LIS 415: Information Organization

Contact Information

Instructor: Daniel N. Joudrey
E-mail: joudrey@simmons.edu
Office: P-205B
Phone: (617) 521-2863
Unit 2: Retrieval Tools and Current Systems

Tools that have been developed in various settings are described and examined.

Topics: Catalogs, Indexes, Finding Aids, Bibliographies, Museum Registers and Databases, Bibliographic Utilities, OPACs, and Search Engines

  • Why do we need retrieval tools?
  • What are the basic bibliographic retrieval tools?
  • What are the formats of the basic retrieval tools?
  • What are the functions of the basic retrieval tools?
  • How does system design relate to organizing information?
  • How can existing systems be used and interpreted effectively?
  • What suggestions do you have for improving current systems?

Required Readings

Taylor, The Organization of Information, Chapters 2 and 5

Markey, "Online Library Catalog: Paradise Lost...." http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january07/markey/01markey.html

Hickey, "Why our catalogs don't work" http://outgoing.typepad.com/outgoing/2005/09/why_our_catalog.html

Breeding, "Introduction" to Library Technology Reports

Recommended Readings

Articles

Antelman, et al., "Toward a 21st Century Library Catalog"

Borgman, "Why are Online Catalogs...?"

Carlyle, "Fullfilling the Second ..."

Schulze, "User-Centered Design"

Stewart, "Accessibility and Usability ..."

Dixson, "Z39.50 and Its Use in Library Systems ..."

Recommended Readings

Web Sites

Coburn and Baca, "Beyond the Gallery Walls: Tools and Methods for Leading End-Users to Collections Information" http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Jun-04/coburn_baca.html

Fox and Wilkerson, " Gathering and Analyzing Archival Information." http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/introarchives/index.html

Moen, "Z39.50..." http://www.loc.gov/catdir/bibcontrol/moen_paper.html

Yee," Guidelines for OPAC displays." http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla65/papers/098-131e.htm

Buckland, "What Is a Document?" http://people.ischool.berkeley.edu/~buckland/whatdoc.html

Farb, "Universal Design and the Americans with Disabilities Act ..." http://www.pitt.edu/~agtaylor/ala/papers/FarbUniversalDesign.pdf

Recommended Readings

Books

Taylor, Intro to Cat & Class, Chapter 1

Olson & Boll, Subject Analysis in Online Catalogs, Chapter 10

Rowley & Farrow, Organizing Knowledge, Chapter 11

Cleveland & Cleveland, Introduction to Indexing..., pp. 1-5, 48-55, and 61-7

Yee & Layne, Improving Online Public..., Chapters 1 and 2

Bilal, Automating Media..., Chapter 9

O'Toole, Understanding archives & manuscripts

Vocabulary
  • Alphabetical catalog
  • Bibliographic network
  • Bibliography
  • Book catalog
  • Browsing
  • Card catalog
  • Catalog
  • Classified catalog
  • COM catalog
  • Database
  • Dictionary catalog
  • Divided catalog
  • Finding aid
  • ILS
  • Index
  • Keyword searching
  • Menu searching
  • OCLC
  • Online catalog
  • Online index
  • OPAC
  • Pathfinder
  • Register
  • Retrieval tools
  • Search engine
  • Surrogate record
  • System design
  • Union catalog
  • Z39.50

Course Outline
Back to the Syllabus
Updated June 16, 2008.