libraries-faceted.ppt

Library Catalogs and Faceted Metadata Search/Browse

Avi Rappoport

Search Tools Consulting

© Avi Rappoport, Search Tools Consulting www.searchtools.com 2

Introduction

• Library catalogs interfaces are unfriendly

• Most search terms are short and dumb

• Users don’t know how to refine their queries

• What to do?– Take advantage of structured metadata– Create contextual dynamic navigation– Learn from web interface usability testing


Defining Facets

• Attributes of an object, categories– Mutually exclusive– Sufficient to describe object– Contain controlled vocabulary elements

• Faceted Classification– Assigns a number based on facets– Subdivide broad domains– Develop new elements with facets


Facets according to Ranganathan

• Indian librarian and theorist, 1920s-30s• “Fundamental Facets” for text objects (books)

– Personality - What the object is primarily about – Matter - the material of the object – Energy - the processes or activities that take

place in relation to the object– Space - where the object happens or exists– Time - when the object occurs


Defining Metadata

• Information about information– Everything but the actual text

• Sources of metadata– Explicit: metadata tags or document properties– Intrinsic: text may include author or date– Derivable: file size, file format– External: category, topic, subject heading


Metadata in MARC records

• Language• Main entry• Title• Edition• Place• Publisher• Year• …..


Dublin Core Metadata Standard

• Author• Title• Subject• Type• Source• Audience• Coverage• Description

• Date• Format• Identifier• Language• Relation• Contributor• Creator• Publisher• Rights


Defining Faceted Metadata

• Various aspects of an information object– Not just topical or taxonomical– Exposing facets for browsing

• Examples– Shoe: size, color, brand, material, price, style– Book: author, title, year, publisher, subject


IR and UI research

• Berrypicking– Marcia Bates, 1989– Information is scattered, searches evolve

• Information Foraging– Pirolli and Card, 1995 - 2001– User choices based on information “scent”

• UI Framework– Schneiderman, Byrd, Croft, 1995– Baseline for search interfaces


Professor Marti Hearst, UCB SIMS

• UI/IR background• Pulls it all together

– Metadata– Faceted categories (not just topical)– Results list– Full-text Search– Dynamic Navigation– Preview Numbers

• Usability study compares with baseline


Flamenco Test

• Testbed: museum photos of objects• Baseline system: like Google Image Search• Testers: Art history students• Tasks: both open and directed• Results

– Greater search satisfaction– Significantly better success in finding relevant images– More content familiarity– User preference (after trying both)


Flamenco Example


After Flamenco, the Deluge

• Tower Records• Sears• Patagonia• CompUSA• Arrow Electronics• KB Toys• Beachhouse.com• eBay (topical facets)


Not Just Commerce

• DexOnline (Yellow Pages)

• Environmental Health News

• IHS regulatory information

• MFS asset management

• Putnum Investments

• World Book Encyclopedia


Compared to the Form Interface

• Form interface – Rewards specific questions– Minimal context– Often leads to dead ends

• Faceted metadata interface– Rewards browsing– Extensive context– Only shows viable options


Form interface Example


Dynamic Browse Interface Example


OPACs

• Free-text search is the expectation– Like Google/Yahoo/MSN/AskJeeves

• Faceted metadata could make it powerful– Show available options– Expand possibilities– Expose related items– Provide dynamic context


OPAC result (simple)


Tower Records faceted result


Chapters.ca faceted result


Orvis example


CompUSA example


EHN Example


DexOnline example


Dublin Core example


eBay Example


Integrating Multiple Info Sources

• Source is one facet

• Leverage database structures

• Full-text search initially– Dynamic navigation – Drill-down– Refining queries


Faceted Search/Browse The obvious next step for OPACs

• Build on the research

• Avoid complex forms

• Leverage content structure

• Reduce confusion

• Encourage search refinement

• Please do it!

Documents

libraries-faceted.ppt