Indexing with the
AIRS/211 LA County Taxonomy
A Workshop for the
2009 AIRS Conference
in Reno
Dick Manikowski,
Editor, AIRS Journal
airsjournal@airs.org
Last revised 5/30/09 8:17p PDT
Workshop Objectives
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To review the Taxonomy’s structure and design;
To introduce basic principles and practices in indexing;
To help participants recognize some of the decisions
that have to be made when using the Taxonomy;
To discuss Taxonomy maintenance and customization
procedures;
To have fun  while we’re learning. (But we won’t
spill the beans to your colleagues who couldn’t come.
What happens in Reno . . . )
Note—This is a two-part workshop. Anyone who can’t attend the
second half won’t get the real substance of it. Anyone who skips the
first half will likely be lost during the second half.
The content is heavily based on the model devised by Margaret Bruni
for workshops offered at previous Conferences and has hugely
benefited from suggestions from Georgia Sales and many others.
Why Do We Index Databases &
Directories?
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So we can sift through the contents efficiently
Goal should be for the index to allow the user to find
– All relevant resources
– Only relevant resources
– As easily as possible
Indexes exist for the convenience of the user and not
that of the indexer
– There’s an inverse relationship between ease of
use of a database or directory and ease of
indexing. To create an index that the user can
navigate easily and effectively, the indexer has to
work hard and smart.
What Is a Taxonomy?
tak-SON-â-mē
2: The systematic distinguishing, ordering and naming
of type groups within a subject field:
CLASSIFICATION
(Webster’s Third New International Dictionary)
Taxonomies include:
• telephone Yellow Pages headings
• the system of binomial nomenclature used to assign
names to plant and animal species (homo sapiens)
• Dewey Decimal and Library of Congress systems for
classifying library materials
• I&R directory indexes
Watch Your Terminology!
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The taxonomy we use is the AIRS/211LA Taxonomy
That taxonomy is composed of terms that users
search under to locate needed services
Don’t embarrass yourself by saying “I’m looking for a
taxonomy for a program that . . . .” You’re looking for
a term, not a taxonomy.
If you make that faux pas in this workshop or in the
future, I will make sure you regret it.
The AIRS/211 LA County Taxonomy
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Is specifically designed for indexing
community resource files
Has been endorsed by both AIRS and United
Way of America
Has been developed in consultation with
experts in a broad range of fields
Uses language from relevant fields
Includes carefully crafted definitions
Is integrated into most I&R software packages
Continues to evolve to meet the needs of
indexers
Is not only the de facto standard for indexing
I&R files, but . . .
The AIRS/211 LA County Taxonomy
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It has been mandated by the
AIRS Standards for Professional Information
& Referral and Quality Indicators
(Version 6.0; January 2009)
Standard 9: Classification System/Taxonomy
The I&R service shall use the AIRS/211 LA County
Taxonomy of Human Services (formally titled A Taxonomy
of Human Services: A Conceptual Framework with
Standardized Terminology and Definitions for the Field) to
index and facilitate retrieval of resource information,
increase the reliability of planning data, make evaluation
processes consistent and reliable, and facilitate national
comparisons of data. Additional classification structures
such as keywords may supplement the Taxonomy, but must
must be connected to the Taxonomy rather than functioning
as independent indexing systems.
The AIRS/211 LA County Taxonomy
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Finally, by using a standardized classification
system, I&Rs are better able to share resource
records. (It’s not quite that simple. Some
ramifications that shared records present for
database managers will be briefly discussed
later in this presentation.)
Taxonomy Web Site
www.211taxonomy.org
After many years of planning, the taxonomy
Web site was unveiled on 2/11/05.
Subscribers have password-protected access to
a frequently updated copy of the master
Taxonomy, with the ability to download updates
in a variety of formats and sorts.
(Visitors without passwords are permitted to
access some of the features of the site in order
to get a taste of how the site works.)
Taxonomy Web Site
Authorized users search for terms
Taxonomy Web Site
Authorized users can view recent changes
Taxonomy Web Site
Authorized users can download the
Taxonomy as a data file
Important—The Taxonomy subscription permits your
agency to download the taxonomy files (which have only
been available in XML format since 6/30/07). But in
order to implement the changes, your software publisher
must develop a mechanism for incorporating the
updates into your database. Neither AIRS nor
211-LA County can do this for your software.
Taxonomy Subscription
Rates (2009)
Subscriber Category
Annual Rate
AIRS Members (non-profit
or governmental)
$150
AIRS Members (for profit)
$450
Non-Members (non-profit
or governmental)
$200
Non-Members
(for profit)
$600
Why should my agency have to pay a subscription fee for the
Taxonomy on top of our AIRS membership dues? We have a
tight budget!
• 211 LA County has a tight budget, too, but they subsidized
Georgia Sales’ development of the Taxonomy for over 20
years and continue to do so. They deserve to be
compensated for that support.
• The Taxonomy is copyrighted. Unauthorized use is a
violation of federal law.
