LBSC 670: Organization of Information

LBSC 670: Organization of Information

Spring 2013

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SYLLABUS

Cover page………………………………………………………… 2

Catalog description and extended description………….. ………... 3

Course goals and objectives………………………………………. 3

Topics to be covered………………………………………………..4

Course requirements

Blackboard discussions of chapters………………… ………5

Reading commentary……………………………………….. 8

Assignments………………………………………………….8

Mid-Term exam……………………………………………...8

Final exam…………………………………………………… 8

Assignments and grading………………………………………….. 8

Due dates and late assignments…………………………….. 8

Grading information and criteria…………………………. .. 9

Plagiarism and other university policies…………………………....10

Textbook…………………………………………………………….10

Other readings and useful websites……………………………...... 10

Class schedule………………………………………………………11

Assignments, points, and due dates………………………………... 18

OTHERS

Assignments

Assignment 1: Due on March 10

Assignment 2: Due on April 14

Assignment 3: Due on May 5

Reading Commentary: April 28

Mid-Term Exam: Due on March 16

Final Exam: Due on May 10

B. Power point slides

For reference, 250 slides are posted on Blackboard covering each week.

College of Information Studies

University of Maryland

Organization of Information

Syllabus for

LBSC 670

ONLINE

Spring

2013

Developed by

Prof. T. Kanti Srikantaiah, Ph.D.

Email:

Phone: 301-405-7742

CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Knowledge analysis and representation; information presentation and assimilation; bibliographic and record control.

Extended Description

Instead of focusing on specific skills (e.g.,, cataloging), this course aims to convey a fundamental foundation for understanding how information is represented and organized to enable efficient and easy access. The course will not create full knowledge but rather an awareness and vision of information systems in the rapidly changing information world. The course also serves as the basis for advanced work in other courses (LBSC 770, LBSC 772, LBSC 773, LBSC 774, LBSC 775).

Information structure in various information systems will be introduced, including traditional paper libraries, digital libraries, and the World Wide Web. The main topics of the course are the nature of information and knowledge; metadata (bibliographic records, MARC, etc.); classification; vocabulary control; full text searching; XML; and, others.

COURSE GOALS and OBJECTIVES

The Goal and Objective of the course is to provide, through an integrated approach, an overview of principles, systems, techniques and tools in the organization of information and to prepare each student to understand user needs in different information environments. Specifically, at the end of the course each student will:

Describe the principles, systems and methods of organizing knowledge from the perspective of information access and retrieval by using, analyzing and interpreting them effectively;

Understand primary conceptual and representational structures that organize information and understand the browsing and searching processes those structures support;

Understand basic procedures for structuring data and documents in paper libraries, digital libraries, and online search systems;

Demonstrate an understanding of the similarities and differences in the purposes and systems of distinguishing, describing, and indexing intellectual works to meet the needs of users in various environments;

Demonstrate effectively an awareness of current standards and also an awareness of areas in which there are no standards, by analyzing and evaluating existing information when a number of standard organizing tools are used and interpreted;

Describe and critique various schemes and techniques currently used to organize information in different environments by defining and using correctly terminology commonly used;

Analyze the impact of technological innovations on organization of information; and,

Analyze and suggest appropriate approaches of organizing knowledge in given real-world use situations by interpreting appropriate principles and methods and by articulating a philosophy.

TOPICS TO BE COVERED

Background

Information management principles

Entity/relationship models

Bibliographic record

Descriptive Cataloging

Eight Areas of Bibliographic Description

AACR2R

FRBR

RDA

Authority Control

Personal Names

Corporate Bodies

Uniform Titles

Series

Subject Headings

Others

FRBD

Classification Systems

Dewey Decimal Classification

Library of Congress Classification

Cutter Numbers

Others

Subject Heading Lists

Sears List of Subject Headings

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Others

Encoding Standards

MARC

Dublin Core

MODS

SGML, HTML, XML, Etc.

Standard Numbers

ISBN’s & ISSN’s (and others)

Arrangement and display

Future Trends

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1.Canvas discussion of textbook chapters/participation

The core reading of assigned chapter from the textbook Organization of Information by Arlene G. Taylor and Daniel N. Joudrey (3rd edition) is mandatory. Additional readings and consultation of websites posted on Canvas are essential to demonstrate quality postings on the discussion board.

Full participationon discussion board is the expected norm. Some of the factors considered in grading this part of the course include: demonstrating knowledge of the subject matter; identifying useful outside references; applying the subject matter to students' experiences; and interacting thoughtfully to classmates' postings. The points you earn depends on the total number of postings for each chapter and the quality of your postings.

