Indexing languages in university libraries: an analytical study

• Autor(a) principal: Fujita, Mariângela Spotti Lopes
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Outros Autores: Cruz, Maria Carolina Andrade e, Patrício, Bruna Otreira Muniz, Rio Branco, Luciana Beatriz Piovezan Rio
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Informação & Informação
• Texto Completo: https://ojs.uel.br/revistas/uel/index.php/informacao/article/view/31771
• topic: Knowledge Organization; Indexing; Indexing Languages; Indexing Policy; University Libraries; Organización del Conocimiento; Indización; Lenguajes de Indización; Política de Indización; Bibliotecas Universitarias; Organização do Conhecimento; Indexação; Linguagens Documentárias; Política de Indexação; Bibliotecas Universitárias

Introduction: The indexing language is a fundamental part of the indexing policy, considering its mediating role in the representation and retrieval of information. In order to know the reality in online catalogs of university libraries, an analytical study on language was carried out in the policy of indexing university libraries. Objective: The objective of the analytical study is to verify the use of indexing language by professionals, which language (s) they use, the existence of indexing policy manual and the use of construction and maintenance software available to the cataloger. Methodology: For this, a questionnaire was constructed and applied in a sample of university libraries in the southeast region of Brazil. Results: The questionnaire was answered by 60 libraries with the following profile: 60% have specialized collections from one to four subject areas, 73% of libraries have 1 to 3 professionals dedicated to indexing, 83% of libraries integrate a network or system, 50% participate in collective catalogs. With regard to use 49 (89.1%) used some indexing language, 25 (51%) used an indexing language, 20 with their own language without using specific software for construction and maintenance, and 24 (49%) more than one language. Among libraries that use indexing language, 19 libraries adopt procedures when no terms are found in the language, 17 libraries update the language through semantic interoperability. The formalization of the indexing policy in a document is performed by 58.3% and only 22% do not describe the indexing language. Conclusions: The analytical study carried out with the application of the questionnaire reveals new scenarios in the use of indexing languages in libraries with advances, problems and gaps that are real challenges to be faced jointly by professionals and researchers.