Beyond Boundaries: Leveraging No-Code Solutions for Industry Innovation
Is276 Final Presentation
1. Team Lightning presents:
LAPL Photo Collection
A case study in Information Retrieval
Presented December 8th, 2009 by Dalena Hunter, Michael Mocciaro,
Shelly Ray, Dan Schell, Chris Salvano, Teresa Soleau
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
2. LAPL Photo Collection
A case study in Information Retrieval
I. Background: About the photo collection and the
system that organizes it.
II. Problem Statement: Three specific information
retrieval problems and solutions:
1. Sessions timing out
2. Ranking search results
3. Interface issues
III. Going forward …
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
3. LAPL Photo Collection
Background on the collection:
Materials and System
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
4. Background: What is the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection ?
Consists of: the Herald Examiner photo collection, Shades of
LA, and the Security Pacific National Back Collection.
The Security Pacific National Bank collection is comprised of
8 sub-collections:
a. Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Collection;
b. Turn of the Century Los Angeles;
c. Hollywood Citizen News/Valley Times Newspaper Collection;
d. Central Library’s Historical California Photographs;
e. Portrait Collection;
f. Federal Writers Project;
g. Ralph Morris Archives;
h. William Reagh Collection
TEAM LIGHTNING: LAPL Photo Collection
5. Background: The collection and the system
Collection is part of LAPL’s online catalog
Items are described using MaRC metadata schema
Results in truncated keyword search results.
Rich indexing and descriptive elements are only available to
staff working with the items themselves.
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
6. Background: System constraints
IT department is stretched thin and unable to devote
time to backend or UI capability issues.
Only one photo archivist working on the project
Processing memory is limited
Results in system crashes (on a weekly basis) and timeouts
This may affect any attempt to add information or
functionality to the system.
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
8. Problem Statement
What are the impediments to good information
retrieval?
Lots of them …
1. Session timeouts
2. Ranking of search results
3. User interface
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
9. LAPL Photo Collection
Problem #1: Session Timeouts
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
10. Problem: Session timeouts
Users get interrupted with message that their session
has “timed out”
A major disruption
When did they “time in”?
We suggest: Remove the automated time out feature
and allow users to perform more elaborate, linked
searches.
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
11. Problem: Session timeouts
Eliminating timeouts is #1 recommendation
This will enhance information retrieval by:
Allowing users to progress further in their search in the course
of a session
Allowing for the addition to add greater user interface
capabilities, such as a "View Personal List" feature
Acts as a form of search memory so that users do not have to
remember or record their past searches
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
12. LAPL Photo Collection
Problem #2: Ranking search results
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
13. Problem: Ranking Search Results
The current ranking system (keyword searching):
Keyword search picks up hits in all descriptive fields of a
photo’s metadata record
Favors “Subject” and “Summary,” often to the detriment of
good recall and precision
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
17. Problem: Ranking Search Results
Comparative analysis of “Raymond Chandler” returns: Records #1 and #6
18. What’s going on here?
A keyword search favors the “Summary” and “Subject”
fields and sorts returned photos by reverse chronological
order
Therefore, a photo with 1 “airport” hit in the “Summary” or
“Subject” fields and a photo date will be returned ahead of a
photo with 3 “airport” hits that does not have a photograph
date (n.d.)
How can Team Lightning bring some rationality
to a keyword search?
19. Behold, the proposed ranking system…
Metadata Element Metadata Value Point Value
Click for Images: Direct link to photo --
Title(s): Title of photograph 3
Photographer: Name of photographer 1
Order Number: Control number for ordering purposes --
Filing Information: Filing box location / name 1
Publisher: Date of photograph --
Description: Item’s physical description --
Series: Associated Series Name (Name files) 1
Notes: LAPL control number --
Summary: Photo description 1
Subjects: Controlled vocabulary (LCSH) 2
Other Entries: Other entry names associated with item 2
20. The “Airport” example using Team Lightning’s Relevancy Ranking:
RECORD #1
Elements Metadata Value Point Value
Click for Images: Link --
Title(s): George W. Bush [graphic] --
Photographer: Leonard, Gary --
Filing
Information:
Portraits-Bush, George W. --
Publisher: 1999 --
Description: 1 photograph : b&w --
Closeup view of George W. Bush, Republican presidential
Summary: candidate, taken at the Los Angeles International Airport. Photo 1
dated: September 1, 1999.
