““I say ‘avocado’, you say I say ‘avocado’, you say ‘aguacate’…or do you say ‘palta’?” ‘aguacate’…or do you say ‘palta’?” The urgent need and opportunity for The urgent need and opportunity for

LAC countries to expand a LAC countries to expand a vocabulary of agricultural vocabulary of agricultural

terminology for the Americas”terminology for the Americas”

Tesauro Agrícola Tesauro Agrícola Lori J. FinchLori J. FinchThesaurus CoordinatorThesaurus CoordinatorNational Agricultural LibraryNational Agricultural Library10301 Baltimore Avenue10301 Baltimore AvenueBeltsville, MD 20705 USABeltsville, MD 20705 USALori.Finch@ars.usda.govLori.Finch@ars.usda.gov

SIDALC 10SIDALC 10thth Anniversary Anniversary Orton Memorial LibraryOrton Memorial LibraryTurrialba, Costa RicaTurrialba, Costa Rica25 September 200925 September 2009

¿Como llamarías a estas figuras? ¿Como llamarías a estas figuras? What words describe these pictures?What words describe these pictures?

¿Puerco? ¿Chancho? Pig?¿Puerco? ¿Chancho? Pig?¿Cerdo? ¿Porcino? Swine?¿Cerdo? ¿Porcino? Swine?¿Sus scrofa domestica? ¿Sus scrofa domestica?

¿Palta? Avocado?¿Aguacate?¿Persea americana?

Problem: Searcher must think of ALL terms to find all pertinent information.

Need for a Spanish language Need for a Spanish language thesaurus…thesaurus…

Where is the thesaurus that accommodates terminology used in the Americas?

Local Terminology applied by catalogers Could we use the NAL Agricultural Thesaurus

as basis for a Latin American thesaurus?

Tesauro Agrícola Tesauro Agrícola

2006: Translation of NAL Thesaurus2006: Translation of NAL Thesaurus 2007: Spanish edition is on Internet, 2007: Spanish edition is on Internet,

with downloadable files, and CDwith downloadable files, and CD 2008 edition: Spanish language user 2008 edition: Spanish language user

interface and glossary of 2400 terms interface and glossary of 2400 terms Sept 2008: Visit to Orton to plan on Sept 2008: Visit to Orton to plan on

how to work togetherhow to work together Thanks to Marta Abarca for Kathya Thanks to Marta Abarca for Kathya

and Matilde for collaborationand Matilde for collaboration

2009 Tesauro Agrícola WIKI 2009 Tesauro Agrícola WIKI Wiki is a collaborative tool for sharing Wiki is a collaborative tool for sharing

ideas and exchanging information over the ideas and exchanging information over the web.web.

NAL and IICA developed a wiki for the NAL and IICA developed a wiki for the ongoing maintenance of the thesaurus ongoing maintenance of the thesaurus which serves as a “white board” forwhich serves as a “white board” for– supporting documentation supporting documentation – proposals for additions and changes to the proposals for additions and changes to the

thesaurus. thesaurus.

Kathya Lines visits NAL April 2009Kathya Lines visits NAL April 2009

2009 WIKI 2009 WIKI Kathya and Matilde contributing Kathya and Matilde contributing

proposalsproposals Some proposals from the Inaforesta Some proposals from the Inaforesta

WIKI project that identifies WIKI project that identifies agroforestry termsagroforestry terms

Videoconferences to discuss Videoconferences to discuss proposalsproposals

Today: 2009 Tesauro AgrícolaToday: 2009 Tesauro Agrícola http://http://agclass.nal.usda.gov/agt_es.shtmlagclass.nal.usda.gov/agt_es.shtml 2009 edition contains ~ 70,000 terms2009 edition contains ~ 70,000 terms Organized into 17 categories for browsingOrganized into 17 categories for browsing Updated annuallyUpdated annually Web site searchWeb site search Downloadable in 2 eye-readable formats Downloadable in 2 eye-readable formats

(PDF, TXT) and 3 machine-readable (PDF, TXT) and 3 machine-readable formats (XML, MARC, SKOS)formats (XML, MARC, SKOS)

English and Spanish web interfacesEnglish and Spanish web interfaces

Challenges of Tesauro AgrícolaChallenges of Tesauro Agrícola Original translation done in Chile and does Original translation done in Chile and does

not represent all dialectsnot represent all dialects Needs editing and correctionNeeds editing and correction Dynamic – must be enriched to be usefulDynamic – must be enriched to be useful Communication over distanceCommunication over distance Requires subject knowledge of agricultural Requires subject knowledge of agricultural

conceptsconcepts How to grow it and maintain it so that it is How to grow it and maintain it so that it is

useful to searchers of information?useful to searchers of information?

““It takes a village…” It takes a village…”

Goal of a QUALITY thesaurus cannot be Goal of a QUALITY thesaurus cannot be accomplished by one or two groups, needs accomplished by one or two groups, needs to be a collaboration across LAC countries. to be a collaboration across LAC countries.

Needs diversity of contributors so that a Needs diversity of contributors so that a variety of dialects are representedvariety of dialects are represented

Needs subject experts in agricultureNeeds subject experts in agriculture Needs Librarians / CatalogersNeeds Librarians / Catalogers

……Needs SIDALC partnersNeeds SIDALC partners

Benefits to contributionBenefits to contribution Direct impact on contentDirect impact on content

– Regional termsRegional terms– Special interest termsSpecial interest terms– Guidance needed and welcomedGuidance needed and welcomed

Acknowledgement of contributionAcknowledgement of contribution Tool for future applicationsTool for future applications Benefits of controlled vocabulary Benefits of controlled vocabulary

over use of local termsover use of local terms

Next StepsNext Steps Evaluation of the proposal processEvaluation of the proposal process Evaluation of the WIKIEvaluation of the WIKI Ideas for improvement of Ideas for improvement of

communication over long distancecommunication over long distance Development of training materials for Development of training materials for

those who wish to contributethose who wish to contribute Process for identifying gaps and Process for identifying gaps and

weaknesses in the thesaurus and weaknesses in the thesaurus and experts who can aid in developmentexperts who can aid in development

Next Steps….moreNext Steps….more

Ideas for other formats needed, Ideas for other formats needed, including CD productincluding CD product

What future applications are planned What future applications are planned that could benefit from terminology?that could benefit from terminology?

Brainstorm …which of these can we Brainstorm …which of these can we do?do?

Planning and prioritizing work to fit Planning and prioritizing work to fit with human resourceswith human resources

Gracias por su atenciónThank you for your attention

La Biblioteca Nacional de Agricultura de La Biblioteca Nacional de Agricultura de los Estados Unidoslos Estados Unidosavanzando el acceso a la información avanzando el acceso a la información global para la agricultura.global para la agricultura.

Lori J. FinchLori J. FinchThesaurus CoordinatorThesaurus Coordinator

Lori.Finch@ars.usda.govLori.Finch@ars.usda.gov