Taxonomy Hierarchy
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Divides all of human and social services
into ten Major Service Categories (with a
separate eleventh Target Group Section),
each branching into up to six increasingly
narrowly focused Levels of Classification
Taxonomy Term Code
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Each term has a unique identification
number (Taxonomy Code) which reflects its
placement in the hierarchy. (Note: The
codes exist to help computers and indexers
understand the relationship between terms.
I know of no package requiring users to
input codes while indexing or searching,
and one does not have to memorize codes.)
Hierarchical Relationships
Between Terms
N
Income Support & Employment
Level 1
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Level 6
NL
Public Assistance
Programs
ND
Employment
Level 2
ND-1600.1800
Exemplary Rehabilitation
Certification
ND-1600
Employee Certification
ND-2000
Employment Preparation
ND-1600.2000
Fidelity Bonding
Services
ND-1600.9500
Work Permits
ND-1600.9500-300
Home Work Permits
NS
Social Insurance
Programs
ND-1600.9500-950
Youth Work Permits
ND-1600.9500-950.15
Unassigned Term
ND-1600.9500-950-25
Unassigned Term
There are 6 levels to the Taxonomy, but most concepts
aren’t developed past the 3rd, 4th, or 5th level.
Taxonomy Branch
(Path Leading to a Specific Term
from the Level I Term Above It)
Level 1
N
Income Support & Employment
Level 2
ND
Employment
Level 3
ND-1600
Employee Certification
Level 4
ND-1600.9500
Work Permits
Level 5
ND-1600.9500-950
Youth Work Permits
Level 6
ND-1600.9500-950.25
Unassigned
Terms and Cross References
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Each actual Taxonomy Term (technically called a
Preferred Term) has a code, uses language from its
field, and has a precise and concise definition
See Also References are provided to other related
terms to help both indexers and end-users
Use References point to actual (preferred) terms from
non-preferred terms under which users might search
for a concept
Taxonomy Locale
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While the Taxonomy was originally developed for use
in the United States, partners have helped develop two
Canadian versions of it (in English and in French).
The Canadian versions reflect that country’s
governmental and judicial structures as well as
differences in terminology and spelling (First Peoples
rather than Native Americans) and spelling (favourite
colour rather than favorite color)
Six Types of Preferred Terms
1. Service Terms describe specific
services (acts of help for assistance)
– Low Cost Meals
– Long-Term Care Insurance
The vast majority of terms in Taxonomy
branches B (Basic Needs) through
T (Organizational/Community/International
Services) are service terms.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
2. Organization/Facility Type Terms
describe what entities are, which often
implies what they do
– Hospitals
– Senior Centers
– Voluntary Health Organizations
Organization/Facility Type terms are
scattered throughout Taxonomy branches
B through T. These terms can provide
valid indexing shortcuts.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
2. Organization/Facility Type Terms
(cont.) are also listed in the Related
Concepts section of the Web site
Six Types of Preferred Terms
2. Organization/Facility Type Terms
(cont.)
One particularly useful
organizational/facility type term is
Administrative Entities
TF-0500
Management offices that serve as headquarters for
organizations and which provide services that plan, organize
and control the activities of the organization but which offer
no direct services to the public except peripheral
administrative services like training, community awareness
programs or materials and research. Included are the
administrative offices of local city and county departments,
state agencies and federal agencies as well as those that
oversee the work of large non-governmental agencies.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
3. Named Program Terms describe major
programs with commonly known names
– WIC
– Medicare
– Medicaid
Because human service workers have a
good idea of what these programs
encompass, there’s often no need to index
the specific services which come under their
umbrella.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
3. Named Program Terms (cont.) are
listed in the Related Concepts
section of the Web site
Six Types of Preferred Terms
4. Target Terms* describe groups at whom
services and programs are targeted and
can be used to more narrowly focus
indexing. Social Clubs/Events (a true
service term) could be focused more
narrowly by combining it with target
terms like:
– Social Clubs/Events * Alcoholics
– Social Clubs/Events * Pregnant Teens
*Only applicable if your I&R software package
supports the ability to combine Taxonomy
terms.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
4. Target Terms (cont.)
Don’t confuse the concepts of eligibility and
targeting. A program may be targeted at a
particular group but have eligibility criteria
which are much broader.
Example: A particular soup kitchen may be
specifically targeted at the homeless
population but have no eligibility restrictions.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
4. Target Terms (cont.)
If you try to reflect eligibility criteria in your
indexing, you’ll make your database
unsearchable and drive yourself nuts
attaching target terms to service terms.
Soup Kitchens * Males
Soup Kitchens * Females
Soup Kitchens * Adults
Soup Kitchens * Young Adults
Soup Kitchens * Older Adults
Soup Kitchens * Albanians
Soup Kitchens * Asthma
Soup Kitchens * Ad Infinitum
Six Types of Preferred Terms
4. Target Terms (cont.)
The Y branch of the Taxonomy
encompasses target terms.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
4. Target Terms (cont.)
And the YZ branch of it covers Topical
Identifiers/Issues which are useful for
focusing indexing terms in the Public
Awareness/Education branch.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
4. Target Terms (cont.)
For a really thoughtful discussion of the
issues involved in using target terms, see
the article Indexing Using Target Population
Terms in the AIRS/INFO LINE Taxonomy by
Diane Gatto (Barrett) and Cathleen Kelly.
