FAST: A Faceted Application of Subject Terminology

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FAST A Faceted Application of Subject
Terminology
Classification Crosswalks Workshop Joint
Conference on Digital Libraries June 28,
2001 Presented by Ed ONeill
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Background

• Enormous volume and rapid growth of resources
  available on the World Wide Web.
• Emergence of numerous metadata schemes have
  spurred a re-examination of the way subject data
  is to be provided for web resources efficiently
  and effectively.

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Metadata

• Simplicity refers to the usability by
  non-catalogers to allow the creation of metadata
  records by persons not necessarily trained in
  sophisticated methods of bibliographic control.
• Semantic interoperability enables users to search
  across discipline boundaries and, desirably, also
  across information retrieval and storage systems.

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ALCTS/SAC/Subcommittee Requirements

• Be simple and easy to apply and to comprehend,
• Be intuitive so that sophisticated training in
  subject indexing and classification, while highly
  desirable, is not required in order to implement,
• Be logical so that it requires the least effort
  to understand and implement,
• Be scalable for implementation from the simplest
  to the most sophisticated.

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Options for Metadata
We are limited to three basic choices in
selecting an indexing/subject heading schema for
metadata

• The use an existing schema(s),
• Adapt or modify an existing schema.
• Develop new schema(s),

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Objective of FAST Project

• Develop a new subject heading schema based on
  LCSH suitable for metadata which is easier to
  use, understand, and maintain.
• Minimized the need to construct headings,
• Simplify the syntax,
• Retain the richness of the vocabulary.

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Simplify the Complex Syntax and Rules
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FAST Team

• Ed ONeill, OCLC
• Diane Vizine-Goetz, OCLC
• Kerre Kammerer, OCLC
• Eric Childress, OCLC
• Rebecca Dean, OCLC
• Lois Mai Chan, University of Kentucky
• Lynn El-Hoshy, Library of Congress

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Synergy
ALCTS/SAC
OCLC
Library of Congress
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Advantages of LCSH

• Rich vocabulary covering all subject areas,
• It has the strong institutional support of the
  Library of Congress,
• Synonym and homograph control,
• Has been extensively used by libraries, contained
  in millions of bibliographic records,
• Has a long and well-documented history.

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Card Format

• Originally created for card catalogsa 3x5 card
  environment,
• Pre-coordinated vocabulary,
• Design limits number of entries.

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Coverage of LCSH Topical Authority File
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Coverage of Geographic Authority File
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Patterns Subdivisions
Pattern subdivisions, like free-floats, are
subdivisions which have general application.
However, the scope of patterns is limited to
particular types (patterns) of headings.
Patients is one of several hundred subdivisions
that can be used with headings for individual or
types of diseases and other medical conditions
Burns and scalds ?x Patients
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Combining Pattern Subdivisions
Burns and scalds ?x Patients ?x Family
relationships
Burns and scalds is an established heading, Burns
and scalds is covered by the disease
pattern, Patients is authorized under the pattern
for diseases
Burns and scalds ?x Patients becomes a
class of persons, Family relationships is
authorized under the pattern for classes of
persons.
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FAST Requirements

• Usable by people with minimal training and
  experience,
• Enables a broad range of users to assign subject
  terminology to web resources
• Bibliographers
• Faculty
• Reference staff
• Amenable to automated authority control,
• Compatibility with use as embedded metadata,
• Focus on making use of LCSH as a post-coordinate
  system in an online environment.

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Facets
Topical Agriculture
Personal Names Corporate Names Conference/Meetings
Uniform Titles
Geographic OhioDublin
Form Guidebooks
Period 1901 - 2000
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FACET Topical

• LCSH main headings from topical headings (650),
• All associated general (x) subdivisions from any
  type of LCSH heading,
• Period subdivisions containing topical aspects
  from any type of LCSH heading,
• All topical headings will be established in an
  authority file.

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FAST Topical Headings
Industrial project managementData
processing. Colombian poetry BlacksmithingHistory
. Epic literatureHistory and criticism. Pets and
travel Quartets (Pianos (2), percussion) Natural
gas pipelinesEconomic aspects School
psychologists Blood banks LoudspeakersDesign and
construction
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FACET Geographic

• Geographic name will be established and applied
  in indirect order, OhioColumbus not Columbus
  (Ohio),
• First level geographic names will be limited to
  names from the Geographic Area Codes table (e.g.,
  Ohio, France, Great Lakes, etc.)
• Other names will be entered as subdivisions under
  the smallest first level name in which it is
  fully contained (North AmericaMaya Forest)
• Qualifiers are only be used to identify the type
  of geographic name (Kingdom, Satellite, Duchy,
  Princely State, etc.).
• All geographic headings will be established in an
  authority file.

