Author Archives: Drahomira Cupar

Subject Analysis and Access Section – new and outgoing members

Section members and outgoing members present at WLIC 2017

At WLIC 2017 in Wrocław, Poland, we had both the sad task of saying good bye to outgoing members and the happy task of welcoming new members.

Outgoing members:
Maja Žumer, Sandy Roe, Lynn Howarth, Tiiu Tarkpea, Min Young Hwang, Ekaterina Zaytseva

We have a new chair: John DeSantis and a new secretary: Elise Conradi

New members:
Athena Salaba, Caroline Saccucci, Andreas Kempf, Junxia Huang, Jane Makke, Rosali Fernadez de Souza, Seung Jeong Kim, Jean Maury, Maira Stegaeva

Continuing members:
Harriet Aagaard, Mauro Guerrini, Sally McCallum, Christine Oliver, Rehab Ouf, George Prager, Aida Slavic, Ana Stevanovic, Elena Zagorskaya

IFLA Section Subject Analysis and Access (former name: Classification & Indexing)

Photo from our meeting in Columbus, Ohio at WLIC 2016. (From the left: Lynn Howarth, George Prager, Chris Oliver, Sally McCallum, John DeSantis, Rehab Ouf, Tiiu Tarkpea, Sandy Roe, Elise Conradi, Maja Žumer, Ulrike Junger and Harriet Aagaard. Not present: Mauro Guerrini, Aida Slavic, Ana Stevanovic, Min Young Hwang, Elena Zagorskaya and Ekaterina Zaytseva.)

The Classification & Indexing Section has changed its name to the Subject Analysis and Access Section. We wanted to have a name that more focused on the use of subject metadata. ” …In addition to the end-user focus (“Access”) we also include the role of the professional. “Analysis” refers to the work and thought that goes into determining “aboutness” (or “determining what a document is about”) and then creating subject access – be it assigning classification or headings, developing thesauri, or devising tools and other automatic ways to achieve subject access…” Read the full article about the name change in the June 2016 Metadata Newsletter, pp 21-23.

The name change is still not visible at our Section’s web, but will be corrected by IFLA .

WLIC 2016 C&I Open Session August 16

The Classification & Indexing Section will host the Open Session “Reclaiming subject access to indigenous knowledge” on Tuesday August 16. The Open Session will be chaired by John DeSantis and Maja Žumer.

Classifying and Indexing Philippine Indigenous Materials with Emphasis on the Codillera
Cristina B. Villanueva, University of the Philippines Baguio, Philippines
Paper in English
Of Places and Names:Working with Northern Canadian Communities to Enhance Subject Access to Digital Cultural Resources
Sharon Farnel, University of Alberta Libraries, Canada
Ali Shiri, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta, Canada
Dinesh Rathi, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta, Canada
Cathy Cockney, Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Canada
Sandy Campbell, University of Alberta Libraries, University of Alberta, Canada
Robyn Stobbs, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta, Canada
Paper in English
Modifications to the Library of Congress Subject Headings for use by Manitoba archives
Christine Bone, University of Manitoba Libraries, Canada
Paper in English
The Moral Imperative of Subject Access to Indigenous Knowledge: Considerations and Alternative Paths
Heather Moulaison Sandy, iSchool at the University of Missouri, United States
Jenny Bossaller, iSchool at the University of Missouri, United States
Paper in English

We hope to translate the papers to other major languages and will publish them as soon as possible at the WLIC 2016 web. To come to our Open Session , just search for “Session 151”.

Registration opened – Subject Access : Unlimited Opportunities 11-12 August 2016

The Conference will focus on Classification and Indexing in all varieties of libraries and information centers with particular attention to best practices and activities. With a global interest in mind, this Satellite Conference will aim to provide a thoughtful and engaging discussion about an array of worldwide issues regarding Classification and Indexing within library and information settings.

Key-note speakers are Marcia Lei Zeng and Karen Markey.

The Satellite conference will be at the State University of Ohio, in Columbus, Ohio on 11-12 August 2016. Due to the generosity of the fKent State University College of Communication and Information and the School of Library and Information Science, there is no fee to attend this satellite conference.

Full program and registration is found on the Conference website

Registration is required before 1 August 2016

Aliens will become Noncitizens (LCSH)

All over the world people leave their homes due to politics, war or economical problems. Library of Congress has revised the subject headings Aliens and Illegal aliens. The message below is from the American Library Association (ALA), Cataloging and Metadata Management Section (CaMMS), Subject Analysis Committee (SAC).

From: camms-sac-request@lists.ala.org [mailto:camms-sac-request@lists.ala.org] On Behalf Of Young, Janis
Sent: Friday, March 25, 2016 8:51 AM
To: pcclist; SACOlist@rs8.loc.gov; camms-sac@lists.ala.org; TGMED
Subject: [camms-sac] LC to cancel subject heading “Illegal aliens”

[This message has been distributed to multiple groups, please excuse any duplication. Feel free to forward it to any other interested groups or individuals.]

In response to constituent requests, the Policy and Standards Division of the Library of Congress, which maintains Library of Congress Subject Headings, has investigated the possibility of cancelling or revising the heading Illegal aliens. PSD also explored the possibility of revising the broader term Aliens. It concluded that the meaning of Aliens is often misunderstood and should be revised to Noncitizens, and that the phrase illegal aliens has become pejorative. The heading Illegal aliens will therefore be cancelled and replaced by two headings, Noncitizens and Unauthorized immigration, which may be assigned together to describe resources about people who illegally reside in a country.

Other headings that include the word aliens or the phrase illegal aliens (e.g., Church work with aliens; Children of illegal aliens) will also be revised. All of the revisions will appear on a Tentative List and be approved no earlier than May 2016; the revision of existing bibliographic records will commence shortly thereafter.

For background on the history and purpose of the headings Aliens and Illegal aliens, the rationale for the revisions to LCSH, and a description of the scope of the project, please see the full announcement on the LC website at http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/illegal-aliens-decision.pdf.

Questions or comments on these revisions may be directed to Libby Dechman (edec@loc.gov) in the Policy and Standards Division.

Janis L. Young

Policy and Standards Division

Library of Congress

Call for papers – IFLA Satellite meeting

The Classification & Indexing Section will be hosting a satellite preconference 11-12 August 2016.

Join colleagues from around the world in the exchange of new ideas for providing subject access. This one and one-half day Satellite Conference will explore new services, new roles, and new partners that support subject searching. Investigate implementations, use, and reuse of traditional methods, such as classification, controlled vocabularies, and mapping; newer methods; and the connections between them. Discuss how we can take advantage of new opportunities and how we can meet the challenges.

Some examples of possible topics:

Traditional and new methods of providing subject access: connections, competition, or co-existence?
Semantic Web technologies and tools for subject access.
Use of library subject metadata by other communities.
Cooperation of libraries with other partners in creation and reuse of subject metadata and knowledge organisation systems (KOS) to support discovery. Possible examples include museums, archives, publishers, and providers of index-based discovery services.
User needs and subject access behaviour.
Users as creators of subject metadata through, for example, crowdsourcing, folksonomies, social tagging, etc.

The deadline for proposals is 15 February 2016. More information is available at the WLIC 2016 website

IFLA Subject Analysis and Access Section Blog

News, issues, and discussion on subject analysis and access around the world