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Information Technology Section

Feasibility of a Standard Icon Set for Bibliographic Information Systems

Further information and details about this project are available from: http://www.ifla.org/VII/s21/p1996/iconstd/iconstd.html

Summary

A US-Scottish group commissioned by IFLA has concluded that a standard icon set for bibliographic systems would be feasible and that the need for it is immediate. It is proposed to promulgate and further develop the draft standard by making it available on the World Wide Web. This process would take one elapsed year for a total cost of 25,000 NLG.

Background

Until recently, most network access to automated library catalogues has been via ASCII terminal emulation. A growing number of bibliographic systems now support extended and alternate character sets. At the same time the advent of client-server technology allows the graphical representation of these character sets, even across the network. This presents the end-user with the potential problem of being unable to identify data elements or processing options because they are represented in an unfamiliar character set. However the very graphical nature of such systems presents a possible solution to the problem; it ought to be feasible to represent the data elements and processes common to bibliographic systems, by icons, the meaning of which would be self-evident, whatever the language or character set of the database.

This problem, and the potential solution to it were discussed at the IFLA workshop on multilingual and multiscript information systems in Madrid in 1993. A proposal for a feasibility study on this matter was therefore put forward, and accepted, at the IFLA conference in Havana in 1994. The remit of the study was:

"To investigate the feasibility of drawing up a standard set of icons for bibliographic information and processes. To consider the scope of such a standard and make recommendations for further work including the drafting of the standard and its insertion into the standards-making process."

This report was first drafted as a result of a meeting of experts under the joint aegis of the Information Technology Group and the Cataloguing and Indexing Group of the Library Association in Scotland on 1 May 1995, and subsequently refined in electronic discussion with a group managed from the Johns Hopkins University in the USA.

Timeliness

There is strong evidence of an urgent demand for a standard icon set.

  • The need within multiscript systems was identified in 1993 (see above).
  • Even in single script systems the increasing popularity of Graphical User Interfaces is encouraging the use of icons. The new generation of commercial OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogues) and other bibliographic information systems is adopting a variety of icons.
  • It is inevitable that the developers of proprietary GUI systems will wish to protect the "look and feel" of their products. There is therefore a danger that the meaning of new icons will become increasingly obscure, as designers attempt to "difference" them from those used by rival suppliers.
  • Yet as networking encourages occasional access to a range of different systems, the advantage to end-users of a core set of icons, with universally agreed meanings adopted by all, becomes self-evident.
  • Individual and institutional developers, encouraged by the ease of implementation and use of new client-server technologies such as World Wide Web are now actively seeking public-domain icons to incorporate into their developments. This is evidenced both by considerable email correspondence on the subject, and by the emergence on the Web of "collections" of downloadable icons. Such collections however tend to be random in nature and of variable quality, and not particularly well-adapted to bibliographic systems.

Scope of the Standard

The Standard should comprise:
  • An explanation of the rationale for a standard icon set.
  • Identification of core functions requiring icons.
  • Identification of core data elements requiring icons.
  • Guidelines for the use of a standard icon set.
  • Guidelines for the graphical design of icons.
  • A collection of graphical representations of the core functions and data elements. This should be declared to be in the public domain, to avoid copyright issues and encourage widespread use. If developers, and in particular commercial software suppliers can be encouraged to adopt this icon set it will quickly become a "de facto" standard.

Icon design

Designers of the standard bibliographic icon set should consider the following:
  • The graphical content of icons should be of high quality. Consideration should be given to using graphic design professionals to assist.
  • Icons should be language independent. This will enable world-wide adoption.
  • Care should be used in the consideration of colour in icon design. It is suggested that icons be designed in grey scales, to ensure clarity when viewed on monochrome screens. A suggested colour scheme could also be supplied, but it should be acceptable within the standard to colour each icon in accordance with local colour schemes.
  • Icons should be as far as possible culturally independent, to enable and encourage world wide adoption.
  • Icons should be acceptable to the major computer platforms (UNIX, PC, Apple).
  • Icons should not be too large (not more than IK in GIF format) given that on occasion they may be downloaded over a wide area network.
  • It was noted that in graphical interfaces the cursor can change shape to represent particular information/processes. There may be some potential in developing standard graphics for the cursor.
  • Designers should not be overly concerned with identifying the very most appropriate images for each function or data element. If the set is adopted as a standard users will come to know what the icon represents.

