On behalf of Priscilla Williams

________________________________

From: Priscilla Williams
Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2007 10:58 AM
To: Hank Young
Subject: ALA Midwinter Meeting (Seattle): ALCTS CCS Cataloging and
Classification Research Discussion Group

Posted to multiple discussion lists; please excuse the duplication.

Please join the ALCTS CCS Cataloging and Classification Research
Discussion Group at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, Saturday,
January 20, 2007, 10:30-12:30 at the Crowne Plaza Seattle Hotel,
Evergreen BR

Research Topic: Name Authority and Name Disambiguation Challenges

Librarians have largely conquered name authority control in catalogs.
However, most indexing and abstracting databases have not managed the
linking of variant names for one author to each other or to an
authorized version.  Authority files may not be the only solution,
however.  Researchers are developing models to automate processes for
name disambiguation, shifting the focus from authority control to access
control.  These models may also be applicable to digital library
collections.

Join the discussion of new tools and models for supporting name
authority control and name disambiguation.  Which tools work
successfully? Can they scale up to large databases? What models hold
promise for future applications?  Bring examples of tools you've seen or
heard about, and we will discuss options that may succeed in catalogs,
index databases, and digital libraries.

Moderated by:

Denise Beaubien Bennett is Engineering Reference Librarian and Online
Coordinator at the Marston Science Library, University of Florida.  She
is a past Chair of RUSA MARS, and currently serves on the RUSA Board of
Directors.  Her detection of flaws in the handling of name authorities
in an indexing and abstracting database led her and Priscilla Williams,
her Authorities Librarian, to explore options for managing names beyond
the library catalogs.

Background reading:

Bennett, Denise Beaubien and Priscilla Williams. "Name Authority
Challenges for Indexing and Abstracting Databases." Evidence Based
Library and Information Practice, Vol 1, No 1 (2006).  Available at
http://ejournals.library.ualberta.ca/index.php/EBLIP/article/view/7

We look forward to your participation in the discussion in Seattle!

Priscilla & Robert

Priscilla Williams

Chair, ALA/ALCTS/CCS/Cataloging and Classification Research Discussion
Group

priwill@uflib.ufl.edu

and

Robert O. Ellett, Jr., Ph.D.

Vice-Chair, ALA/ALCTS/CCS/Cataloging and Classification Research
Discussion Group

ellettr@jfsc.ndu.edu

Priscilla Williams

Head, Authorities and Metadata Quality Unit

300 Smathers Library

University of Florida

Gainesville, FL 32611-7007

phone: 352-392-0351 ext. 290

fax: 352-392-7365

email: priwill@uflib.ufl.edu