This is due to the type of information contained in the field and how it is input by catalogers. Each input value for these fields has the potential to contain more than one word and need to be found through non-specific querying on occasion. The remaining fields: RecordID, RecordDate, ISBN, Content Difficulty, and Physical Descriptions, are indexed using only the Word indexing specification. This is because these fields will always only contain a single unit of information rather than a string of words. Because of this, there is only one way for a user to search these fields.

The Entry Validation specification determines the amount of content a cataloger must enter into a field and whether the value of the input is required to be unique to a single record. There are three possible states for this specification that can all be used simultaneously: Required, Single, and Unique. The Required state of entry validation necessitates that the field must have a value in order for the database record to be saved. This state ensures that important identifying fields such as Author, Title, Subject, and ISBN are always included in every record. It also forces the cataloger to provide information that is important to a majority of the collection's patrons such as Related Activity, Content Difficulty, and Physical Dimensions. The Single state of entry validation limits a field's ability to contain multiple values. This entry validation is used to ensure that a field that can have only one possible value does not contain multiple ones, which can be misleading to the user. Fields that require this validation are Title, ISBN, Type, Content Difficulty, Publisher, and Physical Dimensions. The third state of entry validation is Unique. This state makes it a requirement that no two records have the same value for the corresponding field. The only fields in this system that use this form of validation are RecordID and ISBN. These two fields are required to contain unique values for each record since they are referring to discrete objects. The RecordID field is the only place where the record itself is identified as unique in the database, and the ISBN number is the only piece of metadata that specifies a distinct book from the collection, since it is conceivably possible that two books can share the same title. The only fields in this database that do not

require any form of entry validation are Supplements and Illustrations, since not every title will have the attributes described by these fields.

The Content Validation specification allows input values to be checked against either a specified format or a list of predefined values-- rejecting any input that does not meet the specification. The former is known as a mask. It is used to fit data into a strictly defined format. It is applied to fields that require values to be a certain length or to be delimited in a specific way with specific characters. The only field in this database that uses the mask form of content validation is Physical Dimensions. This field is required to display the object's dimensions in a specific format, the mask for which is ##X##X##. There are several fields in this database that utilize controlled vocabularies that are defined by validation lists. These fields are Type, Related Activity, Content Difficulty, Supplements and Illustrations. These fields are able to be governed by controlled vocabularies due to the finite amount of values that can be accepted as input. For a detailed list of specifications, see Appendix B.

2.4. Record content and input rules

The content of all fields is governed, to a certain extent, by input rules. These rules determine what is an acceptable way for the cataloger to input a record. The only fields in this database that are not governed by input rules are RecordID, RecordDate, Title, Subject and Publisher. Other than RecordID and RecordDate, two fields with automated input, these fields vary too much to be restricted by rules that do not allow for these differences. The rest of the fields are governed by rules in order to provide the user with the most coherent experience possible. For fields that only have a small number of available options, it is important to establish a controlled vocabulary in order to create a one to one connection when the user executes a query. The controlled vocabulary is established by creating a list of possible input values. If a user enters a value that is not on the list, the record cannot be saved in the system.

Finding a chief source of information for each field is important because it ensures that the cataloger is not working in a void. The creation and maintenance of records is far more efficient when the cataloger can easily locate the necessary data when handling the object. The majority of fields in this database are sourced from the actual content of the book. This is somewhat problematic in a few cases where the value of a field must be determined using the cataloger's discretion and interpretation of the material. This is acceptable though due to the fact that all catalogers working on this system are required to have a high level of domain knowledge and some level of experience with the specific materials being cataloged. The catalogers of this particular questions are already staff members at the park and have more than a passing familiarity with the content of the potentially problematic fields. For a detailed list of input rules by field number, see Appendix C.

3. Access and authority control

Due to the variant nature of many metadata elements, it is necessary to have some governance over the data input and searching of a database in order to achieve the highest level of collocation and recall. Establishing this governance is known as authority control. Authority control allows for all of the known variations of subject terms, author names and titles to be recognized as related to agreed-upon standard versions of the terms. There are two primary forms of authority control that come in to use in information systems: name authority control, and subject authority control.

Name authority control is the form of authority work that deals specifically with the names of people and organizations. This usually encompasses authors, publishers, performers, artists and other figures involved in the creation of a work. Because these names are often referred to by many variant forms—abbreviations, initials, pseudonyms, etc. — a standardized name for each entity must be established. This standardized version is referred to as the authorized name. Authorized names are stored in a separate

database, known as an authority file, which catalogers can consult in order to determine the proper name to place in the bibliographic record for a work. Within the authority file, authorized names are stored in records that contain a field for all known variant forms of the name. The bibliographic record is then linked to the authority record so that any author search carried out by an end user will automatically cross reference variant names in order to assure all relevant records are recalled.

