From one place to a different place: problems of vocabulary control of geographic names and concepts

Although apparently easily understood and straightforward to manage, the representation of place as a concept in indexing descriptions can be subject to subtle nuances of meaning and interpretation. A current re-classification project at the British Museum Anthropology Library reveals that a place can be understood in different ways, and defined using a variety of criteria. This is in addition to the conventional problems of vocabulary control of geographic names caused by the occurrence of official, local, and vernacular names, and the form of name in different natural languages.
The use of well formulated design principles for the construction of faceted knowledge organization systems can provide a solution for both organization and representation of place concepts. When applied, such principles create classification data that is readily comprehended and managed by machines, and software which supports the automatic generation of knowledge organization tools.