The Ship Has Sailed and We Aren't On It: How Catalogers Could Support User Tasks and Why We Won’t

Abstract

The article begins by describing the possible characteristics of a catalog interface built to leverage a future FRBR bibliographic framework and discussing the viability of a FRBR-ized catalog interface. The author then examines current trends in interface design, which leverage conventional cataloging data structures. This survey of the literature is followed by recommendations for adapting cataloging practices to enhance the efficacy of current interface designs. The author concludes by proposing that catalogers have a choice to make about the direction of functional cataloging initiatives.

Digital Humanities and Metadata: linking the past to the digital future

“…Additional challenges involved determining which elements to display and how many were required to make the best use of the metadata within the website, whether a brief or full display of the records would improve searchability and support Digital Humanities research. Rose (2012) asserts that interfaces are trending towards a brief record display, and that there is no consensus on which fields would enable or prevent certain user tasks. However, the research collaborators decided on a full record display, allowing users to distinguish between similar records.…”

Classification at Another Crossroads

“…Therefore, a call number browsing facet can be precise, comprehensive, and serendipitous at the same time. This facet is more efficient and practical than a subject facet, on the condition that all the format types are represented in the catalog (Rose 2012). While call number functionality is still an option in classic catalogs, it is pervasively missing from publishers' platforms.…”

Presenting bibliographic families using information visualization: Evaluation of FRBR‐based prototype and hierarchical visualizations

“…However, while “the promise of FRBR lies in its ability to create, for the first time, a catalog of works” establishing such systems proved to be rather complicated (Smiraglia, , p. 364). Rose () even wrote that the philosophical and logical frameworks for realizing an FRBRized interface are years away. So far there have been some experiments and actual implementations of FRBR in library catalogs (e.g., Flemish Central Catalog, Scherzo, VTLS Virtua) as well as in other services (e.g., AustLit, LibraryThing, OCLC Fiction Finder, TELPlus project, ExLibris Primo), but most of them presented only partial applications of FRBR potential.…”