beyond language barriers: a survey of current online library systems and lis education yoojin ha...

Beyond Language Barriers: A Survey of Current Online Library

Systems and LIS Education

YooJin Ha School of Communication, Information

and Library Studies, Rutgers University

1/11/2005 at ALISE

YooJin Ha Rutgers University

Major Topics

Research problem Objectives Research questions Underlying concepts Methodology Discussion Future study Conclusion


Fundamental Premise

Imagine a world where all ideas count the same – no matter what languages are used and no matter what country the person comes from.


Research problems OPAC system Still lack a common understanding of different

cultural backgrounds where information professionals share and disseminate documents and where users access OPACs across language boundaries.

LIS education Information professionals need to be sensitive to

such concerns and it is assumed that globalization should be a key component of Library and Information science (LIS) education and its curriculum.


Research problems (example)

Examples using WorldCat/OCLC Name: Korean poet ‘Soweol Kim ( 김소월 )

Title: Azalea flower ( 진달래꽃 ) Difficulties - with queries: variability in translation of alphabetic

characters (i.e. Sowol, Souwol etc). - in bibliographic description: not providing

translation but only the sound of Korean written in an English alphabet (Romanization) (i.e. Jindalaekot) – user may not be able to judge whether it is correct or not.


Objectives To establish if standardization of bibliographic

records, data, and access lack a socio-cognitive component which could be considered as an important addition to the record.

To devise appropriate cultural and language considerations useful in curricular design for LIS education on a global level.

To encourage cooperative work in sharing information between different countries which encompasses cultural meaning across translations and transliteration activities.


Selected underlying concepts

Cultural understanding and socio-cognitive view (Hjørland, 1997, 2002)

International librarianship (Carroll, 1987; Harvey, 1987; Gollop, 1999; Rehman, 2000)

Standardization in bibliographic description

- MARC (1969), IFLA (1974).


Underlying concepts (continued)

In Hjørland’s recent paper, the author nicely represented how we can view this socio-cognitive perspective.

“This view changes the focus of IS from individuals (or computers) to the social, cultural, and scientific world. One important implication is that the relevant cognitive structures are of a historical rather than of a physiological nature. In developing this view I found support inside psychology from The Cultural-Historical Approach associated with names like John Dewey, L.S.Vygotsky, and A.N. Leontiev, also known as Activity Theory and the Socio-cognitive View.” (2002, p. 258)


Research questions Are there impediments to using current online

library systems which might be attributed to specific cultural anomalies?

Do searches from language X to language Y yield the same results as going from Y to X? Are such searches influenced by variables attributed to cultural and socio-cognitive differences when spanning languages?

How do current LIS curricula addresses cultural idiosyncrasies important in query formulation and in search processes?


Methodology

Overview Pre-test Preliminary study Analysis Compilation of issues Confirmatory interviews

WorldCat/OCLC (First Search) was tested in this study as a example of cooperative worldwide online library systems.


WorldCat/OCLC OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) “Founded in 1967, and more than 50,540 libraries in 84

countries and territories around the world use OCLC services to locate, acquire, catalog, lend and preserve library materials.”*

WorldCat (the OCLC Online Union Catalog) “A worldwide union catalog created and maintained

collectively by more than 9,000 member institutions. With millions of online records built from the bibliographic and ownership information of contributing libraries, it is the largest and most comprehensive database of its kind.”*

* from OCLC website


Methodology (Continued)

Pre-test Conducted a survey as open-ended questions

with two individuals who had extensive experience with WorldCat/OCLC:

1. their use of WorldCat system, its value and importance to them and to their library

2. how WorldCat had changed in the recent past and how the individuals regarded those changes.


WorldCat demo


WorldCat advanced search screen


Bibliographic example


Romanization with vernacular



Preliminary study by an online survey Survey using questionnaires administered to a

small sample of selected graduate students and faculty in US, China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan universities.

Purpose of questionnaire is to provide evidence of cultural and language issues when spanning languages and countries when searching WorldCat.



Survey

An online instrument (using SurveyMonkey) was presented to respondents. All subjects were required to respond to three sections of questions:

I. Background questions

II. WorldCat usage

III. LIS program



Sample A convenience sample of those fluent in English and

another language and who catalog or are users of catalogs in multiple languages.

