FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology) Users: Summary and Case Studies

Over the past ten years, various organizations, both public and private, have expressed interest in implementing the Faceted Application of Subject Terminology (FAST) in their cataloging workflows. As interest in FAST has grown, so too has interest in knowing how FAST is being used and by whom. Since 2002 eighteen institutions in six countries have expressed interest in learning more about FAST and how it could be implemented in cataloging workflows. Currently OCLC is aware of nine agencies that have actually adopted or support FAST for resource description. This study, the first systematic census of FAST users undertaken by OCLC, was conducted, in part, to address these inquiries. Its purpose was to examine: (1) how FAST is being utilized; (2) why FAST was chosen as the cataloging vocabulary; (3) what benefits FAST provides; and (4) what can be done to enhance the value of FAST. Interview requests were sent to all parties that had previously contacted OCLC about FAST. Of the eighteen organizations contacted, sixteen agreed to provide information about their decision whether to use FAST (nine adopters, seven non-adopters). This document presents: (1) a brief overview of FAST; (2) a brief analysis of common characteristics of parties that have either chosen to adopt FAST or chosen against using FAST; (3) suggested improvements for FAST vocabulary and services; (4) tables summarizing FAST adopters and non-adopters; and (5) sixteen individual "case studies" presented as edited write-ups of interviews.