Bush, George W. (George Walker), 1946-
Los Angeles International Airport
Subjects: Presidential candidates--United States 2
Airports--California--Los Angeles
Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Total Point Value = 3
21. The “Airport” example using Team Lightning’s Relevancy Ranking
RECORD #379
Elements Metadata Value Point Value
Click for Images: Link --
Title(s): Los Angeles International Airport [graphic] 3
S-002-348.3 4x5 Transportation-Aviation-Airports-L.A. 1
Filing Information:
International Airport.
Publisher: [n.d.] --
Description: 1 photograph : b&w --
Aerial view of Los Angeles International Airport and 2
Summary:
surrounding area.
Los Angeles International Airport and surrounding area 2
Aerial views
Subjects:
Airports—California—Los Angeles
Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.)
Analysis: This photo should appear before the photo Total Point Value = 8
of George W. Bush when doing a keyword search for “Airport”
22. The “Raymond Chandler” example using TL’s Relevancy Ranking
RECORD #1
Elements Metadata Value Point
Value
Click for Images: Link --
Title(s): Appian Way Apartments --
Photographer: Solomon, Cliff --
Filing
Information:
HE Box Raymond Chandler 1
Publisher: 1986 --
Description: 1 photograph : b&w --
Series: Herald Examiner Collection --
Front view of the Appian Way Apartments with windows and
trim in need of a paint job. Possibly used for location shooting
Summary:
in Robert Altman's version of "The Long Goodbye". Photo
--
dated: Jul. 18, 1986.
Marlowe, Philip (Fictitious character)
Subjects: Apartment houses—California—Los Angeles --
Motion picture locations
Altman, Robert
Other Entries:
Chandler, Raymond
2
Total Point Value = 3
23. The “Raymond Chandler” example using TL’s Relevancy Ranking
RECORD #6
Elements Metadata Value Point Value
Click for Images: Link --
Title(s): Raymond Chandler [graphic] 3
Filing Information: HE Box… --
Publisher: 1939 --
Description: 1 photograph : b&w --
Series: 8389 Chandler, Raymond 1
Summary: Novelist Raymond Chandler in 1939 2
Chandler, Raymond, 1888-1959 2
Subjects:
Authors
Analysis: Though photographs of filming locations of “The Long Total Point Value = 8
Goodbye” may be useful for a user, photos of Raymond Chandler
should appear first in a search for “Raymond Chandler”
24. Problem: Ranking Search Results
Final Analysis:
Incorporating a metadata “point” system can help improve
recall and precision (within a keyword search)
Search results should be based on content across all fields,
irrespective of reverse chronological order
LAPL won’t fool me
twice
25. LAPL Photo Collection
Problem #3: Interface issues
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
26. User Interface: Revised Main Search Screen
Subject Browse By Letter
Simplified Year Limit
Options New Search Options
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
27. User Interface: Revised Advanced Search Screen
Added
Boolean
search
options
Advanced Search Options
Added Year Options
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
28. User Interface:
LAPL Results Screen
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
29. User Interface:
Google Life Results Screen
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
30. User Interface:
LAPL item listing
Very small image on
initial record
Detailed summary
provided
Can browse by Subject
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
31. User Interface:
Google Life item listing
Large Picture on
initial record
Limited
One click to purchase metadata
screen provided
Can browse
related images
Can browse by “label”
33. Going forward …
Future enhancements we recommend:
Dynamic term suggestion/real-time query expansion
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection
34. Going forward …
Future enhancements we recommend:
Cross-walking to Dublin Core for inclusion in an aggregate
Team Lightning: LAPL Photo Collection