Originally published in 2004 in v. 26 of the
AIRS Journal, it’s available online in the
Library section of the Taxonomy Web site.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
5. Modality/Delivery Format Terms
describe how services are delivered.
Taxonomy term Discrimination
Assistance (a true service term) could be
narrowed by combining it with modality
terms:
– Discrimination Assistance * Legal
Representation
or
– Discrimination Assistance * Advocacy
Not all I&R software packages support the
ability to combine Taxonomy terms.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
5. Modality/Delivery Format Terms
(cont.) are listed in the Related
Concepts section of the Web site
Six Types of Preferred Terms
5. Modality/Delivery Format Terms
(cont.)
Modality/Delivery Format Terms
are meant to be used to modify service
terms and should never be used alone.
Six Types of Preferred Terms
6. Orientation/Philosophy terms describe
services which are provided in a manner
which accommodates a particular
philosophy. There are only a handful of
this type of term. Three are in the
Target Populations section:
– Feminist Organizational Perspective
(YQ-2000)
– Partisan Political Organizational
Perspective (YQ-6500)
– Religious Organizational Perspective
(YQ-7000)
Six Types of Preferred Terms
6. Orientation/Philosophy terms (cont.)
Additionally, true service term Pregnancy
Counseling (LJ-2000.6500) is subdivided
into two Orientation/Philosophy service
terms:
• Pro-Choice Counseling
(LJ-2000.6500-650)
• Pro-Life Counseling
(LJ-2000.6500-700)
Six Types of Preferred Terms
6. Orientation/Philosophy terms (cont.)
Orientation/Philosophy Terms which are
target terms are meant to be used to
modify service terms and should never be
used alone. But the terms that are also
service terms can be used alone
Not all I&R software packages support the
ability to combine Taxonomy terms.
Summary: Six Types
of Preferred Terms
Can Be Used
Type of Term
Alone
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Service Term
Organization/Facility Type 
Term
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Named Program Term
Target Term
Modality/Delivery Format
Term
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Orientation/Philosophy
(if it’s also a
Term
service term—
Pro-Choice or
Pro-Life
Pregnancy
Counseling)
Should Never Be
Used Alone
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(if it’s also a
target term—Partisan
Political or Feminist
or Religious
Organizational
Perspective)
Five Types of Services
(not Terms)
1. Primary Services are entry point services
which an individual who meets the
eligibility criteria can receive without
already being affiliated with an agency.
– Always index primary services
(unless they don’t fall within your
agency’s inclusion/ exclusion criteria)
Five Types of Services
(not Terms)
2. Secondary Services are services which an
individual can’t receive unless she’s already
receiving a primary service from an agency
– Don’t index secondary services (though it’s
useful to mention them in text)
– If a job training program offers bus passes
to program participants, don’t use the
indexing term Local Transit Passes. Only
index the primary service (Job Training).
Why not?
Because you won’t be referring callers to the
agency for bus passes!
Five Types of Services
(not Terms)
3. Indirect Services are services which an
agency doesn’t directly provide but for
which it makes referrals to other agencies
– Don’t index indirect services . . . or at
least index them under the proper term
– If an agency claims to operate a food
pantry but is found to actually refer
individuals to neighboring pantries,
don’t index it as Food Pantries. If
you’re going to index the activity at all,
call it what it is: Information and
Referral or Specialized Information and
Referral.
Five Types of Services
(not Terms)
4. Ancillary Services are services which an
agency provides but which aren’t worth the
effort to index
– Don’t index ancillary services
– Every agency is happy to promote itself.
So you don’t need to index with the
Speakers/Speakers Bureaus term to
advise the call specialist that a caller
looking for someone to speak about the
local Job Corps center should be
referred to the local Job Corp center.
She already knows that!
Five Types of Services
(not Terms)
5. Phantom Services are services which an
agency claims to offer but is rarely able to
actually provide.
– Don’t index phantom services
– If a local charity claims to provide
persons in emergency situations with
used cars when they can but has only
been able to do so once in the past three
years, who would be served by using the
indexing term Automobiles? Neither the
charity nor the caller.
Summary: Five Types of
Services (not Terms)
Type of Service
Primary Service
Secondary Service
Indirect Service
Ancillary Service
Phantom Service
Should Be Cited in
Text?
Yes
Selectively
Selectively
Selectively
No
Should Be
Indexed?
Yes
No
Selectively . . . but
use the right term!
No
No
Four Fundamental
Principles of Indexing
1. Ease of Searching
– The end-user should only have to
search under one term to locate all
resources in the database which
provide a particular service
– Reliance on keywords or a shotgun
approach to indexing actually
complicates the search
Note—This isn’t one of the Three Fundamental
Principles of Indexing formulated by Margaret Bruni.
