UDC searchability in the ALEPH 500 integrated library system at the National Technical Information Centre and Library (BME OMIKK)

Abstract

The paper examines the problem of the computer-based searchability of databases containing both catalogue records and full-text documents. The question arises whether such old and prestigious classification systems as the Universal Decimal Classification should still remain in use in the age of ontologies, machine translation and natural-language context analysis? At the current level of the development of information technologies, the answer is: yes. The next question is, how can good quality controlled and natural-language search tools co-operate in the same search system? The first part of the paper presents the UDC system, as the most popular classification system also used in the countries of Central Europe. The following chapters deal with the differences between free text search solutions and search tools based on classification categories. The application of both types of searches in the same system means a great challenge for librarians. The paper offers one practical solution in the context of the ALEPH 500 integrated library system, a newly created search tool at the National Technical Information Centre and Library (BME OMIKK), operating at Budapest University of Technology and Economics.