There will be a total of tenweekly participations in the semester as shown on schedule. You will be able to earn 2 points for each weekly participation with a total of 20 points.

Chapter 1: Organization of Recorded Information

Focus your discussion on:

Why organize information (need) and what does organize mean?

The nature of the organization of recorded knowledge

Hagler’s six functions of bibliographic control

Organization in context: libraries, archives, museums, Internet, digital libraries, and records management

Chapter 2: Retrieval Tools

Focus your discussion on:

Why do we need retrieval tools?

What do the retrieval tools do?

How do they work?

Trace the historical evolution of tools: bibliographies, pathfinders, catalogs, indexes, finding aids, registers, search engines, and directories

Chapter 3: Development of the Organization of Recorded Information in Western Civilization

Focus your discussion on:

Evolution from antiquity, 2000BCE, middle ages,--8th century, European renaissance—14th and 15th century

Codification in the 19th century

Code description in the 20th century 1908, 1930, etc.

Mechanization of bibliography

Special materials: archives and museums

Documentation movement

Library automation

Chapter 4: Metadata

Focus your discussion on:

Element sets: semantics (meaning), syntax (encoding), and structure (data model)

Characterstics: interoperability, flexibility, and extensibility

Categories: Administrative, structural, and descriptive

FRBR and group entities 1, 2, and 3

RDF

Dublin Core and Metadata Initiative (DCMI)

Chapter 5: Encoding Standards

Focus your discussion on:

Different ways metadata can be Encoded for use and their particular strengths and purposes

MARC and MARC 21

UNIMARC

SGML

HTML and XHTML

XML

DTD

TEI

EAD

ONIX

MARXML and MODS

Chapter 6: Systems and Systems Design

Focus your discussion on:

3 basic functions of information systems: storage, retrieval, and display of information

Differences in databases: relational databases (most common) hierarchical databases (rarely used) and XMLO databases (current option)

Bibliographic databases and networks (OCLC is a good example)

Integrated library systems—(more than OPAC)

Evolution of 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and 21st century. System design has come a long way from Panizzi’s rules

Design addresses basic search of Querying and browsing providing solutions for initial articles and stop words, use of Boolean operators, proximity and truncation, and punctuation.

Standardization is recommended in display to benefit users

Z39.50 communication protocol and federated searching

Authority control integration

Chapter 7: Metadata: Description

Focus your discussion on:

Purposes in creating metadata: provide description, provide access to the description, and encode for access and control

Bibliographic record as a surrogate (metadata)

Monographs vs Serials

FRBR’s entities

IFLA’s FRBR has 4 entities: Work, Expression, Manifestation, and Item

Lubetzky’s emphasis is on Work vs Gorman’s emphasis is on Item

Bibliographic and General Metadata Schemas: ISBD, AACR2R, FRBR, FRAD, MARC21, DACS, EAD, TEI, FGDC and CSDGM, VRA Core, CDWA, CCO, ONIX, Dublin Core, MODS, RDA, etc.

Chapter 8: Metadata: Access and Authority Control

Focus your discussion on:

What is authority control?

What are the goals of authority control?

Comprehend bibliographic relationships

Authority control and Z39.50

General bibliographic models and standards: FRBR, FRAD, AACR2R, RDA, Dublin Core, etc.

Main entry controversy: Lubetzky vs Gorman

RDA International cataloging principles

Understanding of ISAAR, EAC, CCO, CDWA, VRA, and Semantic Web

Chapter 9: Subject Analysis

Focus your discussion on:

What is subject analysis? Aboutness concept?

Challenges in subject analysis: cultural differences, consistency, non-textual information, exhaustivity, objectivity, etc..

Different approaches: Langridge’s, Wilson’s, etc.