I’ve added it because I think it provides the
philosophical underpinning for the other three
principles.
Four Fundamental
Principles of Indexing
2. Accuracy in Indexing
– Choose the most specific term available*
which fully describes what is being indexed
*Availability of terms will be
discussed later
– If needed, use multiple terms to describe
what is being indexed
Organization provides small supply of groceries and
used clothing to families in emergency situations.
• Index as Food Pantries
• Index as Clothing
Four Fundamental
Principles of Indexing
3. Avoid Redundant Indexing (Double
Indexing)
– Redundant indexing is using two terms
from the same Taxonomy branch anywhere
in your database, such as terms
* Employment (ND)
and
* Job Finding Assistance (ND-3500)
Four Fundamental
Principles of Indexing
More on Avoiding Redundant Indexing:
When you have a legitimate need to index a
service group at what seem to be multiple
levels, look for a generalized form of the lower
level term
– Example—Rather than indexing a program
under the terms Dental Care (LV-1600) and
Orthodontics (LV-1600.6350), use Level 4
terms General Dentistry (LV-1600.2400) and
Orthodontics (LV-1600.6350)
– Unfortunately, situations will arise when
double indexing can’t be avoided . . . but do
your best to minimize double-indexing in
your database.
Notify Georgia if you think a new generalized lower
level term is needed.
Four Fundamental
Principles of Indexing
4. Consistency in Indexing (cont.)
– Once a term has been used to index
one record, it should also be used for
all other records to which it applies.
Four Fundamental
Principles of Indexing
4.Consistency in Indexing (cont.)
If you index Agency A as providing Job
Fairs (ND-3500.3500-360), you can’t
index Agency B as providing Job
Information (ND-3500.3500). By using
the Level 5 term Job Fairs, you’ve tacitly
agreed not to use any other terms in that
branch of the Taxonomy anywhere in
your database.
Any programs that offer any service
within the ND-3500.3500 branch will
have to be indexed at a Level 5 term.
Consistent Indexing
within a Branch
1
B
Basic
Needs
2
BR
Temporary
Financial Aid
BR-3000 **
Housing Expense
Payment Assistance
3
BR-3000.5000
Mortgage Payment
Assistance
BR-3000.7000
Rent Payment
Assistance
BR-8900
Utility
Assistance
BR-3000.7250
Rental Deposit
Assistance
BR-8900.9100
Utility Bill Payment
Assistance
4
BR-8900.9100-180 **
Electric Bill Payment
Assisistance
BR-8900.9100-250 **
Gas Bill Payment
Assistance
5
** = Term authorized for use in indexing
BR-8900.9100-850 **
Telephone Bill
Payment Assistance
BR-8900.9100-950 **
Water Bill Payment
Assistance
Tracking Status of Terms in Your
Implementation of the Taxonomy
B
Basic Needs
BR
Temporary Financial Aid
BR-8900 Utility Bill Payment Assistance
BR-8900.9100 Utility Bill Payment
Assistance
*BR-8900.9100-150 Electric Bill Payment
Assistance
*BR-8900.9100-250 Gas Bill Payment
Assistance
*BR-8900.9100-950 Water Bill Payment
Assistance
BR-8900.9200 Utility Bill Disconnection
Notification
* = Term has been used
Text = Term available for indexing
Text = Term unavailable for indexing Why?
B
Basic Needs
BR
Temporary Financial Aid
BR-8900 Utility Bill Assistance
BR-8900.9100 Utility Bill Payment
Assistance
*BR-8900.9100-150 Electric Bill Payment
Assistance
*BR-8900.9100-250 Gas Bill Payment
Assistance
*BR-8900.9100-950 Water Bill Payment
Assistance
BR-8900.9200 Utility Disconnection
Notification
This approach would work if you opted to index utility
bill payment at the 5th level of the taxonomy. Just
because you’re using a 4th level term for Utility Bill
Disconnection Notification, you’re not obligated to
index everything at the 4th level. All that matters is that
you never use a term that’s directly above or below
another term used to index your database.
Your I&R software may provide options for
deactivating terms (making them invisible to all
users) or authorizing them (letting your indexers
know that they’ve been approved for use).
Filters Feature Enables
Subscribers to Maintain or
Even Share Customized
Versions of the Taxonomy
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Feature was implemented during Winter
2007/2008
Check 2007 AIRS Journal for more details on
how it works
Relax! Properly Using the
Taxonomy Doesn’t Entail the
Massive Workload It Initially
Appears To
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By not indexing secondary services, ancillary
services, indirect services, or phantom services,
you’re greatly reducing the number of services
you need to index.
You’re not choosing from the entire pool of
Taxonomy terms (which would be pretty
intimidating)
Both of these save you time and effort without
compromising your resource database. (In fact,
they’ll make your data more accessible to the
searcher.)
