Handout distributed during poster presentation at the conference of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, Austin, TX.Handout distributed during a poster session at the conference of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, Austin, TX

Adkins, Denice

Bossaller, Jenny S., 1972-

English

Handout distributed during poster presentation at the conference of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, Austin, TX.Handout distributed during a poster session at the conference of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, Austin, TX.Includes bibliographical references

University of Missouri: MOspace

Looking for a Good Book:  Searching for Fiction using Computer-Mediated Retrieval Mechanisms  Informational works are “about” something, and with subject classification and indexing, finding an appropriate informational work is relatively easy. Finding a “good” work of fiction is less so. Factors beyond subject influence the appropriateness and appeal of a work of fiction for any particular seeker. In the past 100 years, many fiction classification schemes have been proposed and some have been tested (e.g., Beghtol, 1994; Pejtersen, 1983). Recent research (e.g., Ross 1991) suggests that beyond factual data, readers seek particular emotional experiences from fiction. Schemes have included subject classification, inclusion of literary elements such as characters and setting, and identifying subjective elements of appeal.   Each fiction access scheme articulates several points for facilitating access. These points can be divided into two types: objective (facts about the book or author) or subjective (feelings or judgments about the book). Objective search points proposed by previous investigators include 1) known author, 2) particular setting, 3) genre, and 4) subject/topic coverage. Subjective search points included 1) mood of reader, 2) emotional content the author intended to convey, 3) pacing of the book, and 4) intended audience of the book.  Because library catalogs have traditionally done a poor job classifying fiction, other sources of information have been devised (such as NoveList database) or conscripted (such as Amazon.com) to help fiction seekers find a good book. The development of commercial sources for seeking works of fiction present opportunities to incorporate previously developed and new fiction access points. We compared bibliographic records between three different types of sources, guided by two research questions:    Are fiction access points utilized in computer-mediated environments such as library catalogs, reader advisory databases, and online bookstores?    Are there differences between access point utilization between these sources?  METHOD A content analysis method was used to determine whether acknowledged elements of fiction finding are being used in web-mediated retrieval mechanisms, to what extent those methods are used, and whether there is a difference in use between web-based sources of information about works of fiction.   Instrument: A review of 21 books and articles in library and information science literature was conducted to identify elements proposed to increase fiction accessibility. The initial list contained 140 fiction retrieval elements; after category review, reduction, and pretesting, the final list contained 28 elements. These elements included objective criteria such as whether or not the record included a cover image, and subjective criteria such as whether the record indicated the book’s emotional content.    Procedure: A selection of 28 novels published within a 30-year period, from 1979 to 2005, was identified. Bibliographic/item records for each novel were identified on six different sources: two public library online catalogs, two reader advisory databases, and two online bookstores. The web page for each of these records was downloaded, and pages were coded for the presence of the 28 elements on the instrument.   Eleven records were coded by both researchers, and a test of intercoder reliability was performed using Cohen’s kappa. Initial coding results were very consistent for objective criteria (presence of cover image, indication of genre, etc.) Less consistency was evident in the subjective criteria (indication of emotional content, informational content, etc.) Definitions for the subjective categories were clarified between the researchers until consistency above k=.800 was achieved for all categories. A final comparison of ten records indicated that these consistency rates were static throughout the analysis.    Sources: The six sources included two public library catalogs (Daniel Boone Regional Library’s catalog, a SIRSI system utilizing professional reviews in bibliographic records, and Springfield-Greene County Library’s CoolCat, an Innovative Interfaces system utilizing the Guidelines for Subject Access to Works of Fiction, Drama, Etc.), two reader advisory databases (What Do I Read Next? and NoveList), and two online bookstores (Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble).  RESULTS Based on our results from the 28 books initially coded, some tentative results can be stated.    Fiction access points are utilized inconsistently in Web-mediated book information sources.  o Subjective, connotative access points are generally only available by inferring from text about the book – either a summary, a professional review, or a reader review. These are not actually articulated as search points. o Some objective access points, particularly those identified in GSAFD (like time period of the setting), are better covered in library catalogs than in online bookstores.    Older books are less well-indexed in all sources.  o Older books have more coverage in such categories where time lag is essential, such as determining literary influence, scholarly analysis, and receiving awards.   Information sources that are working from a profit motive use more fiction access points than those that do not.  o Online bookstores use more fiction access points than do reader advisory databases, and reader advisory databases more than library catalogs.   Another important difference that was revealed was the creation of a community around books and readers’ perceptions of those books. Online bookstores were more likely to create these virtual communities of readers than were reader advisory databases or the two library catalogs studied. This may have implications for future research.   FUTURE DIRECTIONS This project is currently a work in progress, and one part of a larger analysis of fiction-seeking through Web-based sources. Based on promising results from the initial study of 28 books, the sample size will be expanded for more depth in the collection being studied. It is anticipated that textual summaries and reviews will prove influential for communicating subjective criteria for most books.   Other stages of this research project will involve:   untrained readers using bibliographic records from the six sources to answer questions about the book, indicating how much information can be gleaned from these sources,  usability testing of people searching the six sources to find a “good” book, and   surveys of people’s book selection habits and how fiction access points affect those habits.   In developing an understanding of how users look for fiction using computer-mediated sources, this research will enable both libraries and the book publishing industry to provide meaningful access to works of fiction while diminishing effort spent on irrelevant or unnecessary access points.   REFERENCES  Beghtol, C. (1994). The Classification of Fiction: The Development of a System Based on Theoretical Principles. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press.  Pejtersen, A. M., & Austin, J. (December 1983). Fiction retrieval: Experimental design and evaluation of a search system based on users’ value criteria (part 1). Journal of Documentation, 39(4), 230-246.  Ross, C. S. (2001). Making choices: What readers have to say about choosing books to read for pleasure. In Katz, B. (ed.), Readers, Reading, and Libraries (pp. 5-21). New York: Haworth Information Press.   

Looking for a good book : searching for fiction using computer-mediated retrieval mechanisms handout

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/10355/46060/1/ASIST2006PosterLookingForAGoodBookHandout.pdf

Looking for a Good Book : Searching for Fiction using Computer-Mediated Retrieval Mechanisms Handout

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