Looking Deeper into Using FAST: Report on three projects using the FAST Authority File.

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Looking Deeper into Using FAST Report on three
projects using the FAST Authority File.

• Reported by Shannon L. Hoffman, Subject
  Authorities Librarian, Brigham Young University

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Project 1 University of North Dakota (UND)
digital project. by Shelby E. Harken, Head,
Acquisitions/Bibliographic Control University of
North Dakota
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Project 1 (cont.)

• The University of North Dakota (UND) began its
  first digitization project in the fall of 2005
  assigning metadata headings to a set of over 330
  political cartoons using CONTENTdm. That was
  completed and now UND is working on University
  historical  photos. Shelby Harken is a member of
  the Subcommittee to study FAST and participates
  in CORC. Since UND had no additional funding for
  staff, it was necessary to assign headings that
  meet standards but are easy and quick to assign. 
  The decision was made to use FAST for subject
  headings.

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Project 1 (cont.)

• At times FAST headings could not by found, so
  they tried to follow the principles behind FAST
  when using LCSH. At first it was slow because a
  list of headings had to be created in CONTENTdm.
  As we have become experienced, it has been going
  pretty well. Shelby creates NACO/SACO headings
  when necessary. The person who is doing the work
  is a library associate with a good deal of
  training and background doing complex and
  original cataloging in a number of formats, but
  no prior experience with a digitization project
  or FAST. Although some FAST headings dont seem
  as thorough as LCSH, generally UND finds them
  easy to search and easy to assign.

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Project 2 FAST headings for Agriculture
Material, by Jimmie Lundgren, Science and Social
Science Cataloging Unit Head, George A. Smathers
Libraries University of Florida.
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Project 2 (cont.)

• This digital project involves reports in
  mimeographed series from a dozen agricultural
  experiment stations around Florida that are
  associated with the University of Florida. These
  reports had been in the library as bound volumes
  with a collective record for each bound volume.
  When digitized each report would require an
  individual record. The collective records would
  be use as the basic record to minimize data entry
  for the individual records. Students would be
  asked to add FAST heading to the individual
  records. These records would later be edited by
  cataloging staff. Two students on loan from the
  searching and processing unit started this
  project but were shortly called away.

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Project 2 (cont.)

• They had completed only 25 records.
• Of these 25 records
• 17 or 68 were very good
• 2 or 8 were OK
• 6 or 24 had something important missing.
• Two of these were bibliographies and should have
  had FAST headings to reflect this. However,
  Jimmie had not expected this, and had failed to
  explain to the students about the form/genre
  facet.
• The other 4 had significant topical aspects that
  were neglected.
• Jimmie did not see instances of inappropriate
  terms being assigned.

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Project 2 (cont.)

• Jimmie had given each of the 2 students only
  brief introductions with the intention of
  following up with more instruction later. The
  later didn't get to happen. He feels that with
  just a little more instruction the quality would
  have been much better, but was surprised at how
  many records he considered "very good". Bright
  kids!
• Both students told Jimmie, they found it easy
  and interesting to assign the FAST headings. In
  his training, he talked about topics and
  geographic terms, but did not anticipate a need
  for form/genre or time facets for these reports.
  Neither student had any previous experience at
  assigning or evaluating LCSH terms. Jimmie did
  not give them a pick list, but he thinks in a
  subsequent application for a particular project
  he might want to do that. The students reported
  that the FAST Authority File was a little
  difficult to use.

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Project 3 Assigning Subject Heading using the
FAST Authority File, by Shannon Hoffman, Subject
Authorities Librarian, Brigham Young University.
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Project 3 (cont.)

• My project was a workshop where 20 library worker
  received 1 hour of training on subject analysis,
  how to apply subject headings and searching the
  FAST Authority file. They were then asked to
  assign subject headings to 7 bibliographic
  records. (This project included MLS
  Professional, staff and students in Cataloging,
  Public Services and administration, also it
  covered the very knowledgeable to the never
  having use LCSH except as a patron)

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Project 3 Statements about subject headings.

• Dates before 1000 are hard to understand should
  have A.D. add. (Example Eruption of Vesuvius
  (Italy), 79. Is this 1979 or 1879 or what.)
• Juvenile works is too broad for databases for
  juvenile material.
• Since (date) seem to be hard to under it was
  suggested that maybe (after (date)) would be
  better understood and is more up-to-date term.
• The professional librarians in the project really
  felt that if we were going to facet the headings
  that there should be no subdivisions. They really
  felt strongly that we should be moving from
  pre-coordination to post-coordination.

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Project 3 Comments on Web Page and Searching

• They found
• Liked the jump button.
• Liked the result button that returns you to the
  results page.
• Liked being able to use the back button the
  browser.
• Searching is difficult and confusing.
• Example United States
• Refine and sort buttons needs to be explained.

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Project 3 My finding

• FAST searching needs to be improved so that it
  can be easily and speedily searched.
• Training persons other then catalogers to assign
  headings from the FAST file does not seem to be
  the real problem. The real problem is training
  them to do subject analysis and specificity.