With Each Indexing Decision
You Make, You Reduce Your
Pool of Available Terms to a
More Manageable Size
Terms in the TIP Database as of 4/14/08
"Real" Terms
(Branches B - T)
Target Terms
(Branch Y)
Total Taxonomy Terms
6,710
2,207
Terms Used for
Indexing
1,317
88
19.6274%
3.9873%
Percentage of Total
Taxonomy Terms
Taxonomy’s Full Food (BD) Section
B
Basic Needs
BD
BD-260
Food
BD-260.050
Food Production
Agricultural Assistance
BD-150
Communal Food
BD-260.050-33
Irrigation Assistance
BD-180
Emergency Food
BD-260.050-35
Home Gardening
Assistance
BD-180.100
Brown Bag Programs
BD-180.200
Food Pantries
BD-180.200-20
Food Lines
BD-180.200-62
Occasional Emergency Food
BD-180.200-64
Ongoing Emergency Food
BD-180.225
Food Vouchers
BD-180.250
Government Surplus Food
BD-180.800
Sack Lunches/Dinners
BD-180.820
Specialty Food Providers
BD-180.820-18
Drinking Water
BD-180.820-20
Food Supplements
BD-180.820-25
Formula/Baby Food
BD-200
Food Banks
BD-220
Food Gleaning Programs
BD-240
Food Outlets
BD-240.200
Farm Trails
BD-240.225
Farmers Markets
BD-240.250
Food Co-ops
BD-240.500
Mini Markets
BD-240.900
U-Pick Programs
BD-260.150
Community Gardening
BD-260.450
Livestock Breeding/
Management
BD-260.700
Rent-A-Tree
BD-500
Meals
BD-500.145
Child Care Food Programs
BD-500.150
Congregate Meals
BD-500.350
Home Delivered Meals
BD-500.450
Low-Cost Meals
BD-500.500
Meal Vouchers
BD-500.510
Milk Programs
BD-500.520
Mobile Canteens
BD-500.800
School Breakfasts
BD-500.820
School Lunches
BD-500.830
Soup Kitchens
BD-500.850
Summer Food Service
Programs
This and the following are old slides using the
code format which has since been superseded.
Customized Food Sections
No agency would (or should) use all of the Food terms
to index its file. Instead, each agency would choose a
particular subset of terms to meet its needs.
Customized For a Comprehensive I&R:
Customized For a Senior I&R:
BD-180.200
Food Pantries
BD-180.100
BD-180.225
Food Vouchers
Brown Bag
Programs
BD-180.250
Government
Surplus Food
BD-180.820.20
Food Supplements
BD-240.500
Mini Markets
BD-200
Food Banks
BD-500.150
Congregate Meals
BD-260.050
Agricultural
Assistance
BD-500.350
Home Delivered
Meals
BD-260.150
Congregate
Meals
BD-500.450
Low-Cost Meals
BD-260.350
Home Delivered
Meals
Customized For a Disability I&R:
Soup Kitchens
BD-180.820-20
Food
Supplements
BD-500.350
Home Delivered
Meals
BD-260.830
This and the preceding are old slides
using the code format which has since
been superseded.
Factors to Consider in
Determining the Level at
Which to Index a Subject Area





What are your agency’s scope and priorities?
How many resources will be listed as providing
the services within that subject area?
How specific are the service requests you receive
in that subject area?
What is the skill level of staff? How much time
can they devote to maintenance? How much
turnover does the staff have?
How volatile is the information you are indexing?
Remember—Depth of indexing can vary between
individual subject areas within a database. What
ultimately matters is absolute consistency within any
single branch.
Ramifications for
Sharing Records
While the ability to electronically share
records among I&R agencies is awesome,
doing so can produce an unworkable mess
unless all parties are consistent in terms of:
Indexing practices—If you import records
which have indexed secondary services into
your database, your clean database will no
longer be clean.
Indexing terms—If you’ve been using
Level 4 term Food Pantries and the records
you import use Level 3 term Emergency
Food, searching will get muddied.
Ramifications for
Sharing Records (cont.)
Post-merging database cleanup is tedious
and exacting work . . .
. . . and it will need to be done every time you
merge records from different databases.
Unless . . .
Ramifications for
Sharing Records (cont.)
. . . the records are totally consistent.
All contributors of shared records need to
make a commitment to:
1. Work with other contributors to establish
conventions for indexing practices.
2. Work with other contributors to establish
conventions for specific terms to be used
for every relevant Taxonomy branch.
3. Abide by the agreed upon conventions for
indexing practices and indexing terms.
Getting Help with Questions About
Indexing with the Taxonomy


The best option is to join the AIRS Taxonomy
listserv (send a blank e-mail message to
AIRS_Taxonomy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com)
and post your questions there.
Better yet, visit www.yahoogroups.com to join the
group. That way, you’ll be able to search the
message archives and download files which have
been uploaded to the group.
To suggest new indexing terms, write to Georgia
Sales (gsales4215@aol.com). Please don’t
monopolize too much of her time, though.
AIRS Taxonomy Listserv
Front Page
AIRS Taxonomy Listserv Posting
Comprehensive Taxonomy
Overview
Revised versions are periodically published in
the AIRS Journal. The most recent version is
available in the Library subsection of the
Resources section of the Taxonomy Web site.
