4^th entry

CRITIQUE

Bibliography information of article:

Tatomir, Jennifer and Joan C. Durrance. 2010. Overcoming the information gap:
         measuring the accessibility of library databases to adaptive technology users.
         Library Hi Tech 28(4): 577-594.

Problem

The advent of the World Wide Web and digital resources offers a vast amount of information resources at the fingertips of those with technological and economic means, thus enhancing their information needs. However, users of adaptive technology face problem when it comes to accessing academic information database despite the requirements stated in federal web accessibility legislation and international web accessibility standards. Access to popular fiction and non-fiction items are adequately provided by the National Library Services for the Blind and Physically Handicapped network of regional and sub-regional libraries (in U.S.A.) but not so for academic materials.

Comments: The problem statement was gleaned from the introduction section of the article and is reflected in the title of the article. The title is in line with the problem statement.

Purpose and Objectives

The researchers seek to find out the accessibility of academic library databases by:

1. Determining digital database load time in relation to the presence or absence of Tatomir Accessibility Checklist features.
2. Assessing the accessibility to adaptive technology users of academic library databases usually bought by libraries.

Comments: Although the purpose is stated briefly in the abstract, the researchers elaborated more on their purpose and objectives of the study in the introduction section of the article. The researchers’ objectives seemed “measurable” by the instrument developed by the main researcher, Jennifer Tatomir.

Literature Review

The researchers reviewed previous studies done on adaptive technology users with regard to accessing academic library databases with references provided. The reviews were from 2005 onwards since this field of research is quite new. The reviews shed light to the state of the accessibility problems of academic library databases in which the researchers are building upon by developing an instrument “designed to operationalize the existing accessibility guidelines discussed” (Tatomir and Durrance 2010, 581).            

Procedures

The researchers’ measuring instrument was developed based on “federal web accessibility legislation, international web accessibility standards and the researcher’s personal experiences engaging with online and digital environments” (Tatomir and Durrance 2010, 581). 32 databases were chosen for study based on informal interviews with librarians and graduates of University of Michigan. A Braille Sense adaptive laptop was used in collecting data by using a single query input in each database. Database load time was measured and recorded in minutes and seconds, and assessed using the TAC.

Comments: The researchers said there were “thousands of journal databases available to libraries” but only 32 were selected for study. This small number compared to the thousands that are available may not give a general picture of the accessibility of academic databases to adaptive technology users. The researchers’ selection was based on informal interview and therefore may introduce bias in the sample.

Findings

Results of analysis were presented in tables and a graph and clearly labeled and explained. The load time was found to be proportionate to the missing features of TAC. 12 databases were found to be inaccessible due to a load time of more than five minutes. Of the 20 sites which had load time less than 5 minutes, 9 were moderately accessible, 9 were marginally accessible and 2 were inaccessible due to four missing features of TAC considered to be important.

Comments: The findings were thoroughly explained and presented to show that the objectives as set out were met. The researchers’ results showed that load time increases when more features of the instrument were missing in the databases.

Conclusion

Four key findings were emphasized in this section:

• Current database load time, between three to seven minutes, was unacceptable when compared to database load times of mainstream technology users.
• A proportionate relation exists between database load time and the number of TAC missing features.
• 72 percent of the databases studied were “marginally accessible” or “inaccessible”.
• Poorly designed accessibility features necessary to adaptive technology users.

Comments: The conclusion, based on the findings, was systematically presented and easily understood.

Recommendations

Two areas of future research were recommended by the researchers:

• Accessibility to digital resources is directly related to “lack of access to and advancements in adaptive technologies”.
• “positive and negative outcomes for disabled individuals generated by access or lack of access to adaptive technologies and digital resources” (Tatomir and Durrance 2010, 594).

Comments:  As I see it, the recommendations for future research are a separate topic since it concerns the access to or the lack thereof of adaptive technologies by disabled individuals and not about the accessibility of databases by disabled individuals.

