   
Classification and Indexing Section
Annual Report 2002-2003
by
Marcia Lei Zeng
Kent State University, USA
The Section on Classification and Indexing focuses on methods of providing subject access in catalogues, bibliographies, and indexes to documents of all kinds, including electronic documents. The Section serves as a forum for producers and users of classification and subject indexing tools, and it works to facilitate international exchange of information about methods of providing subject access. It promotes standardization and uniform application of classification and indexing tools by institutions generating or utilizing bibliographic records. It initiates and gives advice about research in the subject approach to information, and it disseminates the results through open meetings and publications. It works closely with the other Sections of the IFLA Division of Bibliographic Control, with the IFLA Core Programme for Universal Bibliographic Control and International MARC (UBCIM), and with the IFLA Section on Information Technology. It is interested in provision of subject access in libraries and information services of all types.
The section has 101 members from 41 countries (August 2003).
The standing committee currently has 22 members from 15 countries. The following nations are represented: Canada, Czech, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Italy, Macedonia, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and the United States. Marcia Lei Zeng and Barbara Tillett were elected as Chair and Secretary respectively at Berlin, and will serve for two years. The Information Coordinator and Newsletter editor is Patrice Landry.
Meetings
The Section had its standing committee meeting in two sessions during the Berlin conference. The meeting was attended by 17 members and one corresponding member of the committee and many observers (11 and 15). New officers were elected at the first meeting. The main discussion focused on the Strategic Plan for 2003-2004, continuing and new working groups, and plans for the 2004 and 2005 programs. Working groups had their meetings separately. Committee members also participated the Division reception where they met committee members from other Sections in the Division IV. The officers participated in the Division's officers meeting, held in two sessions, during the conference.
Programs at Berlin conference, August 2003
- The Section had an open programme, Changing Roles of Subject Access Tools, with three papers: "FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology): a simplified LCSH-based vocabulary" by Ed O'Neill (OCLC, USA) and Lois Mai Chan (University of Kentucky, USA); "SWD/RSWK at the Swiss National Library: celebrating 5 years of indexing and cooperation" by Patrice Landry (Swiss National Library, Switzerland); and "UDC implementation: from library shelves to a structured indexing language" by Aida Slavic (University College London, UK).
- The Section also organized a workshop, Dewey Decimal Classification - Edition 22 in the Global Context. Joan D. Mitchell (OCLC, USA) presented "DDC 22: an introduction", followed by Magda Heiner-Freiling (Die Deutsche Bibliothek, Germany) on "DDC German". A Panel on Translation Issues had speakers Unni Knutsen (National Library of Norway) and Jullianne Beall (Library of Congress, USA). The workshop ended with the presentation by Diane Vizine-Goetz (OCLC, USA) on " Research directions for the Dewey Decimal Classification".
- In addition, the Section participated in the workshop Subject Gateways organized by the Division of Bibliographic Control to which this Section belongs. The workshop had several papers including: "Australian Subject Gateways, the successes and the challenges" by Janine Schmidt, Anne Horn and Barbara Thorsen (The University of Queensland, Australia); "Metadata Schemas for Subject Gateways" by Lynne C. Howarth (University of Toronto, Canada); "Multilinguism and DDC cross-browsing: two keys towards a better interoperability in RENARDUS" by Elisabeth Freyre (Bibliothèque nationale de France) and Heike Neuroth (Goettingen State and University Library, Gemany); "Relationship between subject gateways and national bibliographies in international context" by Bohdana Stoklasová, Marie Balíková, Ludmila Celbová (National Library of the Czech Republic); "Vascoda - a portal for Scientific Resource Collections created by German libraries and information centers" by Tamara Pianos (German National Library of Science and Technology and University Library Hannover); "Short survey of subject gateways activity" by Bohdana Stoklasová (National Library of the Czech Republic).
All programs and workshops were well attended and received.
1. Guidelines for the construction of multi-lingual thesauri
The Working Group, chaired by Gerhard Riesthuis (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands) met in Amsterdam after the Glasgow meeting in 2002 and at the Berlin Conference in 2003. A new version of the guidelines was discussed at the Berlin meeting. The WG decided to target on a final version being distributed and posted on IFLANET for worldwide review. The WG will also seek help for further examples and add some from languages other than English, French and German, especially Dutch, Swedish, Chinese and possibly Russian.
2. Subject Access of Web Sites and Digital Libraries
The Working Group on Subject Access of Web Sites and Digital Libraries that was set up at Bangkok, under the chairmanship of Marcia Zeng, presented its results at the Division Open Forum last year at Glasgow. There have been few new items added to the database. So far, the database has covered 54 sites from sixteen countries in nine languages. Marcia Zeng suggested that a logical step would be to wrap up this WG work and extend it to a new WG for registering these subject access tools in a virtual clearing-house. This led to an action of establishing a new WG (see below).
3. A Virtual Clearing-House of Available Subject Access Tools
A new Working Group was established during the Berlin Conference to create a virtual clearing-house of available subject access tools. The WG had met during the conference and would be chaired by David Miller. An e-mail exchange list has been setup and a draft framework of the clearing-house items was circulated for comments. The WG would adapt and expand the form used by Marcia Zeng for her Working Group on Subject Access of Web Sites and Digital Libraries with some amendments and adjustments. The WG will report progress at the next Section meeting in 2004.
4. Best Practices and Guidelines for Subject Indexing used by National Bibliographies
Another new Working Group was established at the Berlin Conference. This WG will be co-chaired by Martin Kunz of Germany and Patrice Landry of Switzerland and will investigate the Best Practices and Guidelines for Subject Indexing used by national bibliographic agencies. The WG will report its work at the next Section meeting in 2004 and the 2005 Oslo conference. This Working Group is planning to have participants from other sections of the Division under a global topic concerned with the Best Practices and Guidelines for the National Bibliographies, which is suggested to be the Division's programme in Oslo.
The section continues to publish a Newsletter for Section members, for members of the Standing Committee and for others interested in classification and indexing. Two issues have been published during the current year. This acts as a channel for imparting information about what is happening at the national level and for sharing the experiences of others. It is also an excellent forum for the discussion of matters of international concern relating to classification and indexing. Contributions are always very welcome.
According to the new format of IFLA Conference, starting next year, all Sections will have only one "programme" of two hours. A Section may combine with another Section to extend the time slots for a longer session.
Buenos Aires, 2004
The Section will organize and present a programme at the upcoming Buenos Aires conference with the theme "Implementation and Adaptation of Global Tools for Subject Access to Local Needs". Three speakers have confirmed participating and have sent their abstracts. All papers will be arranged to have Spanish translations, in addition to other possible translations.
Oslo, 2005
A programme on guidelines, standards and best practice in subject indexing of the national bibliographies was proposed for the 2005 Oslo Conference. It is planned that this will be a combined programme in the Division.
The Section continues to cooperate with other IFLA Sections and Divisions and with the Permanent UNIMARC Committee in various projects and activities. This year the main item of interest to the Section was the inauguration of the new activity to replace the UBCIM programme. UNIMARC had now been transferred to the National Library of Portugal.
Marcia Lei Zeng
Chair, Classification and Indexing Section
Division IV Bibliographic Control
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