Keeping the Taxonomy
Up-to-Date in Your Database

Consult Georgia Sales’ article from v. 20
(1998) of The AIRS Journal (also available
on the Taxonomy Web site)
Specific Indexing Steps
1. Determine of the agency’s services should
be logically bundled together into a
service group/service cluster. Then,
taking one group/cluster at a time:
2. Identify the primary service concept(s)
3. Is there a facility type term for it?
4. If not, identify the most appropriate term to
characterize that service concept.
5. Read the definition to verify that the term
is right.
Specific Indexing Steps (cont.)
6. Review the hierarchy to confirm the level
selected. Have you used that term
before? Did you index the concept at a
higher or lower level? Remember: You’ve
got to be consistent!
7. Look at the See Also references listed for
the term. Should any of them also be
used to index the agency service?
8. Is a modality term* or an orientation/
philosophy term* needed to clarify the
manner in which the service is delivered?
*Only applicable if your I&R database software
permits you to link terms.
Specific Indexing Steps (cont.)
9. Would a target group* be useful to identify
the group at which the service is aimed
and expedite searches?
*Only applicable if your I&R database software
permits you to link terms.
Converting Your Database
to the Taxonomy
1. Convert one subject area at a time.
2. Locate the section(s) of the Taxonomy that
cover(s) the types of resources to be reindexed.
3. Determine which terms in the Taxonomy
can be eliminated for use in your
database. Consider:
• What type of resources are available in
the community?
• What are your inclusion/exclusion
criteria for your database?
• What types of resources does your
database currently contain?
Converting Your Database
to the Taxonomy (cont.)
4. Determine the level of detail which is
appropriate for the remaining Taxonomy
terms.
• How specific are the service requests you
receive from your clients?
• What is the skill level of your staff?
• How specifically can your staff afford to
index?
• How volatile is the information your file
contains?
• What are your priorities?
5. Look for legitimate shortcuts.
Converting Your Database
to the Taxonomy (cont.)
6. Keep track of available, unavailable, and
used terms.
7. Make sure you’re not spinning your wheels
by indexing:
* secondary services
* indirect services
* ancillary services
* phantom services
Practice Exercises
During our remaining time, let’s try to put the
concepts and principles we’ve discussed
today to work by indexing some resources.
Refer to the slides on Specific Indexing Steps
as needed.
We’ll look for relevant Taxonomy terms via the
www.211taxonomy.org Web site.
If we can’t finish going through all the
exercises together, please complete them on
your own or working with another participant
after you return to work. The sooner you
reinforce this training, the more valuable it will
be to you.
Indexing Exercise #1
CHRISTIAN GUIDANCE CENTER
3684 Trumbull Ave., Detroit, MI 48208
313/832-1470
Purpose: (1979) A residential program designed to re-integrate
recovering substance abusers into the community. Program is
aimed at ex-offenders, but not limited to this group.
Services: 1) Individual counseling 2) Group therapy 3) Adult
basic education classes 4) GED classes 5) Recreational
activities.
Eligibility: Men age 18 and over. Serves the tri-county area.
What is/are the primary service(s)?
CHRISTIAN GUIDANCE CENTER
3684 Trumbull Ave., Detroit, MI 48208
313/832-1470
Purpose: (1979) A residential program designed to re-integrate
recovering substance abusers into the community. Program is
aimed at ex-offenders, but not limited to this group.
Services: 1) Individual counseling 2) Group therapy 3) Adult
basic education classes 4) GED classes 5) Recreational
activities.
Eligibility: Men age 18 and over. Serves the tri-county area.
Christian Guidance Center

LX
LX-8450
LX-8450-0500
LX-8450-1150

LX-8450.3300

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







LX-8450.8100
LX-8470
LX-8500
LX-8500.6500
LX-8500.8000
LX-8500.8500
Substance Abuse Services
Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
Antabuse Programs
Comprehensive Outpatient Substance
Abuse Treatment
Comprehensive Inpatient Substance
Abuse Treatment
Substance Abuse Day Treatment
Supportive Substance Abuse Services
Transitional Residential Substance Abuse
Services
Primary Recovery Homes
Sober Living Centers
Supportive Recovery Homes
CHRISTIAN GUIDANCE CENTER
3684 Trumbull Ave., Detroit, MI 48208
313/832-1470
Purpose: (1979) A residential program designed to re-integrate
recovering substance abusers into the community. Program is
aimed at ex-offenders, but not limited to this group.
Services: 1) Individual counseling 2) Group therapy 3) Adult
basic education classes 4) GED classes 5) Recreational
activities.
Eligibility: Men age 18 and over. Serves the tri-county area.
All of these services are secondary services and
should not be indexed!
CHRISTIAN GUIDANCE CENTER
3684 Trumbull Ave., Detroit, MI 48208
313/832-1470
Purpose: (1979) A residential program designed to re-integrate
recovering substance abusers into the community. Program is
aimed at ex-offenders, but not limited to this group.