Subject authority control is the form of authority work that ensures that subject metadata contained in a database is collocated through the use of validation lists and subject authority files, or thesauri, which are structured syndetically—meaning that terms are cross-referenced to show their semantic relationships. This allows related terminology to be grouped together in a way that recognizes equivalency, hierarchy, and association. A thesaurus is used in this system to govern the input for the Subject field since it is more complex and has a higher probability to contain complicated semantic relationships than any other field. When subject authority control is used properly, the end user should be able to more easily recall relevant records without having previous knowledge of preferred terminology or their search term’s placement in a hierarchy.

4. Representation of information content

4.1. Subject access

Metadata elements that are not related to the physical description of an information object but instead describe its intellectual content are known as subject representations. Since most end users are looking for materials based on the information they contain, subject is one of the most important access points for searching the collection. This is why it is necessary that subject access be handled well through authority control so that the end user does not have to use a process of trial and error when searching by subject before finding any relevant content. Fields that provide subject access in this system are Subject, Type, Related Activity, and Content Difficulty.

There are several forms of subject authority control, a few of which are briefly mentioned in section three of this document. The most prevalent of these are controlled vocabularies, subject headings and terms, and classification. A controlled vocabulary assists in subject authority control in much the same way as a name authority file does in name authority control. It attempts to determine, from a wealth of variants, an authorized form of a subject term. This is achieved when the controlled vocabulary for a field is created with the domain, and the uses’ knowledge of it, under consideration. The system for this collection contains two systems for implementing controlled vocabularies for fields. As mentioned elsewhere in this document, one of these is a simple input validation list that forces catalogers to choose from a list of authorized terms rather than using natural language. This is implemented in a variety of subject fields. The other system is the thesaurus which is used to establish relationships between terms and their variants as well as synonyms and associated terms.

Subject headings are also used to implement subject authority control. Subject headings are maintained in a subject authority file known as a subject headings list. These headings represent a broad domain that can include many narrower subject areas. For example, in this database, the subject heading “Recreation” includes the narrower subjects of “boating,” “archery,” “fishing,” and so on. The subject heading file, much like a thesaurus, will establish these relationships while defining the narrower terms as preferred rather than “recreation,” since that is included in the Related Activity field.

Classification schemes are also used to promote collocation by physically organizing information objects by their subject metadata. This facilitates the actual retrieval of the object from the stacks by an end user who has identified it as a satisfactory response to their query. This is achieved by identifying a number of

facets that are abbreviated and placed together to create a code that determines a material’s placement on a shelf.

All of these models are achieved though subject analysis which is the act of analyzing the content of information objects in order to determine its concern. Subject analysis is performed through familiarization with content, extraction of terminology directly from the content, and translation of the extracted terms into terms that are validated by the controlled vocabulary and then utilizing input rules to ensure correct spelling , punctuation, format, etc.

4.2. Thesaurus structure

A thesaurus is used for authority control on the Subject field in this system since it is not regulated by a validation list like the other content-derived fields like Type and Related Activity. This is because many of the subject terms used in this system are derived from natural language and the amount of subjects is too vast to be regulated by a simple list. The thesaurus is also necessary because the possible relationships between the subject terms are far more complex than those in other fields. The controlled vocabulary created by the thesaurus is a list of terms that are authorized for input with their relationship to terms that are semantically related to them and can be used as search terms by an end user. The related terms are not authorized for input but are still recognized as valid by the search engine through cross-referencing the thesaurus.

This is achieved through the syndetic structure of the thesaurus where the semantic relationships between authorized and non-authorized terms are established. Three semantic relationships are recognized by the thesaurus: equivalency, hierarchy, and association. A non-authorized term is equivalent to an authorized term when they are synonyms or homonyms, or equal in meaning. Equivalency is expressed in the thesaurus with the statement “USE FOR.” For example, the authorized term “Recreation” should be used in place of the non-authorized term “Sports” since sport engaged in at the camp are more often referred to simply as recreational activities.

A non-authorized term has a hierarchical relationship to an authorized term when it is either a domain of which the authorized term is a part or if it is part of a subdomain of an authorized term. For instance the term non-authorized term “Boating” is a broader term than the authorized term “Canoeing.” This is because canoeing is the only specific type of boating activity that is engaged in at the camp. The term “Boating” in this example would be notated in the thesaurus with BT for broader term in that it is a broader term than “Canoeing.” If the relationship were reversed, the term would be notated with NT for narrower term.

Two authorized terms can be related as well in a way that is neither synonymous nor hierarchical. This is an associative relationship. These terms share some sort of characteristics but cannot be considered to mean exactly the same thing. A good example of an associative relationship between terms in this system is the two authorized terms “Safety” and “Emergency Preparation.” These terms clearly do not mean the same thing but are related in that they share many qualities. The thesaurus states that these two terms are related with the reciprocal RT or related term.

The domain of the thesaurus, or what it covers, is the different wilderness survival related areas that are covered by the books in the collection such as camping, or botany. Since there are no specific limitations to these subjects, the scope is the same as the domain. The exhuastivity of the thesaurus, or how many different subject terms are provided, is low in that it only summarizes the main topics of each book rather than all sub-topics as well as topics of individual sub-units of each work. This is because users search the system looking for titles that cover mostly individual subjects rather than broad arrays of sub-topics. Use of the thesaurus allows for higher precision in subject searching as well as the possibility for higher recall.

