Part 1: Database
Basics
Given
the somewhat unusual format of this particular resource (i.e.: an interactive
webpage), I have chosen to narrate my experiences and reactions as I proceed.
To
begin, a database is a collection of information, regardless of media format.
Like organs are to tissues are to cells, databases are to records are to
fields. Library catalogues are databases about library ownings. Its records are
books whose fields are authors, titles, call numbers, etc. Article indexes are
databases of journals and other periodicals.
The
keyword portion presented a primer on Boolean terms, wildcards, and other
similar concepts. Not much to be said
for these, as they’re already a staple of most LIS courses from my experience.
Most
of the remaining bullets on the webpage were devoted to additional content that
bolstered the first two, such as a Help screen and a Glossary. It’s surprising
that so little of the website would be devoted to the actual “lesson.” As for
the layout of the website itself, the interactive features were welcome when
they served to enhance the lesson, such as the quizzes provided after each of
the main two sections.
I
feel that the interactive rhetorical questions were a bit self indulgent, as
was the mini-running joke “you know the drill” comment under the records
portion. Maybe I’m just losing my sense of humor as I get older, but I find unnecessary
add-ons such as these and animated gifs of cartoon cats to be somewhat
unprofessional. On the whole, though, I think this was a fine resource that
would be a welcome tool for an individual who was not interested in deeper
studies in this field and simply needed a crash course in the subject. It was
easy to understand and refreshingly free of jargon.
Part 2: How Does
XML Help Libraries?
This
article presents a straightforward, no-nonsense approach to the topic at hand
that I appreciate. It begins by asking a question: “why is XML important for
libraries?” The answer is, quite simply, that the internet changed everything.
This fact is readily apparent in libraries, as resources that were once upon a
time largely physical have been replaced with a need for electronic
information. As these sorts of items are difficult to place in a catalog, a new
technique is called for.
Why
XML? As author Banerjee phrases it, “it is impossible to search or display
information unless it is structured in a meaningful way.” XML provides a
structure for storing information that can be shared in a uniform manner and
even combined with other data. Consider ALADIN, for instance, which is used by
academic research libraries such as Catholic.
Libraries
are able to use XML to store books, send queries, search databases, and
authenticate patrons (a feature of which, as someone perpetually incapable of
remembering his student ID number, I am painfully aware). Libraries can develop
their own XML applications, or take advantage of those designed by others. XML
can also be used to represent and work with MARC data, in which large amounts
of information have been previously stored.
Banerjee,
a library systems analyst himself, believed strongly that XML is to have a
strong impact on libraries at the time of this article’s writing in 2002. Now,
over ten years later, it would be of worth to hear how his views have changed
since then and to see what advancements have developed in line with his
speculations. A quick Google search reveals that he now oversees digital
services for a library consortium and is co-owner of a library technology
consulting firm. It would be safe to assume that he probably knew what he was
talking about when he wrote this article.
Banerjee, K. (2002). How does XML help libraries? Computers in Libraries,22(2). Retrieved from http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/sep02/Banerjee.htm
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