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Charlevoix Search Example
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Charlevoix (LCSH headings)
Charlevoix (Mich.) Charlevoix (Quebec) Charlevoi
x County (Mich.) Charlevoix County
(Quebec) Charlevoix Harbor (Mich.) Charlevoix
Region (Mich.) Charlevoix Region
(Quebec) Charlevoix Site (Mich.) Charlevoix,
Lake (Mich.) Charlevoix-Est (Quebec
Regional County Municipality) Charlevoix-Est
(Quebec) Charlevoix-Est County
(Que.) Charlevoix-Est County (Quebec) Charlevoix
-Ouest (Quebec) Charlevoix-Ouest County
(Que.) Charlevoix-Ouest County
(Quebec) Clermont (Charlevoix-Est, Quebec) Deer
Creek Watershed (Charlevoix County, Mich.) Holy
Island (Charlevoix County, Mich.) Horton Creek
(Charlevoix County, Mich.) Horton Creek Marsh,
Charlevoix County, (Mich.) Lake Charlevoix
(Mich.) Lake Charlevoix (Michigan) Marion
(Charlevoix County, Mich.)
MichiganBeaver Island (Charlevoix
County) MichiganCharlevoix MichiganCharlevoix
County MichiganCharlevoix Region MichiganCharl
evoix, Lake MichiganDeer Creek Watershed
(Charlevoix County) MichiganHorton Creek
(Charlevoix County) MichiganLake
Charlevoix MichiganMarion (Charlevoix
County) MichiganPeaine Township (Charlevoix
County) MichiganSt. James Township
(Charlevoix County) O'Neill Site, Charlevoix
County, (Mich.) Quebec (Province)Charlevoix Que
bec (Province)Charlevoix Co. Quebec
(Province)Charlevoix East Quebec
(Province)Charlevoix Region Quebec
(Province)Charlevoix West Quebec
(Province)Charlevoix-Est Quebec
(Province)Charlevoix-Est (Regional
County Municipality) Quebec (Province)Charlevoix-
Ouest QuebecCharlevoix Region QuebecCharlevoix
-Est QuebecCharlevoix-Ouest
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Charlevoix (FAST headings)
Michigan--Charlevoix Michigan--Charlevoix
County Michigan--Charlevoix County--Deer Creek
Watershed Michigan--Charlevoix County--Holy
Island Michigan--Charlevoix County--Horton
Creek Michigan--Charlevoix County--Beaver
Island Michigan--Charlevoix County--Marion Michiga
n--Charlevoix County--O'Neill Site Michigan--Charl
evoix County--Peaine Township Michigan--Charlevoix
Harbor Michigan--Charlevoix Region Michigan--Lak
e Charlevoix Quebec .
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FACET Forms

• Uses table developed based on LC documentation
  (e.g., SCM, FFSAAI), and independent
  correspondence,
• LCSH tagged headings not containing v will be
  processed for correction prior to validation,
• All form headings will be established in an
  authority file.

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Example of Forms
Translations into French Rules DictionariesSwedis
h Controversial literatureEarly works to
1800 Translations into Russian StatisticsDatabase
s Textbooks for foreign speakersEnglishJuvenile
literature Slides Directories CorrespondenceJuven
ile literature Records
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FACET Period

• Chronological headings will reflect the actual
  time period of coverage for the resource,
• Chronological headings will be expressed as a
  numeric date or date range.
• Authority records will be created for period
  subdivision except when necessary for notes or
  cross-references.

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Example of Faceting (DC view)

• 650 0 Slavery z United States v Fiction.
• Subject Slavery
• Coverage.spatial United States
• Type Fiction

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Interoperability between LCSH and FAST

• Separating syntax from semantics, the syntax can
  be simplified while retaining the richness of
  vocabulary in LCSH is retained,
• FAST and LCSH can co-exist.

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For more information
Chan, Lois Mai et. al. A Faceted Approach to
Subject Data in the Dublin Core Metadata Record.
Journal of Internet Cataloging. Volume 4, no.
1-2, 2001, p. 35-47. ONeill, Edward T. et. Al.
Form Subdivisions Their Identification and Use
in LCSH. Accepted for publication in Library
Resources Technical Services.   For a copy of
this presentation www.wcp.oclc.org/FAST