Services: 1) Individual counseling 2) Group therapy 3) Adult
basic education classes 4) GED classes 5) Recreational
activities.
Eligibility: Men age 18 and over. Serves the tri-county area.
Are there any appropriate target(s)? Check the
Y section outline.
CHRISTIAN GUIDANCE CENTER
3684 Trumbull Ave., Detroit, MI 48208
313/832-1470
Purpose: (1979) A residential program designed to re-integrate
recovering substance abusers into the community. Program is
aimed at ex-offenders, but not limited to this group.
Services: 1) Individual counseling 2) Group therapy 3) Adult
basic education classes 4) GED classes 5) Recreational
activities.
Eligibility: Men age 18 and over. Serves the tri-county area.
Target Population
YJ
Families and Individuals Needing
Support
YJ-0500
At-Risk Populations
YJ-0500.0100
At-Risk Adults
YJ-0500.0300
At-Risk Families
YJ-0500.0500
At-Risk Youth
YJ-0900
Bereaved Individuals
YJ-1400
Children of Aging Parents
YJ-1500
Children of Divorced Parents
YJ-1550
Co-Dependents
YJ-1600
Community Newcomers
YJ-2000
Divorced Persons
YJ-2030
Ex-Offenders
YJ-2050
Families of Military Personnel
Indexing Exercise #2
Detroit Public Library
5201 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
313/833-1000
Purpose: (1865) Public library providing a broad range of
information access and other services to the community.
Services: 1) TIP Service--Refers individuals to community
services and programs 2) Career and Employment Information
Center--Provides vocational testing and guidance 3) Burton
Historical Collection--Nationally known archive of local history and
genealogical materials 4) Lends videotapes, DVDs, audiotapes,
and CDs 5) A broad range of children’s and adult programming.
Eligibility: Main Library serves all Michigan residents. Branches
serve people who live, work, own property, or attend school in
Detroit.
What is/are the primary service(s)?
Detroit Public Library
5201 Woodward Avenue
Detroit, MI 48202
313/833-1000
Purpose: (1865) Public library providing a broad range of
information access and other services to the community.
Services: 1) TIP Service--Refers individuals to community
services and programs 2) Career and Employment Information
Center--Provides vocational testing and guidance, job search
assistance, and resume preparation assistance 3) Burton
Historical Collection--Nationally known archive of local history and
genealogical materials 4) Lends videotapes, DVDs,
audiotapes, and CDs 5) A broad range of children’s and adult
programming.
Eligibility: Main Library serves all Michigan residents. Branches
serve people who live, work, own property, or attend school in
Detroit.
Can a Facility-Type term be used?
Detroit Public Library
Term(s):
 Public Library (TJ-4400.6500)
 Information and Referral (TJ-3000)
or
Comprehensive Information and Referral (TJ-3000.1500)
 Archives (TJ-4500.8300-030)
 Genealogical Collections (TJ-4500.8300-230)
 Job Search/Placement (ND-3500.3600)
 Vocational Assessment (ND-2000.1500-900)
 Resume Preparation Assistance (ND-2000.6500-700)
Target(s):
 None needed
There’s no need to index CD/DVD/videotape loan or adult
and children’s programming services since those are
implicit services of almost all public libraries these days.
Indexing Exercise #3
United Way Community Services
1212 Griswold Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226
313/226-9482
Purpose: (1941) Organization dedicated to uniting the community
to mobilize volunteer, financial, and information resources to
efficiently meet the human service needs of Detroit and
southeastern Michigan.
Services: 1) Operates Torch Drive, an annual public fundraising
campaign to fund non-profit organizations to provide needed human
and social services 2) Tel-Help--Refers callers to needed human
and social services 3) Tribute Fund--Provides financial assistance
to individuals in emergency situations. Program does not pay for
utilities, taxes, or past due bills. 4) Speakers available to discuss
the organization and its activities.
Eligibility: Residents of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties
What is/are the primary service(s)?
United Way Community Services
1212 Griswold Ave.
Detroit, MI 48226
313/22609482
Purpose: (1941) Organization dedicated to uniting the community
to mobilize volunteer, financial, and information resources to
efficiently meet the human service needs of Detroit and
southeastern Michigan.
Services: 1) Operates Torch Drive, an annual public fundraising
campaign to fund non-profit organizations to provide needed
human and social services 2) Tel-Help-- Refers callers to needed
human and social services 3) Tribute Fund--Provides financial
assistance to individuals in emergency situations. Program
does not pay for utilities, taxes, or past due bills. 4) Speakers
available to discuss the organization and its activities.
Eligibility: Residents of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties
United Way Community Services
Term(s):
 Federated Giving Programs (TD-1200.1800)
 Information and Referral (TJ-3000)
or
Comprehensive Information and Referral (TJ-3000.1500)
 Undesignated Temporary Financial Aid (BR-9000)
Target(s):
 None needed
There’s no need to index the speakers, since they only
appear to be available to talk about their own agency’s
activities (and that’s an ancillary service).
