Content provided in partnership with
Introduction - organizing the Internet
Library Trends, Fall, 2003 by Andrew G. Torok
In terms of what "organization" means, I took a fairly broad approach. As in many natural systems, information on the Internet is self-organizing. For example, some search engines determine what is important to index or in what order items are viewed from a search based on link counts that point to a site. Other knowledge bases define themselves by document type, such as usenets, or come into existence by their uniqueness--blogs (Web Logs) come to mind. It seems that for many Web users, ease of use and access appear to dictate knowledge sources. At the same time, there are more organized efforts to identify and make Internet sources accessible. These efforts may simply be a subject sampler of links to relevant sites supporting a subject, area field, or discipline. For example, the invisibleweb.com site provides classified links to Web-based databases that are not indexed by general search engines. Other sources, such as the Internet Public Library (http://www.ipl.org/ or http://www.libraryspot.com/), are portals that offer classified access to information on a much broader basis. The Open Directory project, also referred to as DMOZ, attempts to create a definitive catalog of the Web. The Open Directory is the most widely distributed database of Web content classified by humans. The Open Directory powers the core directory services for the Web's largest and most popular search engines and portals, including Netscape Search, AOL Search, Google, Lycos, HotBot, DirectHit, and hundreds of others.
- Most Popular Articles in Reference
- The importance of understanding organizational culture
- Credit card attitudes and behaviors of college students
- What factors attract foreign direct investment?
- Libraries Need Relationship Marketing - mutual interest marketing concept, ...
- How to set performance goals: employee reviews are more than annual critiques
- More »
Ad hoc classification systems are offered by directory search engines such as Yahoo, and other search engines like Google permit users to search by media type or document format, such as newspapers. Efforts are underway to improve basic document description beyond the limitations of HTML. Xtensible Markup Language (XML) and various permutations are but one example. In the library field, the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (DCMI) is a notable example. Beyond large-scale efforts to identify and organize Internet content, many local efforts structure learning tools that provide quality information filtering of relevant Web information. They go by names such as WebQuests, scavenger hunts, and Tracer Bullets. Perhaps someday these efforts will fuse into clear-cut methods of organization that lead to the development of information standards by which Web content can be created. At this time, all such projects can be construed as efforts to organize the Internet.
The purpose of this issue of Library Trends is to describe some of these efforts. Leading educators, librarians, and researchers have contributed articles that represent an integrated set of ideas but also serve to reflect the diversity embodied in the theme of "Organizing the Internet." The articles consist of general surveys designed to inform as well as in-depth investigations of specific issues and services.
It is appropriate to have the first article by John Carlo Bertot address the contributions and activities of libraries in a networked environment. Ever since ancient times, libraries have acted as organizers and caretakers of recorded knowledge. In addition to creating and maintaining major classification schemes such as Dewey, Library of Congress, and UDC (Universal Decimal Classification), libraries also pioneered the first major foray into electronic information retrieval. The Dialog system at the Lockheed facility in Palo Alto laid the groundwork for online searching and related software utilities that provide unique indexing capabilities for electronic files. Libraries have also contributed to knowledge organization through a variety of OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogs) and other public and technical services innovations. As libraries move away from these traditional systems grounded in service quality and outcomes frameworks, Professor Bertot discusses the challenges information professionals face in the networked environment.
Find Research Guides for:
Find Featured Titles for: Technology
Most Popular Articles in Reference
- The importance of understanding organizational culture
- Credit card attitudes and behaviors of college students
- What factors attract foreign direct investment?
- Libraries Need Relationship Marketing - mutual interest marketing concept, ...
- How to set performance goals: employee reviews are more than annual critiques
- More »