Steps in subject analysis

Chapter 10: Systems for Vocabulary Control

Focus your discussion on:

Controlled vocabulary

Three categories: subject heading lists, thesauri, and ontologies

Similarities and differences between subject heading lists and thesauri

Challenges: specific vs general terms; synonymous concepts; word forms; homographs and homophones; abbreviations and acronyms; popular vs technical terms; and subdivisions

Pre-coordination vs post-coordination

Depth indexing

Specificity and literary warrant

Natural Language Processing

Key words, tagging and folksonomy

Chapter 11: Systems for Categorization

Focus your discussion on:

Concepts and theories of categorization: evolution

Classification theories and taxonomies

Bibliographic classification systems. Mainly:

Dewey Decimal Classification System

Library of Congress Classification System

Faceted Classification System

Classification concepts:

Broad vs close;

Knowledge vs particular collection;

Integrity of numbers vs keeping pace with knowledge;

Fixed vs relative location;

Closed vs open stacks

Location device vs collocation device

Classification of serials vs alphabetical order

Classification on the Internet

Taxonomies and clustering

Artificial Neural Networks and WEBSO

2.Reading Commentary

You need to select one article from the professional literature in the area of bibliographic control and submit a one/two page review of the article pointing out your learning.Your reading commentary is due on week 12—April 28

3.Assignments

There will be three assignments in the course:

a) Assignment # 1(Due on week 6—March 10)

b) Assignment # 2(Due on week 10—April 14)

c) Assignment # 3(Due on week 13—May 5)

4.Mid-Term Exam

The mid-term exam consists of understanding of chapters, concepts, and applications covered till that week. (Due on week 7—March 16)

5.Final Exam

The final examination consists of a complete understanding of all topics discussed in the semester. While the focus is on the second half of the semester, it is cumulative in the sense that it requires students to integrate the skills and knowledge from the entire course. (Due on week 14—May 10)

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

Due Dates and late Assignments

Timely completion of all assignments is essential in keeping pace with the work and in fairness to all class members. Work must be submitted by the due date. Work not submitted on time is either (a) late; or (b) missed.

Late Work:Work received within 48 hours after the due date/time will receive a penalty of one-half of a grade.
Missed Work:Work sub mitted more than 48 hours past the due date/time without prior approval will be given a grade of zero, an F.
Mitigating Circumstances:We all occasionally experience personal or technological problems beyond our control. I will, of course, consider these types of problems on a case-by-case basis before assessing any "penalty" for late or missed work. Of course, a corollary of this is that I have to know about the problem in a timely manner! Therefore, requests for extensions of time must be made to me by the due date.

Grading Information and Criteria

I want to explain my grading philosophy in some detail because I want you to understand how your work will be evaluated in this course. Please keep in mind that assignments, exams, and discussion items are the only ways I can tell whether you comprehend the material covered. Use these as platforms to show me what you have learned. Please be sure to use references and appropriate citations in all assignments and exams submitted for grading. This shows me how you used the material covered and any outside readings to support your position.

In general, grading will include graduate writing skills, understanding of course concepts, the linking of course material to practical situations, focus on the assigned questions, and scholarly support using appropriately cited references.

An "A" represents excellence. In order to earn an "A", you must consistently demonstrate a superior understanding of the subject matter. This doesn't mean perfection. It means doing more than is expected for an assignment or exam. It means spending as much time needed to submit your very best work with each and every assignment. I understand that putting in the time it takes to do your very best work week in and week out isn't always possible. After all, I understand that there are other important priorities in your life. However, if you do not consistently submit the very best work that you are capable of doing, you should not expect to get an "A".

To increase the chances of getting an "A", please pay close attention to the quality of your writing. Superior writing skills certainly can help you to earn a better grade. The degree to which you provide authoritative support in your discussion can also improve your chances of earning an "A".

When I provide feedback on your assignment, I will not comment line by line. I won't correct your typing, your spelling, or your grammar. If you make more than a couple of mistakes I will usually make a comment about how you need to edit your work more carefully. I expect your assignments to be free from these mistakes Your participation gives you the opportunity to share your perspective on the subject matter with your classmates as well as to learn from them.

If you have any questions about a grade you received, please let me know. I try very hard to evaluate each assignment and exam fairly, but I can only evaluate what you submit. I don't have the benefit of knowing all of the time and effort you have put into an assignment and exam. Therefore, you need to make that effort stand out. Sometimes I can misinterpret what you have written, which is why I am always willing to clarify how I graded your assignment or exam. I want to treat each of you fairly, and I will do everything I can to see that your grade truly reflects the scholarship of your work. I will be looking for how much responsibility and initiative you take for your learning.

Participation on Discussion Board / 20 points
Written assignments / 30 points
Professional paper review / 10 points
Mid-Term Examination / 20 points
Final Examination / 20 points

The final grade will be determined on the basis of written assignments, professional paper review, classroom participation, a mid-term examination and a final examination.

