Breaking the Bottleneck: Automating the Reconciliation of Named Entities to the Library of Congress Name Authority File

At the University of Michigan Libraries, we have developed an intuitive, straight-forward process for automating the reconciliation of named entities against the Library of Congress Name Authority File. Using OpenRefine and stable, publicly available APIs, the process automatically searches the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) for matches to personal and corporate names, looks for a Library of Congress source authority record in the matching VIAF cluster, and extracts the authorized heading. The end result is a dataset, exportable from OpenRefine, with the corresponding authorized LCNAF heading paired with the original name heading, along with a link to the authority record on lccn.loc.gov. This process is automated and requires no programming knowledge or support from developers. Using this process, we have been able to reduce the time taken to reconcile name headings drastically. In this presentation, we will lead attendees through the quick and easily generalizable process, and explain what is happening behind the scenes. We will also discuss the impact it has had on our local workflows, the limitations of the process, and detail how attendees can use this process themselves to aid in their authority control processes.https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138107/1/Breaking the Bottleneck v2.pdfDescription of Breaking the Bottleneck v2.pdf : Presentation slide

Interactive context-aware user-driven metadata correction in digital libraries

Personal name variants are a common problem in digital libraries, reducing the precision of searches and complicating browsing-based interaction. The book-centric approach of name authority control has not scaled to match the growth and diversity of digital repositories. In this paper, we present a novel system for user-driven integration of name variants when interacting with web-based information-in particular digital library-systems. We approach these issues via a client-side JavaScript browser extension that can reorganize web content and also integrate remote data sources. Designed to be agnostic towards the web sites it is applied to, we illustrate the developed proof-of-concept system through worked examples using three different digital libraries. We discuss the extensibility of the approach in the context of other user-driven information systems and the growth of the Semantic Web

Cleaning up the catalogue

The London School of Economics wanted to remove cataloguing inconsistencies but the scale of the task was huge, and outsourcing to a specialist bibliographic services company proved only a partial solution. Helen Williams explains why manual and automated processes were needed

Communication Standards for Online Interchange of Library Information

published or submitted for publicatio

HELIN Cataloging Policies and Procedures Manual

HELIN Cataloging Manual - Nov. 2011 revisio

Land fraud and inappropriate dealings in an electronic environment : An Australian and New Zealand perspective

The thesis presented in this paper is that the land fraud committed by Matthew Perrin in Queensland and inflicted upon Roger Mildenhall in Western Australia demonstrates the need for urgent procedural reform to the conveyancing process. Should this not occur, then calls to reform the substantive principles of the Torrens system will be heard throughout the jurisdictions that adopt title by registration, particularly in those places where immediate indefeasibility is still the norm. This paper closely examines the factual matrix behind both of these frauds, and asks what steps should have been taken to prevent them occurring. With 2012 bringing us Australian legislation embedding a national e-conveyancing system and a new Land Transfer Act for New Zealand we ask what legislative measures should be introduced to minimise the potential for such fraud. In undertaking this study, we reflect on whether the activities of Perrin and the criminals responsible for stealing Mildenhall's land would have succeeded under the present system for automated registration utilised in New Zealand

That's 'é' not 'þ' '?' or '☐': a user-driven context-aware approach to erroneous metadata in digital libraries

In this paper we present a novel system for user-driven integration of name variants when interacting with web-based information systems. The growth and diversity of online information means that many users experience disambiguation and collocation errors in their information searching. We approach these issues via a client-side JavaScript browser extension that can reorganise web content and also integrate remote data sources. The system is illustrated through three worked examples using existing digital libraries

Immigration: Visa Security Policies

[Excerpt] The report opens with an overview of visa issuance policy. It then explains the key provisions that guide the documentary requirements and approval/disapproval process. The section on consular screening procedures includes an analysis of trends over time in denying visas. Visa revocation, a reoccurring issue of concern to Congress, and the visa security program are discussed as well

The New Technology and Competencies for "The Most Typical of the Activities of Libraries": Technical Services

At a library conference in 1940, William M. Randall called technical services the "most typical of the activities of libraries" "they are..." he said, "the things which librarians do that no one else does the secrets of the craft." 1 In those intervening forty-three years much has been written and uttered in defense and derision of these "secrets of the craft." These most typical of library activities have changed the name Randall used, technical processes, to technical services. They have moved from being sneeringly derided as "backroom," "basement" or other dreary location activities to being enthusiastically hailed today as "where the action is." They are, fortunately, no longer the "secrets" that they were in Randall's day. They have been moved into, moved around within and even moved out of the organizational charts. Regardless of all these attitudes and activities, the functions of acquiring, organizing and preserving library materials persist and the competencies necessary to carry out these three functions will be the focus of this paper. In the paper, reference will frequently be made to the "technical services librarian" meaning any librarian who works in that aspect of librarianship. The emphasis is on no particular type of library. The term library will be used as meaning also information center.published or submitted for publicatio

Search Engines Giving You Garbage? Put A Corc In It, Implementing The Cooperative Online Resource Catalog

This paper presents an implementation strategy for adding Internet resources to a library online catalog using OCLC\u27s Cooperative Online Resource Catalog (CORC). Areas of consideration include deciding which electronic resources to include in the online catalog and how to select them. The value and importance of pathfinders in creating electronic bibliographies and the role of library staff in updating them is introduced. Using an electronic suggestion form as a means of Internet resource collection development is another innovative method of enriching library collections. Education and training for cataloging staff on Dublin Core elements is also needed. Attention should be paid to the needs of distance learners in providing access to Internet resources. The significance of evaluating the appropriateness of Internet resources for library collections is emphasized