Reflections on Portable MLIS Chapter 11

Chapter 11 is about designing and evaluating information retrieval systems, including internet search engines and library e-catalogs. I found useful Weedman's discussions of design, search strategies and evaluation, especially since they're not issues I think of in terms of librarian input. When I think search engines at all, I attribute most of the decision-making to "IT." But she makes clear that this is part of the profession. Weedman describes this discipline within the LIS field as one of creating systems to explore information needs. (p.125)

When using internet search engines and e-catalogs I often lament the limitations of the design/use. The author succinctly states that

"retrieval depends on two things: the ability of the searcher to construct an incisive query and the ability of the designer to incorporate features that will result in the query retrieving documents with the desired attributes." (p.125)

She also discusses controlled vocabulary and the need to fit your search to the database -- which leads me to wonder why more e-catalogs, databases and search engines don't have a format guide or style guide easily accessible to the user.

As a note of interest, Weedman's discussion of the representation of information for location and retrieval (p. 116) brought me a little thrill. Apparently I have the soul of a registrar. Seriously though, it is obvious to me that this organization of information is necessary in the tangible arena of a print library. It is equally obvious, upon reading Weedman's chapter (although not, I am embarrased to say, before) that this is equally integral to a virtual organization of information.


Weedman, Judith., (2008) Chapter 11, Information Retrieval: Designing, Querying, and Evaluating Information Systems. In Ken Haycock & Brooke E. Sheldon (Eds.), The Portable MLIS: Insights From the Experts (112-26). West Port Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.