4.3. Classification scheme

Classification of physical materials allows for them to be grouped together on the shelf in such a way that maximizes collocation of the aspects of the material that are most important for browsing by users of a collection. If the materials in the collection are classified well, they will be placed in a way that will allow a user to discover more relevant material upon approaching the shelf to retrieve a specific item. It also allows the user to find the specific item within the collection rather than having to search through an unorganized array of items. This makes classification perhaps the single most important part of the organization system being implemented.

There are two different types of classification schemes: hierarchical and faceted. Hierarchical schemes place materials in categories and sub-categories based on their subject material. These schemes, most predominant of which is the Library of Congress Classification scheme and the Dewey Decimal System, are best suited for large collections with a complex array of hierarchical subjects such as Chemistry which is a sub-category of Science. This would be represented in the classification scheme where the first part of the code would represent the highest hierarchical level, Science, followed by a portion that would represent the sub-category, Chemistry. The other type of scheme, faceted, uses portions of the code to determine specific aspects of the bibliographic metadata for the object that is not is not hierarchical. A faceted classification scheme that includes chemistry would not place it under Science because, perhaps, it is a scheme for a much less complex collection that is dedicated to the domain of science. This would render the higher level of classification unnecessary.

The classification scheme for this collection is a faceted one that includes facets for Related Activity, Author, and Title. This scheme is used because most users look for material that is related to an activity at the camp so it would make sense that all materials related to each activity should be grouped together on the shelf. Since each title has the potential to be related to more than one activity, the first activity listed is considered the primary activity and will be used for this facet. Beyond that, users are comfortable with books being arranged alphabetically by author, so that concept is retained in the scheme. For the third facet, each title is arranged alphabetically by title. This represents a relatively simple classification scheme that works for the users of this collection.

The facets are derived by using codes that are created by following relatively simple rules, the extent of which are detailed in Appendix E. The first facet, related activity, is derived from the first listed term in the Related Activity field of the bibliographic record. The code is then created by taking the first three letters of the first word. The second facet is derived from the author’s name and is generally taken from the first three letters of their last name. The last facet is taken from the Title field in the bibliographic record and uses the first three letters of the title, unless the title begins with a number, which is omitted. The facets are separated by hyphens. A unique number is appended to the end of the classification code to maintain each specific item’s individual status within the collection. This number is taken from the RecordID field in the bibliographic record and is preceded in the code by a colon.

The following example code is derived from the book Be Expert at Map and Compass. The primary related activity for this book is orienteering classes so the first facet of the code is ORI. The author’s last name is Kjellstrom so the second facet is KJE and the title is outlined above, so the third facet is BEE, the final code looks like this: ORI-KJE-BEE: 2.

5. Name authority control

Name authority control is the process used to standardize names of individuals and organizations during the design of an information system. The need for name authority control arises out of the problem that many authors as well as organizations responsible for the creation of information objects do not always

go by the same exact name. This is because these entities sometimes abbreviate their names, have the spelling of their names changed through translation and misspelling, use titles before or after their proper names, change the word order of their names, work under pseudonyms or completely change their names altogether. This problem results in many authors and organizations being represented by many variant names. Because of this, both technical and end users of information systems are faced with the difficult challenge of figuring out which name to use when searching the system or when inputting records. Without any standardization in place to help with this, the recall of a search for an author's or organization's name may have significantly low recall, especially if the user is looking for a name that has a many variations.

Name authority control in this system is accomplished through the creation of a separate database, called a name authority file that contains a single record for each individual or organization under its control. Both the Author field and the Publisher field in the main database are under control of the name authority file. Many of the materials in this system are authored by people who use titles, people with foreign names that have undergone translation, and names that have been abbreviated. Many users of the system will already attempt to search for author names in the correct order of entry but this is not true for every user, so the name authority file must include variant orders for names as well. Much of the material in this collection is not current, with publication dates that are decades old. The publishers of much of the material are small organizations that may not currently be active and if active may not be using the same name as the one printed in the material itself. This is why the name authority file covers the many possible variant names of the organizations responsible for publishing the material in this collection.

Each record in the name authority file contains five fields: RecordID, RecordDate, AuthorizedName, VariantNames, and SourcesUsed. RecordID and RecordDate, much like in the main database for the system, are included for administrative purposes. AuthorizedName establishes the only form of the name to be used in the main database for the corresponding field. This ensures that the name is fully standardized since no other form can be used when the technical user is inputing records. VariantNames includes a list of all known variations of the author's name. What constitutes an actual variation to be placed in the file is determined by the rules outlined in Appendix F. SourcesUsed provides documentation of all sources referred to when both determining the authorized name as well as collecting and adding variant names.

End users of the system may reference the name authority file when an author search either returns insufficient results or inaccurate results, in order to determine if they are using a variant and unauthorized form of the author's name. If a search of the name authority file reveals that this is the case, the user can resubmit their search of the main database using the authorized form of the author's name. This increases recall in situations where a search returns little to no results due to the use of an unauthorized name while reducing recall in situations where a search returns too many or inaccurate results of authors whose authorized name in the system matches an unauthorized name of a different author. The same is true in rare instances when a user searches the system by publisher rather than author.

