Toy StoriesThe State of Semantics in a Semiotic World

Nannette Naughtfor ALA Annual CaMMS Forum, June 29, 2014

But 1st . . . A Request For Leeway

2 Important Disclaimers

#1 OVERSIMPLIFICATION

#2 Some SILLINESS

Back to the Story . . .Long-Standing Leader

Woody or MARC?

Encounters New Fangled Toy with

Delusions of GrandeurBuzz or MARC replacement?

Jealousy & Mayhem Ensure

Kick everything out the window?

Are the old toys still relevant?

Will new toys deliver on their promises?

Stranded & AloneIs the Internet winning?

Will patrons still visit Libraries?

How will we survive?

They Learn to Work TogetherTo solve real world problems

► Avoid easy catch phrases & hype

►Communicate clearly

►Collaborate, encourage, & adapt

Scene 2 . . .Fears Surface

Is our new leader just a computer game character?

Will we be thrown away like “broken toys”?

A Leader is StolenWhy do marketers want MARC records?

What are we missing?

Rescue Missions EnsueMARC replacement becomes BIBFRAME

Early implementers test the water

Real world “in the cracks” library applications appear

Reunions OccurBridges are built to legacy meta data

Pathways to content are envisioned

BIBFRAME exports are programmed

Connections are RestoredUsers who need us, can now communicate with us

► Library Patrons

►Marketers

►Content Producers

Scene 3 . . .The Boy Grows Up

The Web is firmly embedded in patrons daily lives

Knowledge seekers need authority amidst the chaos

Fears & Miscommunications FlourishCard catalogs, strings, etc. tagged for long-term storage

Normal order disrupted

New Users Get UglyPieces are torn off & reassembled in new ways

Systems are pushed & breakage occurs

The truly unruly & untrained are here to stay

Destruction ThreatensInability to collaborate threatens to “take us down in

flames”

Focusing on too small a mission threatens disposal

Next Gen Acceptance is AchievedCooperation, good solutions, & modern approaches can

mean:

►Relevance to the “born digital” crowd

►Process changes that positively impact knowledge

on the web

Old Paradigms

MARC

AACR2, etc.

LCSH/Dewey/MESH, etc.

Strings

Access

What Librarian Does

Role(s) Librarian Fills for Patrons

Description

Organization

Acquisition

Embedded

Punctuation

How Library Meta Data Does

Role(s) Library Meta Data Fills for Library Systems

Complex, Rule-Based

Disambiguation

Physical Resources

Totally New Adventures

BIBFRAME, etc.

RDA, etc.

Subject Taxonomies

Unique, Linked Identifiers

Interact

What a Patron Does

Role(s) Librarian Fills

for Patrons

Acquire

Browse

Ask

Clean Data

How Meta Data & Electronic Content Do

Role(s) Meta Data & Electronic Content Fill for Systems

Objects

Electronic Resources & Representations

Galaxy Defense or

Darjeeling with Marie Antoinette?

BIBFRAME, etc. MARC

RDA, etc. AACR2

Subject TaxonomiesLCSH/Dewey/MESH, etc. expressed in new ways

Unique, Linked IdentifiersComplex, Rule-Based Disambiguation

Interact

What Librarian

Patron Does

Role(s) Librarian Fills

for Patrons

Acquire

Browse

Ask

Clean Data Embedded Punctuation

How Library Meta Data & Electronic Content Do

Role(s) Library Meta Data & Electronic Content Fills for Library Systems

Objects Strings

Electronic Resources & Representations Physical Resources

So . . . What’s Changed?

• Tech — It’s been modernized

• Scope — It’s been extended beyond Library

• Sequence of Inquiry — It’s been “disrupted” by

patron whim/need/context

Again . . .

#1 Admitted Oversimplification

#2 Slight Silliness

Suggest . . . 3 + 1

Things

Patrons

Systems

Context(Ours)

#1 Patrons to Language to AnswersOr State of Semantics in a Semiotic World

Syntactics

Semantics

Pragmatics

#2 Things to Labels to IDsOr State of Relationships in an Electronic World

Labels(Human)

Things(Real World)

Identifiers<Machine>

#3 Systems to Things to AnswersOr State of Discovery in a Connected World

Constrained

Systems

Closed

Systems

Open

Systems

Patrons

Answers

+1 . . . Our Current Context?

+1 . . . Musings