Yonik wrote: Thinking all this stuff up from scratch seems like the hard way... Does anyone know how other people have implemented this stuff?
It's not really what Yonik was asking for, but on the semantic front, one thing that might help is OCLC's FAST project (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology). Our metadata librarian Susan Dahl just sent me some info about it: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/fast/default.htm It's an attempt to simplify LCSH syntax without losing the rich vocabulary of LCSH. The purpose is to make it easier for non-cataloguers to assign subject terms to web resources; but it also includes a "Focus on making use of LCSH as a post-coordinate system in an online environment." In the Solr context, it would (I think) involve processing the existing LCSH headings into FAST headings before indexing, and the benefit would presumably be simpler and more consistent faceting terms. It's not clear to me yet exactly how this would work: there's a database of FAST authority records, but I'm not sure whether we (well, to be precise, Erik) could make effective use of the FAST schema without access to the database. But this might be a good context for the kind of "push back" that Erik talked about. Those who push back against library cataloguing standards can find themselves wearing concrete shoes pretty quickly, if they don't have some solid backup. Some relevant publications: http://www.ifla.org/V/iflaj/ij-4-2003.pdf http://www.ifla.org/IV/ifla69/papers/010e-ONeill_Mai-Chan.pdf http://www.unifi.it/universita/biblioteche/ac/relazioni/dean_eng.pdf Peter Peter Binkley Digital Initiatives Technology Librarian Information Technology Services 4-30 Cameron Library University of Alberta Libraries Edmonton, Alberta Canada T6G 2J8 Phone: (780) 492-3743 Fax: (780) 492-9243 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