6. System evaluation and development

6.1. Performance test

Performance testing occurred in an office environment under direct observation. A subject was selected who fit the profile of a typical user of this system. After selection, the subject was given a preliminary interview to collect his demographic information as well as his knowledge of and comfort with information retrieval systems and library environments. The subject is a former boy scout in his early thirties. He comes from an upper middle-class background and considers himself fairly comfortable with information

systems and seeking behaviors. His level of general knowledge is high due to his cultural background as well as his extensive education. His domain knowledge level is high due to his history with boy scouts and other subject areas related to the collection and his system knowledge is slightly above average. The user was given a briefing on the history of the collection as well as provided with general information about the camp and its programs. He was also provided access to the system's thesaurus as well as its name authority file. Some slight explanation was needed concerning the use of these tools as well as a brief introduction to the mechanics of the system's search form. After this, the user was given a print-out including the four user identified in section1.3 of this document. After the user performed searches to find materials corresponding to the questions listed, a brief spoken interview was conducted in order to assess the effectiveness of the system.

User question 1: I am looking for a couple of books on general orienteering skills, preferably illustrated and including supplemental materials such as a map and possibly a protractor. I would like to use them in order to prepare for a map and compass activity with my scouts. Can you help me find some that I can check out?Object attributes: Subject, Type, Illustrations, Supplemental Materials, Related ActivityDesired precision: HighDesired recall: ModerateProbable precision: High Probable recall: LowQuery formulation (n): First attempt- Field: Subject, Input: Orienteering AND Field: Supplemental Materials, Input: Maps, Instruments; Second Attempt- Field: Related Activity, Input: Orienteering Classes Analysis of results: The first search performed by the user only returned one result due to the fact that only one book in the system provides the type of supplemental materials asked for in the question. This a result of there only being records for ten items in the system. Taking this into consideration, the user decided he would like to search for books that fit the other criteria. Since the question references classes on orienteering, the user decided to search by the program in the system. This query returned two results. While this does not drastically increase the recall, it does show better performance.

User question 2: I was at a meeting the other day and I heard someone mention some books about the history of Native Americans in this region, I think I heard the name Veronica Tiller mentioned as an author, I think one of them was called Tiller’s Guide to Indian Country. I’d like to find some other books by her, but if you don’t have any, I’d like to check out a few books on that subject anyway. Object attributes: Author, Title Subject, TypeDesired precision: HighDesired recall: ModerateProbable precision: High Probable recall: LowQuery formulation (n): First Attempt- Field: Author, Input: Tiller, Veronica; Second Attempt- Field: Author, Input: Velarde, Veronica; Third Attempt- Field: Subject, Input: HistoryAnalysis of results: Since the user forgot to consult the name authority file before performing an author search, he used an unauthorized form of the author's name. Because of this, the system returned no results for his search. He then verified the authorized version of the author's name and got one result. The title in the system is not the same one in the question but since the one title cataloged still fit the requirements of the question it was considered an adequate result. The user then decided to attempt a subject search to find some similar titles. The subject search returned two results, one of which was the book that had been requested already. This may not have boosted the number of results to the desired level of recall but it was deemed acceptable by the user.

User question 3: I’m looking for four or five field guides on poisonous plants and animals from this area. We’re planning a hike and I need something a little more specific than what is included in my Boy Scout

Manual and relatively easy for the youngsters to understand. I’ve heard that Peterson Field Guides are really great. It would help if they were illustrated and small enough to carry on the trail. Object attributes: Subject, Type, Content Difficulty, Publisher, Dimensions, Related Activity, IllustrationsDesired precision: ModerateDesired recall: HighProbable precision: ModerateProbable recall: LowQuery formulation (n): Field: Type, Input: Field Guide; Field: Content Difficulty, Input: IntermediateAnalysis of results: The user's query only returned one result but it was exactly what he was looking for. However, it was decided upon further analysis that the Content Difficulty field could present problems for recall since the other field guide title in the system is labeled as Advanced difficulty but could have potentially been useful to the user. This title was not returned as a search result and would only have come back if that field were left out of the query or if the search were performed for titles that have an advanced content difficulty level. If this query were performed this way, the user would not be able to find titles that are listed as basic or intermediate.

User question 4: I need to check out a handbook on basic shooting and archery skills. It’s for the beginner’s shooting and archery program, so I need it to be pretty basic. I’d like it to include pictures as well. Object attributes: Subject, Type, Content Difficulty, Related Activity, IllustrationsDesired precision: ModerateDesired recall: LowProbable precision: ModerateProbable recall: LowQuery formulation (n): Field: Subject, Input: Archery; Field: Related Activity, Input: Recreation Programs; Field: Content Difficulty, Input: basic; Field: Illustrations, Input: Color PhotographsAnalysis of results: The user's initial query returned only one result but since that is what is requested in the question, this was considered adequate. Furthermore, the result was a perfect match for the requested material. The only problem identified was in the ambiguity of the related activity field value “Recreation Programs.” This name is somewhat ambiguous and could potentially cause confusion for a user that is unaware that the archery and shooting classes are part of a broader category. However, this would be apparent to a user who is familiar with the structure of the camp.