Further considerations

There should be no attempt to create icons for every eventuality of bibliographic information and processes. Efforts should be concentrated at least initially to the major functions and data fields. Although it is suggested that the icons themselves should be language independent, in particular applications it may be helpful to have a text description (in the appropriate language) associated with the icon. This would be displayed in place of the graphic icon in environments where graphics can be switched off (e.g. with some WWW browsers).

Compatibility within an icon superset
It may be helpful to consider the bibliographic icon set as eventually becoming part of a standard icon superset that would encompass the full range of library services e.g. CD-ROM, Online searching, news etc. This set would need to be compatible with:

  • ISO standard of de facto icons <expand>
  • APPLE and MICROSOFT standard sets <expand>

Identification of general purpose icons
Within the bibliographic standard icon set, some icons will be required that are of more general application. If there is already an accepted convention for these, it should be adopted. For example the 'video controls' for forward, back etc in retrieval set navigation.

Identification of core processes functions
The core functions applied to bibliographic information should be identified with aid of the following:

  • Z39.58 the common command language set
  • UKOLUG quick guide to Online commands.

Identification of core data fields
In the first instance, icons should only be developed for the major data fields to be searched. Research shows that the majority of searches are carried out on the following data fields:

name

titles

subject

year

If necessary, icons representing additional data fields could be developed later.

Relation to Z39.50
It may well be that the majority of bibliographic systems will adopt the Z39.50 Search and Retrieve Standard, so that end-users will be able to search many different bibliographical servers using a single client. This might suggest that standardisation of the icons available would become less important in time.

However:
  • Proprietary systems will continue to offer 'enhanced' user interfaces with extra functionality, in parallel to Z39.50.
  • Many users of Z39.50 will approach it via a Gateway linked to Web forms rather than from their own Z39.50 client.
  • The standard icon set will in any event be hospitable for use by Z39.50 clients.
  • It was therefore thought to be beneficial to include ZIG (Z39.50 Implementation Group) and library system suppliers in the further discussion of a standard icon set.

PROPOSAL TO IFLA

It is proposed that an Internet Draft Standard be developed immediately. This should be done by setting up a managed WWW site containing this report, plus a draft of the developing standard, and a set of public domain icons for consideration, testing and modification, with the aim that a full draft standard should be made available in time for the next IFLA conference in 1996.

Project Management

The Web site will be set up and the Project Head will be Bruce Royan of that University, reporting electronically to a Steering Group of members of the IFLA IT Section.

Copyright

Expert legal advice should be sought to advise on copyright issues regarding icons and suites of icons.

For example:
IFLA should seek to place icons in the public domain to avoid copyright issues.

IFLA should be aware of the problems using several icons together (e.g. a toolbar of icons). This may cause the icon set to have the 'look and feel' of other copyrighted software.

Involvement

Discussion should involve as broad a range of interested parties as possible including:
  • the library profession
  • non-library professionals
  • ZIG
  • library system suppliers

This will be encouraged through use of an unmediated discussion list, lis-icon@mailbase.ac.uk and published through circulation to other appropriate lists (e.g. PACS-L, LIS-IIS, UNITE), and publication of articles in professional journals such as Program.

Support

IFLA should seek support of other institutions/interested bodies to endorse the work towards a standard bibliographic icon set. Such as:

CNI The X consortium IETF

CORSE The UNICODE consortium

ANSI ICOM Multimedia Working Group

ZIG ISO

Implementation

Implementation of a standard icon set should be attempted as soon as possible. It was agreed that the sooner a set was available, the sooner it will be used and adopted. The University of Stirling and the Scottish Library Association have both agreed to be "test beds" for the new icons.

Funding

Participants will be expected to contribute their own time to the project but it is estimated that the project costs (services of a Project Officer plus graphic design and HTML work) will be some 25,000 NLG. IFLA has agreed provide a matching contribution towards this sum, on the understanding that sponsorship will be sought from the vendor community.