Ann Arbor District Library, a very cool library that has added a topic map like characteristic to its catalog.
User tags are stored separately but displayed alongside the controlled vocabulary of the library.
Some subject identifications are more equal than others.
A legitimate choice that enhances both the formal vocabulary as well as the user supplied “tags.”
One small step towards topic maps, ….
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Supplemental: 17 September 2010
More that one reader reported that my post was unclear. Here is a bit fuller explanation.
Follow the link Catalog. Next to the search catalog text book you will see a drop down menu. Select that and see “Tags” as one of the options. Those “tags” are supplied by users of the catalog. In other words, you can search by the controlled vocabulary of the library or by user tags. Both are associated with particular items in the collection.
LibraryThing for Libraries (http://www.librarything.com/forlibraries/) does something similar: it allows libraries to include tags created by LT users in their ordinary OPACs using Javascript. It’s interesting to compare a book such as ISBN 9780763620677 in the Ann Arbor catalog (http://www.aadl.org/catalog/record/1321228) and in a catalog with the LibraryThing for Libraries enhancement (Seattle Public Library, which chose to place the tags at the bottom of the page https://catalog.spl.org/ipac20/ipac.jsp?profile=dial&index=ISBNEX&term=076362067X).
Comment by Saskia — September 16, 2010 @ 5:17 am
If you have access, see: Smith, C. User-based indexing: a leap of faith or a descent into the abyss?. Catalogue & Index no. 157 (2009) p. 17-19
Try the following link: http://tinyurl.com/27thkns
The article covers the links we both mention and others.
Comment by Patrick Durusau — September 16, 2010 @ 5:51 am