While the performance test served to identify a number of areas in need of improvement, it also highlighted some aspects of the system that worked well in helping the user to find and identify the proper materials to answer the provided user questions. Potential problems that were identified included issues with the Related Activities and Content Difficulty fields. The Related Activities field has values on its validation list that were potentially unclear or too broad for some searches. For instance, User question 4 requests material related to the archery program at the camp. This program is considered part of the broader recreational programs sector of related activities. While a user familiar with the camp's programs and how they are organized would know this, it would maximize usability of the system to provide a list of all specific programs. The Content Difficulty field proved to be especially problematic though since the nature of a title's difficulty level is highly subjective. This could lead a user to miss potentially adequate materials for their searches when they are searching based on this field.

The test identified that both the name authority file and the thesaurus proved very beneficial to the user since some of the subject terms used in the system may not perfectly match a user's information seeking behaviors or their personal vocabulary regarding possible subject queries and because one of the questions uses an alternate form of one of the author names used in the system. They Type field worked well since many users of the system look for books by this criteria and the user knew to that searching by this field would help him to find the specific kind of material requested.

The user reported that the overall use of the system was fairly easy but suggested that problems with the Content Difficulty field be addressed above all else. He thought that it was a potentially helpful feature but that it may be more useful to have it split into two fields where the user could rank them in importance. He suggested that the fields be labeled with something like “Content Difficulty First Choice” and “Content Difficulty Second Choice” so that if a user does not retrieve adequate results, they can broaden their search by adding the secondary difficulty level. He felt that the Related Activities field could be broadened to include other more specific programs for the sake of search-ability. He also suggested that a few more subject terms be added to the system for the sake of clarification.

6.2. Change and development

Based on the results of performance testing, a number of potential changes to the system have been identified. It has been decided that the content-difficulty field will be split out into primary and secondary fields with the option of searching on only the primary field or searching on both. This gives the user the ability to broaden or narrow their search at will, allowing for the desired amount of recall in search results. The suggestion of broadening options for the Related Activities field was decided against due to the fact that it would unnecessarily complicate the classification scheme for the collection. If too many specific programs were identified, there would be entire sections of the collection that would have little to no materials available. Because of this, though, it was decided that the related activity, orienteering classes, was potentially too narrow but was kept since it does not easily fit under a broader program.

It has also been noted that it may not be necessary to specify the specific types of illustrations present in a work. Users are not likely to search with that level of specificity. During the design process, it was noticed that it would not be possible to execute a query searching for a title that simply includes illustrations. The system requires the user to select a specific kind of illustration. This could have been avoided by splitting the Illustrations field into two separate fields, much like the proposed new Content Difficulty field. The user would then have the ability to use one field to request that illustrations be present and another field to specify the type of illustration, if this is an important detail. A minor problem was recognized in the masked format of the Physical Dimensions field. It is not possible, based on the way that input validation is set up, to use fractional values. This requires that the user round the value up in order for it to fit inside the input mask. It may be worth considering making a change in the validation for this field to allow for decimals.

If this project had access to more flexible and dynamic software as well as the funds to hire competent developers and programmers, many other changes would have been considered. For instance, it would be useful to be able to integrate the thesaurus and the name authority file into the system to allow for automatic input validation. It would also be beneficial to have more leverage over design of the user interface, especially regarding the search form.

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.13

Appendix A. Metadata elements and semantics

No. Element name Semantics1 Title The work's proper name, as given on the title page2 Author The creator of the work3 Type The kind of work that is represented; such as field guide, handbook, atlas,

etc.4 Subject Topic or topics covered by the work5 Content Difficulty Level of difficulty of the work's subject matter: basic, intermediate, or

advanced6 Illustrations Images printed in and as a part of the work7 Supplemental

MaterialMaterials that are included with the work but are not bound with the volume

8 Related Activity Official camp program or activity that is related to the work in a significant way

9 Physical Dimensions Measurements, in inches, of the work's length, width, and depth10 Publisher The entity responsible for the printing, binding, and distribution of the work11 ISBN The International Standard Book Number 12 Classification The call number denoting the item’s physical location in the collection

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.14

Appendix B. Record structure and specifications

1. Record structure specifications

No. Field name Field type Indexing Entry validation Content validation

1 RecordID Autonumber Term None None2 RecordDate Autodate Term None None3 Author Text Term, Word Required None4 Title Text Term, Word Required, Single None5 ISBN Text Word Required, Single None6 Subject Text Term, Word Required None7 Type Text Term, Word Single List box8 Related Activity Text Term, Word Required List box9 Content Difficulty Text Word Required, Single List box

10 Supplements Text Term, Word None List box11 Illustrations Text Term, Word None List box12 Publisher Text Term, Word Single None13 Physical Dimensions Text Word Required, Single Mask14 Classification Text Word Required, Single None

