Multilingual Metadata for Cultural Heritage Materials: The Case of the Tse-Tsung Chow Collection of Chinese Scrolls and Fan Paintings

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore multilingual access in digital libraries and to present a case study of creating bilingual metadata records for the Tse-Tsung Chow Collection of Chinese Scrolls and Fan Paintings. The project, undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, provides access to digital copies of calligraphic and painted Chinese scrolls and fans from the collection donated by Prof Tse-Tsung Chow (Cezong Zhou). Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the current approaches to multilingual indexing and retrieval in digital collections and presents a model of creating bilingual parallel records that combines translation with controlled vocabulary mapping. Findings – Creating multilingual metadata records for cultural heritage materials is in an early phase of development. Bilingual metadata created through human translation and controlled vocabulary mapping represents one of the approaches to multilingual access in digital libraries. Multilingual indexing of collections of international origin addresses the linguistic needs of the target audience, connects the digitized objects to their respective cultures and contributes to richer descriptive records. The approach that relies on human translation and research can be undertaken in small-scale digitization projects of rare cultural heritage materials. Language and subject expertise are required to create bilingual metadata records. Research limitations/implications – This paper presents the results of a case study. The approach to multilingual access that involves research, and it relies on human translation that can only be undertaken in small-scale projects. Practical implications – This case study of creating parallel records with a combination of translation and vocabulary mapping can be useful for designing similar bilingual digital collections. Social implications – This paper also discusses the obligations of holding institutions in undertaking digital conversion of the cultural heritage materials that originated in other countries, especially in regard to providing metadata records that reflect the language of the originating community. Originality/value – The research and practice in multilingual indexing of cultural heritage materials are very limited. There are no standardized models of how to approach building multilingual digita

An Investigation on Text-Based Cross-Language Picture Retrieval Effectiveness through the Analysis of User Queries

Purpose: This paper describes a study of the queries generated from a user experiment for cross-language information retrieval (CLIR) from a historic image archive. Italian speaking users generated 618 queries for a set of known-item search tasks. The queries generated by user’s interaction with the system have been analysed and the results used to suggest recommendations for the future development of cross-language retrieval systems for digital image libraries. Methodology: A controlled lab-based user study was carried out using a prototype Italian-English image retrieval system. Participants were asked to carry out searches for 16 images provided to them, a known-item search task. User’s interactions with the system were recorded and queries were analysed manually quantitatively and qualitatively. Findings: Results highlight the diversity in requests for similar visual content and the weaknesses of Machine Translation for query translation. Through the manual translation of queries we show the benefits of using high-quality translation resources. The results show the individual characteristics of user’s whilst performing known-item searches and the overlap obtained between query terms and structured image captions, highlighting the use of user’s search terms for objects within the foreground of an image. Limitations and Implications: This research looks in-depth into one case of interaction and one image repository. Despite this limitation, the discussed results are likely to be valid across other languages and image repository. Value: The growing quantity of digital visual material in digital libraries offers the potential to apply techniques from CLIR to provide cross-language information access services. However, to develop effective systems requires studying user’s search behaviours, particularly in digital image libraries. The value of this paper is in the provision of empirical evidence to support recommendations for effective cross-language image retrieval system design.</p

Natural language processing

Beginning with the basic issues of NLP, this chapter aims to chart the major research activities in this area since the last ARIST Chapter in 1996 (Haas, 1996), including: (i) natural language text processing systems - text summarization, information extraction, information retrieval, etc., including domain-specific applications; (ii) natural language interfaces; (iii) NLP in the context of www and digital libraries ; and (iv) evaluation of NLP systems

