The Whole from the Part: Browsing Root Headings from the Aspect

Gerry McKiernan (mailto:JL.GJM@ISUMVS.IASTATE.EDU)
Tue, 5 Aug 1997 09:34:44 CDT

Message-Id: <199708051431.JAA25546@library.wustl.edu>
Date:         Tue, 5 Aug 1997 09:34:44 CDT
From: Gerry McKiernan <mailto:JL.GJM@ISUMVS.IASTATE.EDU>
Subject:      The Whole from the Part: Browsing Root Headings from the Aspect
To: Multiple recipients of list WEBCAT-L <mailto:WEBCAT-L@WUVMD.WUSTL.EDU>

             _The Whole from the Part_
       Browsing Root Headings from the Aspect

For my ever-ending review of 'neo-conventional' thesauri, I am interested in online systems and/or thesauri that permit the browsing of main or root headings from the subdivision, subheading, and/or facet from which the aspect has been pre-coordinated. For example, for the LC subdivision 'Climate' in the following subject heading

IOWA--CLIMATE

I would be able to browse all the main or root headings that have had 'Climate' appended as a subdivision (e.g. all the other 49(?) [:->] States [Of course, I'd also want to browse the main heading in conceptual order (e.g geographically) as well as alphabetically] [I'd also want the ability to browse from a conceptually/semantically organized collection of sub-parts to the root headings, which could be organized alphabetically or conceptually on my command [Power, yes Power![:->]].

[Yes, I want my cake and I want to eat it too!]

As always, any reactions, suggestions, comments, criticism, critiques, or conventional wisdom [:->] will be very much appreciated!

<h1> Thanks! </h1>

Regards,

Gerry McKiernan Curator, CyberStacks(sm) Iowa State University Ames IA 50011

mailto:gerrymck@iastate.edu http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/

"Iowa - One of the Great Forty-Eight States"