2. Textbase structure

Textbase: C:\Users\jason w moore\Documents\SPRING 2012 5200 DB FILES\jwm1Created: 2/23/2012 2:43:50 AMModified: 2/23/2012 2:43:50 AM

Field Summary: 1. RecordID: Automatic Number(next avail=1, increm=1), Term 2. RecordDate: Automatic Date(Both Date and Time,When Created), Term 3. Author: Text, Term & Word Validation: required 4. Title: Text, Term & Word Validation: required, single-only 5. ISBN: Text, Word Validation: required, single-only 6. Subject: Text, Term & Word Validation: required 7. Type: Text, Term & Word Validation: required, valid-list 8. Related Activity: Text, Term & Word Validation: required, valid-list 9. Content Difficulty: Text, Word Validation: required, single-only, valid-list 10. Supplements: Text, Term & Word Validation: valid-list 11. Illustrations: Text, Term & Word Validation: valid-list 12. Publisher: Text, Term & Word Validation: single-only 13. Physical Dimensions: Text, Word Validation: required, single-only, mask ##X##X## 14. Classification: Text, Word Validation: required, single-only

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.15

Appendix C. Record content and input rules

Field # 1Field Name: RecordIDSemantics: Unique identifying number for each record Chief Source of Information: SystemInput Rules: None

Field # 2Field Name: RecordDateSemantics: Timestamp of the date of record creationChief Source of Information: SystemInput Rules: None

Field # 3Field Name: Author Semantics: Creator of the workChief Source of Information: Title page of the book Input Rules: The author's name should be input in the following format: LastName, FirstName, MiddleInitial. If a text has multiple authors, only include the first one listed. Example: Kjellstron, Bjorn

Field # 4Field Name: Title Semantics: The proper name associated with the workChief Source of Information: Title page of the bookInput Rules: Use capitalization for all words in the title besides articles. Do not include leading articles in the title field. Subtitles should follow a colon and use the same capitalization rules. Example: Be expert with map and compass

Field # 5Field Name: ISBN Semantics: International Standard Book NumberChief Source of Information: Copyright page of bookInput Rules: This field is always either a 10 or 13 digit numberExample: 1446544133 or 978-1446544136

Field # 6Field Name: SubjectSemantics: Topic or Topics covered by the workChief Source of Information: The content of the bookInput Rules: First letter of each subject term should be capitalized. There is no limit to the amount of subject terms allowed in a record. Refer to the thesaurus in Appendix D for the list of authorized terms. Example: Orienteering

Field # 7Field Name: Type Semantics: The type of work Chief Source of Information: The content of the bookInput Rules: Must be selected from the controlled vocabulary Example: HandbookField # 8

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.16 Field Name: Related ActivitySemantics: Corresponding camp program or activityChief Source of Information: The content of the book Input Rules: Must be selected from the controlled vocabularyExample: Orienteering Classes

Field # 9Field Name: Content DifficultySemantics: Level of difficulty of the work's subject matterChief Source of Information: The content of the bookInput Rules: Must be selected from the controlled vocabularyExample: Intermediate

Field # 10Field Name: SupplementsSemantics: Materials that are included with the work but are not bound with the volumeChief Source of Information: The containerInput Rules: Must be selected from the controlled vocabularyExample: Map, Compass

Field # 11Field Name: IllustrationsSemantics: Images printed in, or as a part of, the workChief Source of Information: The content of the bookInput Rules: Must be selected from the controlled vocabularyExample: Diagrams

Field # 12Field Name: Publisher Semantics: The entity responsible for the printing, binding, and distribution of the workChief Source of Information: The copyright page of the bookInput Rules: Capitalize the publisher’s name. Do not include corporate marks or geographical information. Example: American Orienteering Service

Field # 13Field Name: Physical DimensionsSemantics: Measurements, in inches, of the work's length, width, and depthChief Source of Information: The containerInput Rules: Must be input in the following format: inchesXinchesXinchesExample: 3X7X1

Field # 14Field Name: ClassificationSemantics: Code for location of physical item in collectionChief source of information: Multiple, refer to Appendix EInput Rules: Refer to Appendix EExample: ORI-KJE-BEE:2

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.17

Appendix D. Sample thesaurusArchery BT RecreationBackpacking

USE HikingBiology BT ScienceBoating

USE CanoeingBotany BT ScienceCamping

BT RecreationRT Knot Tying

CanoeingBT RecreationUF BoatingRT Knot Tying

CookingUSE Food

Emergency PreparationNT First AidRT Knot TyingRT Safety

First Aid BT Emergency PreparationFood

UF CookingNT Recipes

Geography BT OrienteeringGuns USE ShootingHiking

BT RecreationNT TrailsRT Knot TyingUF Backpacking

HistoryNT Native AmericansNT Regional

Knot TyingRT CanoeingRT CampingRT HikingRT Emergency PreparationRT Survival

Native Americans BT HistoryOrienteering

UF OrienteeringRT Map and CompassBT Geography

OrientationUSE Orienteering

Map and CompassRT Orientation

Recreation NT Archery NT Canoeing NT Hiking NT ShootingRecipes BT FoodRegional BT HistorySafety

