1. Subject analysis in the 21st century
A Faster Way
Bethany R. Levrault
Cataloging and Metadata Librarian
University of California Irvine
SCIUG Conference, October 21, 2015

2. What is fast?
FAST is a subject heading schema developed by OCLC and the Library of Congress (with input from ALCTS)
CORC Project: cataloging of Web resources
Simple, low-cost, easy to learn subject vocabulary identified as a need
-FAST is a collaboration of OCLC and the Library of Congress. Not a new project – work has been going on at OCLC since late 1998, incidentally 100 years after LCSH began to be used.
-The origin of FAST can be traced to observations by OCLC Research staff involved with the OCLC Cooperative Online Resource Catalog (CORC) project, which focused on the cataloging of Web resources. CORC participants typically wanted to be able to adopt simple, low-cost, low-effort approaches to describing Web resources (e.g., using Dublin Core). In the course of the CORC project, it became clear that a significant barrier to minimal-effort resource description was the lack of an easy-to-learn and -apply general subject vocabulary.

3. What is fast?
Derived from Library of Congress Subject Headings, but it is:
Simple to learn and apply
Faceted navigation-friendly
Modern” in its design (useable as linked data)
-Based on these observations, the FAST project was begun.
-FAST is easy to learn and use, both by experienced as well as inexperienced catalogers. Whereas LCSH requires complex rules for its SH strings, FAST strips the guesswork out of that by establishing separate facets that can be applied on their own.
The parsing is useful to ILS systems, particularly next-gen. types, because it allows elements like geographic name, time period, and form/genre, to stand alone. Allows post-coordination.
It may increase interoperability between various systems as well as metadata schemes. OCLC is studying this as well as using it to power a few of its research products.

4. How is FAST Different from LCSH?
Faceted: Terms are consistently divided into categories (facets) such as topics, places, time, form/genre
LCSH:
Church and state—Catholic Church—Austria—18th century
FAST:
Church and state—Catholic Church (Topic)
Austria (Place)
18th century (Period)
With the data parsed in this manner, it is easier to use. It also has the potential to work better with the faceted systems in next-generation ILSs, such as how OCLC is using it on Worldcat.org.
Separates topical data from non-topical data.
*However, you lose some context.
Catholic Church in another country or century, or a different type of church?
Different centuries applying to different topical subjects.

5. 8 categories of facets FAST Facet MARC 21 field Chronological 648
Corporate Names
610
Events
611
Form/Genre
655
Geographic Names
651
Personal Names
600
Titles
630
Topics
650
These are the MARC 21 tags in which FAST appears in bibliographic records.
The faceted system allows a user to combine various aspects to customize a search (post-coordination).
In addition, parsing data may make mapping to other metadata schemes easier. For example, the geographic facet can be mapped to the coverage element in the basic Dublin Core Metadata Element Set.

6. How is FAST Different from LCSH?
Enumerative: All subject headings or terms for compound or complex subjects are listed, making complex rules for their coordination not necessary
In LCSH, multiple rules were used by the cataloger to create this string:
Church and state—Catholic Church—Austria—18th century
In FAST, all strings are already created for the cataloger:
Church and state—Catholic Church (Topic)
Austria (Place)
18th century (Period)
Easier for non-catalogers to learn while maintaining interoperability with LCSH.
This is the main benefit of FAST.

7. How is FAST Different from LCSH?
Post-Coordinated: A system where the cataloger describes complex subjects by assigning separate single concept terms
In LCSH, the user could (theoretically) click on this one heading to get all works about this concept:
Church and state—Catholic Church—Austria—18th century
In FAST, the user must combine all these terms at the search stage:
Church and state—Catholic Church (Topic)
Austria (Place)
18th century (Period)
From the user’s perspective, searches are post-coordinated. This is…
You will notice that the first subject, “Church and state—Catholic Church” IS a string.
This is because FAST has retained topics along with their subtopics that are present in LCSH.
However, geographic (place) and time period subdivisions stand alone in their own facet.

8. Disadvantage: Some Context lost
In LCSH, the structure of the heading provides context:
Bengal (India)—History—18th century
Great Britain—Colonies—Asia—Administration
In FAST, the user must combine all these terms at the search stage:
Chronological:
Topical: Colonies—Administration
Geographic: India—Bengal, Asia, Great Britain
Form: History
Deconstructed headings
Worldcat.org: uses Form

9. Presence of fast
Since 2013, OCLC has been adding FAST headings to a subset of WorldCat records
Headings appear in 600, 610, 611, 630, 648, 650, 651, and 655 with second indicator 7 $2 fast and $0
You may have noticed these in OCLC and wondered why they were present, since duplication with LCSH is apparent
Where can FAST be found?

10. So Why should We Care?
Eliminates the necessity of learning a complex set of rules as in LCSH
Can be used and applied more easily
Hidden collections can be unhidden faster
Digital collections can retain the richness of LCSH but with ease of use
Available as linked data
Can be used by a student as well as an experienced cataloger.
Low-cost and easy to use.
Minimal subject analysis to get collections out there.
Available as linked data. LCSH is too, but not all strings are validated.

11. millennium Traditional WebPac Discovery systems
How the headings are treated may vary:
Load them? Load all of them?
Display them? Display some of them?
Index them?
As Millennium users, we have several different options for handling the presence of FAST headings.
Our choice obviously depends on our needs both in the traditional WebPac as well as what discovery/NextGen system we have.
Load them, display them, index them?
At UCI, we have chosen to load them, but not to display or index them.
Many users on listservs have commented that they delete them. One thing I learned while working at a regional network is that you should never delete data you might use later, but suppress it instead. I think deleting them is a bad idea.

12. How can we use fast? searchFAST: http://fast.oclc.org/searchfast/
assignFAST:
FASTConverter
FAST Linked Data API
WorldShare Record Manager
searchFAST
search interface to the FAST authority file that simplifies the process of heading selection
assignFAST
service that automates the manual selection of FAST Subjects based on autosuggest technology
FASTConverter
web application that converts LCSH headings to FAST headings; it helps users become familiar with FAST and see the differences between LCSH and FAST
FAST Linked Data API
Linked Data descriptions expressed using SKOS (Simple Knowledge Organization System) and Schema.org
WorldShare Record Manager
uses assignFAST API in a feature to apply FAST headings

13. A few current uses of fast
Columbia University: FAST replaced LCSH for digital collections
Cornell University Library: minimal-level cataloging pilot
Australian Policy Online: used in catalog search
British Library: testing FAST
National Library of New Zealand
University of North Dakota
OCLC’s own projects, like OCLC Classify, WorldCat Genres, and WorldCat Identities
Cornell: this procedure guides catalogers on how to search and apply FAST headings to E/L=7 records. It also explains how to add non-authorized headings.
OCLC Classify

14. selected References
Enriching WorldCat with FAST. (2013). Retrieved from fast.en.html
Mixter, J. and Childress, E. R. (2013). FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology) Users: Summary and Case Studies. (OCLC Research). Retrieved from
Proffitt, M., Washburn, B., Vizine-Goetz, D., & Tennant, R. (2015). OCLC Research Update, ALA Annual 2015.
Qiang, J. (2009). Is FAST the Right Direction for a New System of Subject Cataloging and Metadata? Cataloging and Classification Quarterly, 45(3), Retrieved from
-Demo Worldcat.org