Janet G. Webster

Click data as implicit relevance feedback in web search

Search sessions consist of a person presenting a query to a search engine, followed by that person examining the search results, selecting some of those search results for further review, possibly following some series of hyperlinks, and perhaps backtracking to previously viewed pages in the session. The series of pages selected for viewing in a search session, sometimes called the click data, is intuitively a source of relevance feedback information to the search engine. We are interested in how that relevance feedback can be used to improve the search results quality for all users, not just the current user. For example, the search engine could learn which documents are frequently visited when certain search queries are given. In this article, we address three issues related to using click data as implicit relevance feedback: (1) How click data beyond the search results page might be more reliable than just the clicks from the search results page; (2) Whether we can further subselect from this click data to get even more reliable relevance feedback; and (3) How the reliability of click data for relevance feedback changes when the goal becomes finding one document for the user that completely meets their information needs (if possible). We refer to these documents as the ones that are strictly relevant to the query. Our conclusions are based on empirical data from a live website with manual assessment of relevance. We found that considering all of the click data in a search session as relevance feedback has the potential to increase both precision and recall of the feedback data. We further found that, when the goal is identifying strictly relevant documents, that it could be useful to focus on last visited documents rather than all documents visited in a search session.

COLLABORATIVE FILTERING: A NEW APPROACH TO SEARCHING DIGITAL LIBRARIES

At Oregon State University (OSU), the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) and the OSU Libraries are working together on a project to improve the effectiveness and accessibility of digital information created and collected by academic libraries. This project focuses on making digital resources more accessible through an innovative search interface that incorporates collaborative filtering. New approaches to search interfaces will help make the growing wealth of online content more accessible and useful. This paper discusses the problem, explains how collaborative filtering works, describes the System for Electronic Recommendation Filtering (SERF), and then presents initial results from an installation in the OSU Libraries. The productive collaboration at OSU between the Libraries and EECS portends the future of development of search systems; by working together, we can harness the expertise of librarians, computer scientists, and information users to develop more useful search interfaces and increase access to the libraries’ resources and services.

Resource Sharing within an International Library Network: using technology and professional cooperation to bridge the waters

The International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC), comprised of 325 members from 86 countries, has a long history of resource sharing based on personal connections among its members. In 2002, IAMSLIC developed a resource-sharing system using a unified search interface that relies on Z39.50 broadcast search capabilities to query individual catalogs. In addition to the IAMSLIC Z39.50 Distributed Library, which searches standard OPAC catalogs, smaller libraries can share library holdings through the online Union List of Marine and Aquatic Serials. Member libraries may submit interlibrary loan requests for items located through either avenue. This successful program may serve as a model for other library organizations interested in sharing resources and extending access to subject-specific materials amongst member libraries.

Paying for technology : Student fees and libraries

Abstract Technology resource fees provide a possible source of funding for library technology. Integrating these student funds into libraries’ budgets requires strategic planning, good communication, and student involvement. Through a review of peer institutions and a broad student survey, this study explored how libraries may tap into these funds.

A framework for collaborative information environments and unified access to distributed digital content

In this demo, we will present two prototypes of digital information portals developed using a new common framework: The High Performance Computing Virtual Consultant and the Tsunami Digital Library. This framework supports the creation of digital library portals that include not only local data but distributed content that is not under the control of the portal maintainers, such as remote web sites. The framework provides a common user interface across all resources, even if the resources are served by a remote web site. Furthermore, the framework contains features that support effective low maintenance operation and intelligent learning search and layout algorithms.

The Consumption and Production of Fisheries Information in the Digital Age

This is the uncorrected proof of the second chapter in Computers in Fisheries Research 2nd edition. The book is available from Springer Publishing in print or as an ebook. http://www.springer.com/life+sci/bioinformatics/book/978-1-4020-8635-9

News to Us: Library Humor Web Sites.

by Janet Webster M ost of you are familiar with the Hatfield Marine Science Center rnyriad of library-related Web Oregon State University sites. Given the wealth of sites and limited browsing time, we thought and you might like to know about a few interesting library humor Web sites. Some Barbara Butler of these sites are devoted specifically to Oregon Institute ofMarine Biology library humor while other sites contain a University o f Oregon more serious treatment of the profession, but also include links to humorous material. These go straight to the point with humor that is both validating and amusing to many of us: