The document discusses achieving the functions of uniform titles in the current environment where retrieval systems are increasingly advanced and metadata is not always in MARC. It summarizes the key functions of uniform titles as collocation, disambiguation, identifying works, and providing a convenient label. However, it notes that relational databases and technologies can achieve collocation and disambiguation through back-end structure regardless of the name-title string. It also questions if uniform titles consistently serve as work identifiers and discusses the need for true work identifiers and encoding relationships between works. The document concludes that the label used for a uniform title can be flexible and only use current uniform title practice as needed.

1. Achieving the functions of a
Uniform title, without a
Uniform title?
Jenn Riley
Indiana University Digital Library Program
IAML Annual Conference
June 22, 2006

2. My perspective
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Familiar with American cataloging practice
Work heavily outside of MARC
Focus on metadata interoperability

3. Current environment
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Increasingly advanced retrieval systems
Increase in metadata not in MARC/AACR
Development of RDA
Now is the time to step back and think about
Uniform titles. What are their functions, and
are current practices the best way to achieve
those functions?

4. Functions of a Uniform title
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Collocation
Disambiguation
Often poses as a work identifier
Convenient label

5. Factors affecting the syntax of a Uniform
title
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Structure
Policy

6. Collocation and disambiguation
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Still essential functions of a catalog(ue)
Uniform titles originally achieved these goals by
generating a (pseudo) unique name-title
combination, and using that string for (most) every
occurrence of that work
Relational databases and related technologies can
achieve these goals with back end structure,
regardless of the form of the name-title string
Many ILS have made the switch, transparently to
catalogers

7. Matching a query to a work
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No longer acceptable to expect a user to type
in the exactly correct string in order to get the
right results
Many strategies must work together to match
queries to the correct work:
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Authority files
Matching algorithms from the IR community
Disambiguation steps

8. Work identifiers
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Uniform titles are not consistently work
identifiers
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Selections
arr.
Etc…
Need to move towards:
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System for true work identifiers (a [uniform] title
could be simply a label)
Encoding relationships between works

9. Display issues
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Need a compact label to display to users to help
them identify the correct work
This label doesn’t necessarily have to be stored;
could be generated when the page is rendered
Elements users need to see may depend on:
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Search conducted
Type of work
Types of resources matched
Scope of catalog
Will require structural changes to catalog beyond
just Uniform titles

10. Some (incomplete) display possibilities
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Parts and arrangements, current
Parts and arrangements, possible
Further choices after selecting a work
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Instrumentation and format
Add choice of language
Catalog displays must be flexible!

11. Functions of a Uniform title, revisited
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Collocation
Disambiguation
Often poses as a work identifier
Convenient label
This label can be anything we want; use as much or as little
from current Uniform title practice as we like

12. Thank you!
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jenlrile@indiana.edu
These presentation slides:
<http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/iaml2006/uniformTitles.ppt>