Total N=20 subjects who live in the United States, Korea, China, and Taiwan. 85% of subjects are either currently studying at in an LIS program or have an LIS degree already. (Among those 85%, about 50% are currently doctoral students in LIS who already hold either/both BA and Master degree in LIS.)


I. Background information

Demographic informationNative Language n= Cur LIS

studentLIS Degree

Exp. w/ WorldCat

Chinese simplified

5 4 4 3

Chinese traditional

3 2 3 0

Japanese 2 1 1 0

English 3 2 2 1

Korean 7 3 7 5Total N= 20 12 17 9


II. WorldCat usage: Efficiency of searching for

different language Users’ self report on efficiency of WorldCat

don't know

not efficient somewhat

efficient

efficient very efficient

0

2

4

6

8

10


Issues involving WorldCat bibliographic description

Romanization Translation Abstract Cross language system



Romanization - Difficult to understand and formulate the

Romanized words. - It is easy to lose real meaning

- Need to master the specific rules of Romanization.

- Some variation by each individual and in each native language to understand such rules. (i.e. Japanese vs. Korean)



Translation - English translation is needed in addition to

each different original bibliographic language.

- It would be desirable if the bibliographic description has three components linked together: original native language, English, and Romanization.



Abstract

Many catalog entries do not include the abstract translated in English. Many subjects were disappointed at this omission.

Cross language system

Although current WorldCat can support a multi language screen to view, users want ability to search in their own language.


III. LIS program Experience with LIS courses related to the

standardization of information organization at a global or international level

China Cataloging and classification, Western cataloging

Korea Metadata, KORMARC, DDC, KDC, DL

Taiwan Chinese Book Classification, DDC, LCC

USA Organization and control of recorded information (DDC, MARC), Principles of searching, DL


Suggestion for new LIS courses

Cooperative work with LIS professionals

Evaluation of effects of cultural differences on interfaces and catalogs

Cultural diversity and library services

Knowledge communication Standardization of cataloging

Introducing other countries’ catalogs

Multilingual information retrieval

Multilingual text processing

Multilingual thesaurus

Cross-language system design Translation and knowledge

management World information services

Global information service

Multilingual information center


Suggestions to resolve language problems in information sharing

“we definitely communicate with people working for various departments. Especially in a huge library, it is important to know who is strong in particular languages beyond departmental boundaries, and to create an environment to encourage librarians to ask language specialists for help. And especially technical service people should have a close relationship with language specialists.”


Discussion

Different native languages often engender different perspectives and these express themselves in unstated needs for those using OPAC systems.

- i.e. Romanization is not effective for certain language users in inputting a query in a particular way which may not be translatable to a native users.

- Compared to Korean, Japanese were better able to read the Romanization for Japanese materials.


Discussion

It is assumed that there will be more issues related to cultural and language differences which should be addressed when structuring a CLIR (Cross Language Information Retrieval) system for target users.

The socio-cognitive concept attempts to include an

understanding about different needs by different societies which are then incorporated in a user focused worldwide OPAC system.


Discussion of LIS program implications

There needs to be better transmission of cultural understandings across countries by students and professionals in LIS.

Global issues are dealt with in cataloging and related courses but this does not appear to have migrated to other parts of the curriculum.


Discussion

LIS schools on a global level.

The LIS environment could change to expose students to such global concerns across the entire curriculum to encourage cooperative information sharing as well as inculcating an international cohort of students with meaningful applications of international librarianship.


Future research plans

Expand the countries surveyed and the number of individuals in each country contacted.

Specific bibliographic information to be explored by each country.

Sensitivity will be needed: a special area

of concern since tensions do exist across borders and cultures


Conclusion

Globalization is becoming more important in all parts of contemporary society.

Easier access to information from across the world occurs through the use of the Internet, but there are still barriers to access that valuable information.

Especially for multilingual users, a more efficient and helpful interface is a key component.


Conclusion

It is evident that a prototype of a CLIR system such as WorldCat is maturing to address the concerns of its international audience but it will need a cohort of LIS researchers to help it advance through international perspectives.

beyond language barriers: a survey of current online library systems and lis education yoojin ha...

Documents

sociocognitive component

sociocognitive view

cultural meaning

sociocognitive differences

sociocognitive perspective

language y

language x

culturalhistorical approach