The grading scale for the final grade is as follows:

A+100

A95-99

A-90-94

B+85-89

B80-84

B-75-79

C+70-74

C65-69

D60-64

FLess than 60

PLAGIARISM AND OTHER UNIVERSITY POLICIES

All students should comply with the university policies and strict adherence to Honor Code. Consult:

If you have questions on other matters (such as disabilities, religious holidays, etc.) please consult the instructor.

TEXTBOOK

Taylor, Arlene G. and Daniel N. Joudrey. The Organization of Information. 3rd ed. Englewood, Colo., Libraries Unlimited, 2008. (ISBN:1-978-1-59158-586-2 (pbk.))

ASSIGNMENT #1: BIBLIOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION EXERCISE

DUE ON March 10

Read
Taylor and Joudrey: Chapter 2 – Retrieval Tools
Participate:
Blackboard discussion: Chapter 2 (#2)
5 / Feb.25-Mar.3 / BIBLIOGRAPHIC DESCRIPTION (contd)
Organization of Recorded Information in Western Europe.
Things to do:
Consult:
Power point slides
Read:
Taylor and Joudrey: Chapter 3 – Development of the Organization of Recorded Information in Western Civilization
Participate:
Blackboard discussion: Chapter 3 (#3)
6 / Mar.4-Mar.10 / METADATA

Categories
Creation of surrogate records and schemas
Models and standards for authority control.

MACHINE READABLE CATALOGING

Evolution
MARC
OCLC and other integrated systems
Discussion with examples

Things to do:
Consult:
Power point slides
Submit :
Assignment # 1
Read :
Taylor and Joudrey: Chapter 4 – Metadata; Chapter7—Metadata: Description; Chapter 8: Metadata: Access and Authority Control
Participate:
Blackboard discussion: Chapters 4, 7, and 8 (# 4)
7 / Mar.11-Mar.16 / MIDTERM
ENCODING STANDARDS
Encoding standards in various information environments
Definition, concepts and development
Relevance of encoding standards in bibliographic systems
Review of Assignment # 1
Things to do:
Consult:
Power point files:
Complete:
Midterm examination
Read:
Taylor and Joudrey: Chapter 5 – Encoding Standards.
Participate:
Blackboard discussion: Chapter 5 (#5)
8 / Mar.25-Mar.31 / Classification Systems
General Principles
LCC
DDC
UDC
Others
Call numbers and Cutter numbers
Things to do:
Consult:
Power point slides
ASSIGNMENT #2: CLASSIFICATION EXERCISE

DUE ON April 14

Read:
Taylor and Joudrey: Chapter 11 – Systems for Categorization
Participate :
Blackboard discussion: Chapter 11 (# 6)
9 / Apr.1-Apr.7 / Subject Cataloging
Subject cataloging principles
Sears
LCSH
Others
Things to do:
Consult:
Power point slides:
Read:
Taylor and Joudrey: Chapter 9 – Subject Analysis
Participate:
Blackboard discussion: Chapter 9 (# 7)
10 / Apr.8-Apr.14 / Vocabulary Control
Classification systems and subject heading lists
Authority files: concept, definition and development
Relevance of vocabulary control in bibliographic systems
Things to do:
Submit
Assignment # 2
Consult:
Power Point slides
ASSIGNMENT #3: SUBJECT HEADINGS EXERCISE

DUE ON May 5

Read:
Taylor and Joudrey: Chapter 10–Systems for Vocabulary Control
Participate:
Blackboard discussion: Chapter 10 (# 8)
11 / Apr.15--Apr.21 / INFORMATION SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
Library information systems
Non-library information systems
User needs assessment
Training
Review of Assignment # 2
Things to do:
Consult:
Power Point slides:
Read:
Taylor and Joudrey: Chapter 6 – Systems and Systems Design.
Participate:
Blackboard discussion for chapter 6 (#9)
12 / Apr.22-Apr.28 / FILING PRINCIPLES
General filing schema
Manual filing vs. electronic filing
Display characteristics
Primary and secondary information products
National and international standards
Things to do:
Submit:
Reading Commentary
Consult:
Power point slides
Participate:
Blackboard discussion: Your learning from all chapters (#10)
13 / Apr.29-May 5 / INFORMATION IN ELECTRONIC ENVIRONMENTS
The Internet/Intranet
Digital Information systems and environment
Others
Things to do:
Consult :
In addition to the websites provided consult your own researched websites
Submit:
Assignment # 3
14 / May 6-May 9 / FUture of Organization oF INFORMATION
Trends
Review of Assignment # 3
REVIEW OF SEMESTER WORK
Q & A
Things to do:
Complete:
FINAL EXAM

LBSC 670