[SAC-FAST] FAST observations

[Sherman Clarke]

Dear FAST TF colleagues:
Thanks to those who have sent us analyses of their FAST records. I 
didn't get through my whole batch of records but offer the items below: 
first some comments on type of heading and then some comments on 
specific records. I am looking forward to our discussion in Chicago.

Sherman

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TOPICALS: in the test records, some headings get to be precoordinated 
because they are precoordinated in LCSH (e.g. Segregation in education; 
Folk songs, Rajasthani) and some are precoordinated because they're in 
topical subdivisions (e.g. Stars -- Formation; Sanskrit language -- 
Alphabet); this seems "unfair" or unbalanced to those that are not in 
the same heading (e.g. Noelle's United States and History)

GEOGRAPHICS: Stephen commented on #2300 that "Blenheim Palace 
(England)" hadn't been inverted; I'm not sure you'd want to remove a 
qualifier from a corporate name (or corporate-like name) to make a 
geographic ... though I imagine a digital project (or VR collection) 
might separate these two locations into name and place

CHRONOLOGY: in "real life", FAST chronological headings would probably 
be derived strictly from the content; on these test records, FAST chron 
headings are variations on LCSH periods and they are sometimes way too 
broad or otherwise ill-fitting.


OBSERVATIONS ON INDIVIDUAL RECORDS:

#827 - FAST 650 "Folk songs, Rajasthani" gives precoordination, as does 
keeping topical subdivisions with main topic

#850 - LC bib has "-- Congresses"; FAST has 655 "Conference 
proceedings"; 
can this be done algorithmically, based on links within LCSH records?

#857 - "19th century" in one heading and "20th century" in another 
merged to FAST "1800-1999" (can this be done algorithmically or does 
this show evidence of the human hand?)

#857 - LC bib has "-- Exhibitions"; this became "Catalogs $v Exhibition 
catalogs" in FAST; why not just "Exhibition catalogs"? no need to 
include broader term?

#866 - long string: Sanskrit language -- Alphabet -- Religious aspects -
- Buddhism (somewhat parallel to Noelle's observation that "United 
States" and "History" are strange when they get separated but I think 
the assumption is that most searches will be keyword; if so, why keep 
long strings like this together except that I guess you could call 
these "adjacent")

#867 - "Foreign countries" changed to topical (Armenians -- Foreign 
countries; original LC has $z, FAST has $x)

#3137 - FAST 648 "1837-1901" based on Great Britain historical 
subdivision (from LCSH: Great Britain -- Intellectual life -- 19th 
century)