Overall Critique:

  

Strengths: This research is very helpful for librarians or information professionals when considering purchasing databases for libraries, especially when the academic institution or college has physically challenged students. The findings, presentation and explanation of important concepts used were clearly written.

3^rd entry

Relational Database, Text Retrieval Systems

As a non tech-savvy person, using the RDBMS and TRS technologies has been a very challenging experience for me. And honestly, because this is part of the course under the library and information science masters program I am currently studying, so I am not going to give up!

Using these technologies for the first time was like learning to drive (I failed 4 times before I got my driver’s license). Microsoft Access and CDS/ISIS are both totally new to me. It takes a while for me to get familiar with how they work. It was quite frustrating at first when I was not able to solve the problems. But with notes and handbook available as a guide, it was a great help. As usual, I would also google for information and sometimes I could get information that was useful in accomplishing my task.

Microsoft Office Access, an application software, is useful for handling large amounts of records in a “many-to-many relationships” and “one-to-many relationships” which would otherwise take hours to organize and sort. Information or data is stored in different file folders and data can be extracted from the files and combined when needed. It allows manipulating and managing information of a particular project through the creation of reports. As an example, records of library patrons such as address, age, sex, telephone number, email address, membership expiry date are listed in the Microsoft Office Access database. Some of the information can be extracted by creating a report. Microsoft Access’ benefits is that it can create databases accurately and maintaining its integrity. Integrity of data is important and Microsoft Access does that through wizards and templates (from lecture notes).

As for the CDS/ISIS text retrieval system, I find the formatting language for the purpose of printing and displaying record unfriendly. I’ve read through the CDS/ISIS handbook until Chapter 6 on “data entry” and the even after having read the chapter on “formatting language” and trying to put them into practice over the weekend, I was not able to write a successful print format for MARC. Well, maybe I would have to read through again and try a few more times until successful. If not, then I’ll just use the print assistant.

As I worked on the exercises for the CDS/ISIS, I wondered how it can be used for the library where I work. Some of the issues or matters for consideration that came to my mind were:

      -      The training needed in order to use it effectively and to its full advantage.

-      With about 26,000 bibliographic records on books alone (not including journals), this would be an extremely, enormously time consuming work unless data can be imported (with regard to the library system where I work).

One immediate advantage I see in CDS/ISIS is its ability to handle variable length records. The library system where I work handles fixed length record (fixed length author entry field, fixed length title entry field, which are the two most important items in a bibliographic data). However, before purchasing or changing library system, there are more aspects that need consideration.

Differences between a Relational Database Management Systems and a Text-Retrieval Systems (Noorhidawati Abdullah 2011):

Relational Database Management Systems (RDBMS)	Text-Retrieval Systems (TRS)
Data are organized in related rows and columns which form a table. A database may have more than one table and its data are related. The organized data can be combined. Example of a RDBMS: Microsoft Office Access	Databases consists mainly text, structured and non-numerical. Texts, or data elements, are entered into databases in predetermined fields and subfields and these form a record. It is not a relational database management system. Example: CDS/ISIS for Windows
Some features (Microsoft Access): Supports many databases (similar with TRS). Can create tables, forms, query and  reports Can create link table. Can perform mass calculation. Can handle large number of records (similar with TRS). The use of wizards and templates helps maintain integrity of data.	Some features of TRS: Support many databases, each database can hold large number of records (similar with RDBMS). Variable length record. Repeatable data. Able to import and export records. Can manage both stand-alone and local network database systems (CDS/ISIS). Advanced users can add new services and tools to the software (CDS/ISIS). Information retrieval using search language (CDS/ISIS). Product such as catalog can be printed using the “sort and print” feature (CDS/ISIS). User can design complex user interfaces through its hypertext functions (CDS/ISIS).

References:

Noorhidawati Abdullah. “Using databases in managing information.” Lecture,
         University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, January 11, 2011.