Document (#27051)

Author

Schwartz, C.

Title

Sorting out the Web : approaches to subject access

Imprint

Westport, CT : Ablex

Year

2001

Pages

169 S

Isbn

1-56750-519-8

Footnote

Rez. in: KO 50(2003) no.1, S.45-46 (L.M. Given): "In her own preface to this work, the author notes her lifelong fascination with classification and order, as well as her more recent captivation with the Internet - a place of "chaos in need of organization" (xi). Sorting out the Web examines current efforts to organize the Web and is well-informed by the author's academic and professional expertise in information organization, information retrieval, and Web development. Although the book's level and tone are particularly relevant to a student audience (or others interested in Web-based subject access at an introductory level), it will also appeal to information professionals developing subject access systems across a range of information contexts. There are six chapters in the book, each describing and analyzing one core concept related to the organization of Web content. All topics are presented in a manner ideal for newcomers to the area, with clear definitions, examples, and visuals that illustrate the principles under discussion. The first chapter provides a brief introduction to developments in information technology, including an historical overview of information services, users' needs, and libraries' responses to the Internet. Chapter two introduces metadata, including core concepts and metadata formats. Throughout this chapter the author presents a number of figures that aptly illustrate the application of metadata in HTML, SGML, and MARC record environments, and the use of metadata tools (e.g., XML, RDF). Chapter three begins with an overview of classification theory and specific schemes, but the author devotes most of the discussion to the application of classification systems in the Web environment (e.g., Dewey, LCC, UDC). Web screen captures illustrate the use of these schemes for information sources posted to sites around the world. The chapter closes with a discussion of the future of classification; this is a particularly useful section as the author presents a listing of core journal and conference venues where new approaches to Web classification are explored. In chapter four, the author extends the discussion of classification to the use of controlled vocabularies. As in the first few chapters, the author first presents core background material, including reasons to use controlled vocabularies and the differences between preand post-coordinate indexing, and then discusses the application of specific vocabularies in the Web environment (e.g., Infomine's use of LCSH). The final section of the chapter explores failure in subject searching and the limitations of controlled vocabularies for the Web. Chapter five discusses one of the most common and fast-growing topics related to subject access an the Web: search engines. The author presents a clear definition of the term that encompasses classified search lists (e.g., Yahoo) and query-based engines (e.g., Alta Vista). In addition to historical background an the development of search engines, Schwartz also examines search service types, features, results, and system performance.
The chapter concludes with an appendix of search tips that even seasoned searchers will appreciate; these tips cover the complete search process, from preparation to the examination of results. Chapter six is appropriately entitled "Around the Corner," as it provides the reader with a glimpse of the future of subject access for the Web. Text mining, visualization, machine-aided indexing, and other topics are raised here to whet the reader's appetite for what is yet to come. As the author herself notes in these final pages, librarians will likely increase the depth of their collaboration with software engineers, knowledge managers and others outside of the traditional library community, and thereby push the boundaries of subject access for the digital world. This final chapter leaves this reviewer wanting a second volume of the book, one that might explore these additional topics, as they evolve over the coming years. One characteristic of any book that addresses trends related to the Internet is how quickly the text becomes dated. However, as the author herself asserts, there are core principles related to subject analysis that stand the test of time, leaving the reader with a text that may be generalized well beyond the publication date. In this, Schwartz's text is similar to other recent publications (e.g., Jakob Nielsen's Web Usability, also published in 2001) that acknowledge the mutability of the Web, and therefore discuss core principles and issues that may be applied as the medium itself evolves. This approach to the writing makes this a useful book for those teaching in the areas of subject analysis, information retrieval and Web development for possible consideration as a course text. Although the websites used here may need to be supplemented with more current examples in the classroom, the core content of the book will be relevant for many years to come. Although one might expect that any book taking subject access as its focus world, itself, be easy to navigate, this is not always the case. In this text, however, readers will be pleased to find that no small detail in content access has been spared. The subject Index is thorough and well-crafted, and the inclusion of an exhaustive author index is particularly useful for quick reference. In addition, the table of contents includes sub-themes for each chapter, and a complete table of figures is provided. While the use of colour figures world greatly enhance the text, all black-andwhite images are clear and sharp, a notable fact given that most of the figures are screen captures of websites or database entries. In addition, the inclusion of comprehensive reference lists at the close of each chapter makes this a highly readable text for students and instructors alike; each section of the book can stand as its own "expert review" of the topic at hand. In both content and structure this text is highly recommended. It certainly meets its intended goal of providing a timely introduction to the methods and problems of subject access in the Web environment, and does so in a way that is readable, interesting and engaging."

Theme

Internet
Grundlagen u. Einführungen: Allgemeine Literatur

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