RT Emergency PreparationScience

NT BotanyNT Biology

ShootingBT Recreation

UF GunsSurvival

RT WildernessRT Knot Tying

Trails BT HikingWilderness

RT Survival

Key:BT = Broader Term NT = Narrower TermRT = Related Term UF = Use For

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.18

Appendix E. Classification scheme

1. Scheme

Related Activity Author TitleEmergency Preparation Classes - EME See Notation Rules See Notation RulesHistory and Culture Classes - HISOrienteering Classes - ORIRecreational Programs - REC

2. Notation rules

Facet name: Related ActivityChief source of information: Taken from the Related Activity field in the bibliographic record. This field is at the discretion of the cataloger and is based on the most prevalent subject terms for the title. Notation rules: Abbreviated form of the activity’s name. See the Scheme table above.

Facet name: AuthorChief source of information: The title page of the book provides the author’s name. Notation rules: Use the first three letters of the author’s last name.

Facet name: TitleChief source of information: The title page, front cover, or copyright page of the work provides the title. Notation rules: Use the first three letters of the title excluding common stop-words like “the,” “and,” etc.

3. Rule for unique numberThe unique number is taken from the auto-numbered RecordID field in the bibliographic record.

4. Example Title: Be Expert with Map and CompassAuthor: Bjorn KjellstromRecordID: 2Related Activity: Orienteering Classes

Classification: ORI-KJE-BEE:2

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.19

Appendix F. Name authority file

1. Record structure specifications

No. Field name Field type Indexing Entry validation1 RecordID Autonumber Term --2 RecordDate Autodate Term --3 AuthorizedName text Term & Word Required, Single 4 VariantNames text Term & Word --5 SourcesUsed text Term & Word --

2. Textbase structure (View Inmagic Tutorial for what goes here)

Textbase: C:\Users\jason w moore\Documents\NameAutho

Created: 5/2/2012 10:23:43 PM

Modified: 5/2/2012 10:23:43 PM

Field Summary:

1. RecordID: Automatic Number(next avail=6, increm=1), Term

2. RecordDate: Automatic Date(Both Date and Time,When Created), Term

3. AuthorizedName: Text, Term & Word

Validation: required, single-only

4. VariantNames: Text, Term & Word

5. SourcesUsed: Text, Term & Word

Log file enabled, showing 'RecordID'

Leading articles: a an the

Stop words: a an and by for from in of the to

XML Match Fields:

1. RecordID

Textbase Defaults:

Default indexing mode: SHARED IMMEDIATE

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.20

Default sort order: <none>

Textbase passwords:

Master password = ''

0 Access passwords:

No Silent password

3. Record content and input rules

Field #. Field name: 3. AuthorizedNameSemantics: The only form of an author's name authorized to be used in the system.Input rules: Use name that is most commonly cited. If it can be verified, use most recent form of name. Do not use pseudonyms or nicknames (Example: W.H. “Chip” Gross) Enter these forms of an author's name in the VariantNames Field. If an author's name has changed, use most recent name and place any previous forms of the name in the VariantNames field. Enter names with normal casing. Do not enter in all lowercase or all uppercase characters. Enter names in inverted order (Last name, First name Middle Initial.) Do not use titles. Credentials may be used if placed at the end of the name as it is entered. Example: Tiller, Veronica E. Velarde

Field #. Field name: 4. VariantNamesSemantics: All known variant forms of an author's name or alternative names used by the author in publication. Input rules: Variants can include: Alternate order (normal order as opposed to inverted order), Abbreviated forms of names, alternate spellings, pseudonyms, nicknames. Enter with same spelling as source. Use normal casing, not all lowercase or uppercase. Enter both orders for every name. Press F7 to create a new entry. Example: Veronica Tiller

Field #. Field name: 5. SourcesUsedSemantics: Resource consulted to verify authorized name. Input rules: Use full title of resource, a comma, and year of access. Example: Library of Congress Name Authority File, 2012

4. Sample records

RecordID 1

RecordDate 5/2/2012 22:47:30

AuthorizedName Tiller, Veronica E. Velarde

VariantNames Velarde, Veronica E.

; Tiller, Veronica

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.21 ; Veronica Tiller

; Velarde, Veronica

; Veronica Velarde

SourcesUsed Library of Congress Name Authority File, 2012

$

RecordID 2

RecordDate 5/2/2012 22:49:39

AuthorizedName Kjellstrom, Bjorn

VariantNames Kjellstrom, Gosta Ambjorn

; Bjorn Kjellstrom

; Gosta Ambjorn Kjellstrom


$

RecordID 3

RecordDate 5/2/2012 23:09:44

AuthorizedName Dalrymple, Byron

VariantNames Byron William Dalrymple

; Byron W. Dalrymple

; Dalrymple, Byron W.

; Dalrymple, Byron William


$

RecordID 4

RecordDate 5/2/2012 23:15:51

AuthorizedName Gross, W. H.