An Exploratory study of the benefits and inhibitors of digital libraries in Iraq

This research study explores the potential of digital libraries (DLS) in Iraq and identifies inhibitors to adoption. Iraq is an ancient civilisation, with a recorded history of more than 5000 years. The Mesopotamian civilisation and the Babylonian Civilisation (both in Iraq) are amongst the most ancient in the world, and have existed from the times of the ancient Egyptian, Indus Valley, Persian civilisations. Iraq has a rich cultural history, with many rare historical manuscripts, antiques etc., on which many treatises have written and still continues to be a popular subject of research. In its recent history, Iraq has had much turmoil as a result of war, sanctions and internal conflict. In recent years many libraries such as the Iraq National Library and Archive (Dar al-Makhtutat, Dar al-Kutub wa-al-Watha\u27iq), Bayt al- Hikma, Maktabat al-Awqaf and the Iraqi Academy of Sciences have been looted and burnt. It has been proposed by the government to implement digital libraries to broaden accessibility and preserve documents. Today the advancement of civilisation and speed of innovation are highly dependent on the availability of information. With increased access to information, even the most underprivileged sections of society will have improved economies. There are numerous investments in infrastructure and improvements in the standardisation of protocols, such as http, that have enabled the sharing of information. One of the predominant tools for storing and allowing access to information is a digital library. Digital library technology has been widely adopted worldwide by governments, universities and private institutions. However, implementation of this technology is seen to be a challenge for developing countries, and particularly those nations affected by conflict. This research study examines the issues related to the implementation of digital libraries in the developing country of Iraq. Digital libraries are an effective system of collecting, storing, organising and distributing documents. They also provide privacy and security. Digital libraries have been seen to have transformed the delivery of education in Western countries. Some African nations, Arab states, India, Thailand and many others have also benefitted from digital libraries. However, it has been identified in the literature that the implementation and adoption of digital libraries has many challenges in poorer nations. A review of the extant literature provided the foundation of the conceptual framework for the study. Much of the literature concerning Iraq and developing nations predicted an exploratory study. The ontological and epistemological stance of the researcher and the nature of the phenomenon led to a method of inductive qualitative case study. A semistructured interview guide was used to obtain data from eight libraries in Iraq. The data were analysed using the constructs developed during the literature review. The researcher’s analysis also led to the identification of new constructs that were integrated into the research. Common aspects and issues with regards to implementation of digital libraries were identified. The results revealed that library staff in Iraq are aware of digital libraries and convinced of their benefits. However, they see many challenges to implementation. Their main concerns are that digital libraries require library staff to have improved knowledge of information and communication technology and English literacy. The researcher found that the capital cost of digital equipment and regulatory issues, such as protection of intellectual property and privacy laws, precluded adoption. The researcher also uncovered broader issues, including the dearth of internet access, poor infrastructure, lack of computers in the population and even the frequent interruption of electricity as major inhibitors to adoption. The researcher found that the benefits of digital libraries are predicted to be extensive; essentially the DLs are seen to be able to provide free, unhindered 24/7 access from anywhere and that this will contribute positively to the socio-economic development of Iraq. DLs will also empower women who will be able to access information from the privacy of their homes, without facing restrictions imposed by Arab culture. Moreover, the cross-referencing of DLs would save time and help research students. Multimedia used in DLs would also enhance students’ learning experience. Furthermore, DLs would showcase the rich cultural heritage of Iraq to foreign nations by linking Iraqi DLs with others in the world. For digital libraries to be implemented in Iraq the following barriers to effective implementation of DLs need to be addressed: poor literacy, poor English language and lack of ICT skills, funds for digital equipment (servers, software, etc.), and for accessing the DL (client computer, Smartphone, iPad, etc.), lack of infrastructure (including electricity supply and internet capability), and cultural issues. This will require that DLs are endorsed at the highest level of government and planned with the recognition of the unique environmental conditions. Investment in electricity plant and supply, as well as Internet connectivity is anecessity. Funding by government and foreign donor agencies would be crucial to cover the initial capital expenditure and ongoing running costs of DL. Training needs to be provided to library staff. Finally, it would be necessary to obtain arrangements with other digital libraries around the world and to implement laws of copyright protection. The study is significant because it reveals many benefits of DLs to Iraq and provides insights about the inhibitors to adoption. The study supports further research into DLs in Iraq by providing constructs, inhibitors and some of the potential of DLs. It also provides a priori for explorative research about DLs in other developing nations

Biblioteca tradicional x biblioteca virtual: modelos de recuperação da informação

Taking libraries as "technologies of intelligence" the author develops a reflection where tradicional library is "opposed" to its virtual counterpart. Models of information retrieval are discussed within the two mentioned models of libraries. New virtual concepts as "navigation" or "surfing" are compared with those present in more traditional information retrieval systems, as "the best match". Here are some other opposite concepts discussed: fuzzy set theory opposed to boolean logic; the interrelation between the basis of information technology and the development of information retrieval tools are also under scrutinity. At last, it discusses the specificity of hypermidia environment which poses new questions to the development of Information Retrieval Theory. The radical differences perceived between tradicional and virtual libraries does not leads the author to a polarization when considering the future. Although digitalization is an irreversible tendency related to information world, the author concludes by the complementarity of the two models of libraries

Multilingual Information Access: Practices and Perceptions of Bi/multilingual Academic Users

The research reported in this dissertation explored linguistic determinants in online information searching, and examined to what extent bi/multilingual academic users utilize Multilingual Information Access (MLIA) tools and what impact these have on their information searching behavior. The aim of the study was three-pronged: to provide tangible data that can support recommendations for the effective user-centered design of Multilingual Information Retrieval (MLIR) systems; to provide a user-centered evaluation of existing MLIA tools, and to offer the basis of a framework for Library & Information Science (LIS) professionals in teaching information literacy and library skills for bi/multilingual academic users. In the first phase of the study, 250 bi/multilingual students participated in a web survey that investigated their language choices while searching for information on the internet and electronic databases. 31 of these participants took part in the second phase which involved a controlled lab-based user experiment and post experiment questionnaire that investigated their use of MLIA tools on Google and WorldCat and their opinions of these tools. In the third phase, 19 students participated in focus groups discussions and 6 librarians were interviewed to find out their perspectives on multilingual information literacy. Results showed that though machine translation has alleviated some of the linguistic related challenges in online information searching, language barriers do still exist for some users especially at the query formulation stage. Captures from the experiment revealed great diversity in the way MLIA tools were utilized while the focus group discussions and interviews revealed a general lack of awareness by both librarians and students of the tools that could help enhance and promote multilingual information literacy. The study highlights the roles of both IR system designers as well as LIS professionals in enhancing and promoting multilingual information access and literacy: User- centered design, user-modeling were found to be key aspects in the development of more effective multilingual information retrieval (MLIR) systems. The study also highlights the distinction between being multilingually information literate and being multilingual information literate. Suitable models for instruction for bi/multilingual academic users point towards Specialized Information Literacy Instruction (SILI) and Personalized Information Literacy Instruction (PILI)

Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography: 2007 Annunal Edition

This bibliography lists citations of English-language articles, books and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet. Most sources have been published from 1990 through 2007; however, a limited number of key sources published prior to 1990 are also included