Internal

Bridging the academic and research subject gaps: the methodology on enhancing access to engineering collections towards the excellence

services in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS.

by

Sharifah Fahimah Saiyed YeopUniversiti Teknologi PETRONAS

Internal

Introduction

The academic subject bridging are method to associate the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) with the terminology use in teaching and learning and research activities.

The catalog search hit increasing for 40% and able to link to the targeted library users, beyond commonly used terms in library standards.

The academic taxonomy, helps the librarian to provide access to library collection as well as offering the online selective dissemination of information (SDI), developing profiles of researchers and further innovation in library services through the Research Data Management.

Internal

Information Resource Centre, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS responsive on the limitation of

searching performed by the researchers and students, using the controlled vocabulary in

Library of Congress Subject Headings. The platform to offer wider range of keywords must be

provided to all the library user. Cataloger require exhaustive understanding on subject, culture

and terminology used by the faculty members and student with emphasizing on the

requirement by engineering faculty. As part of taxonomy building process the cataloger had

implemented the methodology below;

i. Breaking the Boundaries

ii. Bridging the Distance

Internal

BREAKING

BOUNDARIES

Internal

Methodology

1. Breaking the Boundaries

a) The series of workshop and sharing session been conducted in order to get the perspective and

views from the experts in the Faculty of Engineering. The understanding to all important jargons,

and commonly used terms in teaching and learning process. The dedicated subject experts from

library been identified to communicate with representatives from faculty.

Internal

Methodology

The subject and terms familiarity process are very significant for catalogers

to map the terms that used in Library of Congress Subject Headings with

terms that used by the faculty. The below materials and references were the

tools in identifying the subjects;

i) Course Outlines

ii) Program Prospectus

iii) Syllabus

Internal

BRIDGING the

DISTANCE

Internal

Bridging the Distance, collaborate the ideas, sharing the concept and synchronizing the

keywords and terms in a single structure with cross reference tools i.e. “see”, “see also” and

“used” concept for entire academic taxonomy.

The collaboration and consolidation process conducted in a workshop facilitated by the non-

engineering lecturers. The purposes of the session are to provide platform for catalogers,

reference librarians, faculty’s experts and other academic staff to share their understanding of

concept, vocabularies, reference terms “see, see also”, and finally came out with endorsed

structure of academic taxonomy for the university.

Internal

TAXONOMY

Experts

Academician

Researcher

Reference Librarian

Cataloger

Internal

Benefits of Academic Taxonomy for Engineering

Internal

1. The academic taxonomy as a subject guidelines

Terms and keywords that been developed and endorsed by the faculty

used by the cataloger in tag 653 (the indexed fields in cataloging)

Internal

The term “petroleum engineering” captured 1573 title of

books with more 60% capacity of hits found in searching

and retrieval process. The hits for phrases, captured by

the term “petroleum engineering” shows the accuracy on

first level subject compared to multiple terms used in tag

650.

Internal

2. The academic taxonomy as statistic and reporting tools/guidelines

The hits and findings also helps the generation of statistic for accreditation and auditing purposes, as alternative for LCSH scheme.

The statistic generated for engineering subject are very helpful for the auditing purposes, with specific engineering cluster required by the accreditation.

Internal

3. The academic taxonomy as fund codes for collection developmentThe books selection, purchasing and procurement are currently using academic taxonomy as a prefix in their account code. It simplify the budget allocation for annual planning in collection and resource development

Internal

ENGINEERING SUBJECT MAPPING WORKSHOP

Session 1 – Breaking the Boundaries

Activity Method Tasks References Expected Outcome Duration

Segment One

Participants will be divided into five group

- To identify clusters in each department /academic subject - To identify sub cluster for each department (up to three level)

Reference : Course Outline, Prospectus, Reading List and etc.

Complete the forms in .xls

60 min

Segment Two

Interpret clusters into terms/keywords

- Developing keywords- Locating keywords into taxonomy structure

University Of Michigan, A Taxonomy for the Field of Engineering Education Research

http://taxonomy.engin.umich.edu/activities/eer-taxonomy-version-0-6/

Draft of UTP Academic Taxonomy

60 min

Internal

ENGINEERING SUBJECT MAPPING WORKSHOP

Session 2 – Bridging the Distance

Activity Method Tasks References Expected Outcome Duration

Segment One

Participants will continue sitting in a group

Build the relationship between Draft of UTP Academic Taxonomy with subject in LCSH

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)

Table of “See, See Also, Used, and Unused Terms”

90 min

Segment Two

Knowledge Café • Sharing of outcome through group visit

• Ideas?

NA Draft of UTP Academic Knowledge Structure been shared among the participant

60 min

Internal

Internal

Thank You