VariantNames Gross, Chip

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.22 ; Chip Gross

; Gross, Warren

; Warren Gross

; W.H. "Chip" Gross

; Warren H. Gross

; Gross, Warren H.


$

RecordID 5

RecordDate 5/2/2012 23:31:18

AuthorizedName Grubbs, Bruce

VariantNames Bruce Grubbs

; Broce O. Grubbs

; Grubbs, Bruce O.


$

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.23

Appendix G. Sample records

RecordID 1

RecordDate 4/6/2012 1:32:39

Author Hall, Alan

Title Wild Food Trail Guide

ISBN 1439210691

Subject Biology

; Botany

; Camping

; Emergency Preparation

; Food

; Hiking

; Recipes

; Recreation

; Safety

; Science

; Survival

; Wilderness

Type Field Guide

'Related Activity' Emergency Preperation Classes

'Content Difficulty' Advanced

Illustrations B&W Drawings

; Diagrams

Publisher Holt Rinehart Winston

'Physical Dimensions' 06X03X01

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.24 Classification EME-HAL-WIL:1

$

RecordID 2

RecordDate 4/6/2012 1:38:07

Author Kjellstrom, Bjorn

Title Be Expert with Map and Compass

ISBN 1446544133

Subject Camping


; Hiking

; Orienteering

; Map and Compass

; Recreation

; Safety

; Survival

; Wilderness

Type Handbook

'Related Activity' Orienteering Classes

'Content Difficulty' Basic

Supplements Maps

; Instruments


; Diagrams

Publisher American Orienteering Service


Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.25 Classification ORI-KJE-BEE:2

$

RecordID 3

RecordDate 4/6/2012 1:43:19

Author Dalrymple, Byron

Title Survival in the Outdoors

ISBN 0525212906

Subject Biology

; Botany


; Food

; Hiking

; Orienteering

; Map and Compass

; Recreation

; Safety

; Science

; Survival

; Wilderness

Type General Reference


; Orienteering Classes



; Diagrams

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.26 Publisher Outdoor Life


Classification EME-DAL-SUR:3

$

RecordID 4

RecordDate 4/6/2012 1:48:16

Author Gross, W.H.

Title Young Beginner's Guide to Shooting and Archery: Tips for Gun and Bow

ISBN 15823409X

Subject Archery


; Recreaton

; Safety

; Shooting

; Survival

Type Handbook

'Related Activity' Recreation Programs

'Content Difficulty' Basic

Illustrations Color Photographs

; Diagrams

Publisher Creative Publishing International


Classification REC-GRO-YOU:4

$

RecordID 5

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.27

RecordDate 4/6/2012 1:53:24

Author Grubbs, Bruce

Title Desert Hiking Tips: Expert Advice on Desert Hiking and Driving

ISBN 9781560448181

Subject Emergency Preparation

; Geography

; Hiking

; Orienteering

; Map and Compass

; Recreation

; Safety

; Survival

; Trails

; Wilderness


'Related Activity' Recreation Programs

'Content Difficulty' Intermediate

Publisher Falcon


Classification REC-GRU-DES:5

$

RecordID 6

RecordDate 4/6/2012 1:57:18

Author Murphy, Lawrence

Title Philmont: A History of New Mexico's Cimarron Country

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.28

ISBN 0826302440

Subject Biology

; Botany

; History

; Regional

; Science


'Related Activity' History and Culture Classes


Publisher University of New Mexico


Classification HIS-MUR-PHI:6

$

RecordID 7

RecordDate 4/6/2012 2:03:54

Author DeLorme

Title New Mexico Atlass & Gazetteer: Detailed Topographic Maps

ISBN B000UFALQS

Subject Camping

; Canoeing


; Geography

; Hiking

; Orienteering

; Map and Compass

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.29

; Recreation

; Survival

; Trails

; Wilderness

Type Atlas

'Related Activity' Orienteering Classes


Publisher DeLorne


Classification ORI-DEL-NEW:7

$

RecordID 8

RecordDate 4/6/2012 2:17:05

Author Foster, Steven

Title Field Guide to Venomous Animals and Poisonous Plants

ISBN 039593608X

Subject Biology

; Botany

; Camping


; Hiking

; Safety

; Science

; Survival

; Recreation

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.30

; Trails

; Wilderness

Type Field Guide




; Diagrams

Publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt


Classification EME-FOS-FIE:8

$

RecordID 9

RecordDate 4/6/2012 2:20:19

Author Velarde, Veronica

Title Jicarilla Apache Tribe: A History

ISBN 1885931034

Subject History

; Native Americans

; Regional


'Related Activity' History and Culture Classes


Publisher Bow Arrow Publishing


Classification HIS-VEL-JIC:9

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.31

$

RecordID 10

RecordDate 4/6/2012 2:45:51

Author Budworth, Geoffrey

Title What Knot?

ISBN 0785822232

Subject Camping

; Canoeing


; First Aid

; Hiking

; Knot Tying

; Recreation

; Safety

; Survival

; Wilderness





; Diagrams

Publisher Chartwell Books


Classification EME-BUD-WHA:10

$

Moore/ TXWI-A/pg.32