[12242] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Content Analysis of Homepages
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Public-Access Computer Systems For)
Mon Jun 8 20:14:59 1998
Date: Mon, 08 Jun 1998 19:00:10 -0500
From: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <LIBPACS@UHUPVM1.UH.EDU>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-To: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
From: Gerry Mckiernan <GMCKIERN@gwgate.lib.iastate.edu>
Subject: Content Analysis of Academic Departmental Homepages
Content Analysis of Academic Departmental Homepages
As a science reference librarian and bibliographer--Yes, I do have a
real job, (and a wife, three kids, mortgage, etc.)--I seek to
maintain an understanding of the information needs of my clientele as
well as the research interests of the faculty and staff I serve in the
selection of materials that will best support their research interests.
Last year, in an effort to gain a better understanding of such
interests, I identified and reviewed the Web pages of my liaison
departments as well as the official individual homepages of each member
of a department, e.g. Aeronautical Engineering. My immersion and
digestion of this formal information, has been of greay benefit in
identifying and selecting materials for purchase for our library
collection (This knowledge has been most useful in decisions relating to
the purchase of more expensive engineering monographs and proceedings).
At one point, I considered tabulating the interests of my
departmental faculty into a spread-sheet as a formal aid for assisting
in the decision process for retrospective purchases as well as future
considerations. However, in a recent revisit to my project on the use
of Intelligent Software Agents for library applications, it occurred to
me that an ideal application of Agent Technology for collection
development for libraries would be one in which Agents analyze the
contents of departmental homepages and generate a group user profile
department based upon a synthesis of the expressed (and possibly
implicit or latent) collective research interests.
With such a collective user profile, one could now consider using it
as a Mega Search Statement that another agent would use to search the
Web, local (or remote) licensed index and abstract databases, other
OPACs, etc. to identify relevant resources for subsequent consideration
for selection and purchase and/or incorporation within the local
collection. Of course, we would want the ability to instruct the
Content Agent so that we would be able to be selective in a choice of a
department and/or to specify the type of electronic database for a
subsequent search by the Search Agent.
One would of course wish to manage that agents such that one could
massage the results of each agent such that results could be organized
according to professional judgment.
It would be hope that the results could in turn be used to identify
the deficiencies of the local collection. For example, to identify
those e-journals that best =27suit=27 the interests of a department, or
to identify key Web resources that would serve the interests of a
department or a research group within a department.
One could also imagine providing an alerting service to which a
faculty member could subscribe that would provide them with a Mega
Current Awareness Service of newly discovered items. One could indeed
consider using another agent, a Feedback Agent, that in turn could
provide a Real Time update to each and every faculty members interests
based upon their selection and use of selected resources.
In planning for the formal establishment of my clearinghouse devoted
to the use of Agents for collection development, reference as well as
technical services, called _Library Agents(sm)_, I would be interested
in learning about any efforts envisioned, as well as those related to it.
BTW: The address for Library Agents(sm) is:
http://www.public.iastate.edu/CYBERSTACKS/Agents.htm
Currently, this site has a fuller description of the Larger Project,
as well as links to key Agent clearinghouses.
I am aware of the various e-mail alerting services offered by
publishers (e.g., Elsevier, IOP) and information services (e.,g EBSCO,
ISI) and would appreciate learning about any compendium of such
Agent-based services as basic background for Library Agents(sm).
As Always, Any and All citations, sources, contributions, critiques,
questions, concerns, comments, or queries are Most Welcome
Joy
Gerry McKiernan Curator, CyberStacks(sm) Iowa State University Ames IA
50011
gerrymck@iastate.edu http://www.public.iastate.edu/CYBERSTACKS/
"The Best Way to Predict the Future is To Invent It"
Attributed to Peter Drucker
