International TextbookCat
International TextbookCat (ITBC) was created over two project phases to supplement the Research Library’s OPAC. It is a search tool that greatly improves the search possibilities within the textbook collection.
Textbooks often have short titles that provide scant information about the book – such as ‘Terra’ – and this makes textbooks hard to search for using traditional search methods like the library OPAC. Using information from surveys designed to ascertain the requirements of educational media researchers, the team developed a special tool for searching and locating textbooks that is designed around their particular characteristics and provides researchers with quick and targeted access to relevant books.
- Aims
Aims
The aim of the International TextbookCat pilot project was to advertise the idea of the TextbookCat in international research circles and to expand the catalogue inventory accordingly. Two international institutions were therefore selected as partners: The University of Turin and the National University of Distance Education (UNED), whose textbook records had to be made compatible with the data structure of the TextbookCat.
- Methodology
Methodology
The data records of the two international partners’ textbook inventories were standardised in order for the ITBC to work as a common, cross-collection search tool. The ITBC uses, – in the same way as the TextbookCat – the internal GEI classifications of the textbooks, which enable targeted searches by being categorised by country, education level and school subject. Facets such as federal state and type of school are added for textbooks from Germany. The integrated international textbooks can also be filtered according to language. Lending and availability information is provided in the list of results for each search result that is not available directly online,
- Results
Results
The workflows and architecture developed in the project phases of the International TextbookCat will be integrated into GLOTREC. They will be further standardised and adapted in order to simplify the inclusion of further textbook collections as far as possible. The aim is to develop, within GLOTREC, a comprehensive reference instrument for the field of international academic research into educational media and work that uses such media.