Indexing Exercise #4
Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan
26211 Central Park Blvd.
Southfield, MI 48076
800/377-6226
Purpose: (1952) Organization committed to empowering and
enhancing the lives of individuals with epilepsy and their families
through support and public awareness.
Services: 1) Increasing public awareness of epilepsy 2) Sponsors
two summer camps (Camp Storer and Camp Fowler) to offer
children with epilepsy traditional camp activities while providing
counselors trained in seizure recognition and first aid 3) Equipment
Connection operates an information exchange service which
matches people who are looking for used adaptive equipment (such
as van-lifts, wheelchairs, and motorized carts) with others who have
such items to sell or donate..
Eligibility: Residents of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties
What is/are the primary service(s)?
Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan
Term(s):
 Voluntary Health Organizations (TD-1200.6600-900)
Note: Even though VHOs routinely provide
Disease/Disability Information (LH-2700.1700), if you’ve
used that term elsewhere in your database you’re compelled
to use it here, too, in addition to the Voluntary Health
Organization term.
 Therapeutic Camps (PL-6400.1500-850)
 Assistive Technology Resale/Listing Service
(LH-0650.0350)
Target(s):
 Epilepsy (YF-1800.1800) would be helpful to focus all three
terms (four, if you end up using Disease/Disability
Information)
Indexing Exercise #5
Hunger Action Coalition
2727 Second Ave., Suite 109 .
Detroit, MI 48210
313/965-8117
Purpose: (1975) Organization which seeks to alleviate hunger and
improve nutrition in Michigan through research, community
education, and coordination of and support for local emergency food
programs.
Services: 1) Provides information, technical assistance,
coordination, and advocacy for food providers 2) Links individuals
to soup kitchens, food pantries, and nutrition information 3)
Provides speakers to conduct presentations about hunger and
nutrition issues.
Eligibility: Residents of Macomb, Oakland, and Wayne counties
What is/are the primary service(s)?
Hunger Action Coalition
Term(s):
 Hunger/Poverty Action Groups (TD-1600.3200)
 Service Planning and Delivery Assistance
(TP-8700.8000)
 Information and Referral (TJ-3000)
or
Specialized Information and Referral (TJ-3000.8000)
 Speakers/Speakers Bureaus (TJ-6500.8000)
Target(s):
 Hunger/Food Issues (YZ-3280) would be helpful to qualify
the Speakers/Speakers Bureaus term (and possibly all the
terms except Hunger/Poverty Action Groups)
Indexing Exercise #6
WXYZ – Channel 7
20777 W. 10 Mile Rd.
Southfield, MI 48075
248/827-3362
Purpose: (1953) Television station which serves as a channel of
communication for news, entertainment, advertising, and other
matters of current interest in the community.
Services: 1) Call for Action—Volunteers help telephone callers
locate information and services to resolve disputes with government
agencies and the private and business sectors. 2) Ask the Lawyer-Bar association volunteers answer legal questions for telephone
callers. Program provides legal information only, NOT legal
representation.
Eligibility: No restrictions
What is/are the primary service(s)?
WXYZ – Channel 7
20777 W. 10 Mile Rd.
Southfield, MI 48075
248/827-3362
Purpose: (1953) Television station which serves as a channel of
communication for news, entertainment, advertising, and other
matters of current interest in the community.
Services: 1) Call for Action—Volunteers help telephone callers
locate information and services to resolve disputes with government
agencies and the private and business sectors. 2) Ask the Lawyer-Bar association volunteers answer legal questions for telephone
callers. Program provides legal information only, NOT legal
representation.
Eligibility: No restrictions
WXYZ – Channel 7
Term(s):
 Television Station/Access Systems (TJ-5500.8500) *
 Media Consumer Services (DD-2100.5000)
 Legal Information Lines (TJ-3200.4500)
Target(s):
 None needed
* It’s your call whether to index the agency as a television
station. You’re presumably putting the agency into your
database because of its special programs. If you index it
as a television station, consistency dictates that you should
also include all other local stations in your database.
Contact info for TV stations is so readily accessible via the
Internet or the phone book that there’s really no practical
need to put it into your database.
Three Parting Reminders
Friends don’t let
friends index drunk
Only you can
prevent bad
indexing.
Don’t ever misuse
the words Taxonomy
or Term
Workshop Objectives Revisited





To review the Taxonomy’s structure and design
To introduce basic principles and practices in
indexing
To help participants recognize some of the
decisions that have to be made when using the
Taxonomy
To discuss Taxonomy maintenance and
customization procedures
To have fun  while we’re learning
Note—Please take the time to fill out your workshop
evaluation forms. The feedback you supply will be
helpful both to me and to planners of future
conferences.
For a  Fun  Way to
Reinforce the Information
Presented Today
Write to me for an interactive copy of Indexing
Jeopardy.
My address is on the front slide.
Thanks for Faed Hendry of FindHelp of Toronto for the
Jeopardy template.