Library catalogs
As a library and information professional, I have so long searched for a nexus between the twain, viz., a) Information Visualization and b) best practices in the library world.
Based on my search, I built an extensive webliography on the above nexus. This Webliography has two related dimensions, viz.,
a) Alternative Cataloging / Information Visualization
What is a Visual Catalogue?
"Current library catalogs don't reflect how people really work with information, making them very inefficient tools, particularly for users new to a discipline. They represent monolithic centralized efforts to structure access to the written record that are failing to adequately address the growth of that record or to tightly integrate newer forms of scholarly communication (e.g. the Web)." Read more and Some best practices
Bibliomining: Data Mining for Libraries by Dr. Scott Nicholson, Assistant Professor at Syracuse University School for Information Studies.
What is Bibliomining?
The basic definition is "data mining for libraries."
For years, bibliometrics has been used to track patterns in authorship, citation, etc. Today, there are many more tools available for discovering similar patterns in complex datasets from data mining and statistics. In addition, tools from management science such as Online Analytical Processing (OLAP) can be used to explore the data for patterns.
Therefore, a more complex definition is:Bibliomining is the combination of data mining, bibliometrics, statistics, and reporting tools used to extract patterns of behavior-based artifacts from library systems. Read more
I have summarized my search results. See Information Visualization Demystified. In this summary there are two issues. First, a few references on the involvement of some significant facilitators. And, second, how the process of developing a graphical interface for library catalog has progressed so far.
From the above citations, obvious is the fact that creating graphical interface is one of the possible ways.
In what other ways Information Visualization could aid in building a usable, and user-friendly library catalog is the crux of the problem.
How best we could apply the Guru's Visual Information-Seeking Mantra in developing next generation library catalogs is an issue, which the Guru himself may be able to guide. I hope and pray that the Guru gives a special mantra for librarians to be inspired and apply the techniques of creative visualizations.
One gets a lead of the probable tasks from the Guru's book: Leonardo's Laptop: Searching, Visualizing, Consulting, Thinking, Exploring, Composing, Reviewing
Library and information professionals also need insights on the above from other experts. The bottom line is every book in the library must find its user.