Personalized knowledge organization and access for the web

Abstract

Traditional information storage and retrieval methods used by library professionals over the last century have much to offer in the digital environment, particularly when they are combined with recent technology. A device, called Knowledge Class, was developed as a framework to integrate information organizing methods and advanced Web technology. Knowledge Class facilitates information organization based on hierarchical structures similar to those used in thesauri and classification schemes. Furthermore, it adds values to the list of hierarchical terms through built-in vocabulary controlled and pre-stored search strategies. It is coupled with an interactive graphical interface with both dynamic and static links to search engines and related Web sites. Knowledge Class was designed to be both an information-organizing device and an information access tool. The design process discussed in this article represents a new thinking on how to respond to the challenges of organizing and accessing the wealth of information on the Web.