What

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Whats FRBR?

• Eric Childress
• OCLC Research

COASIST Program 2005-07-21 OCLC
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Outline

• Overview history
• FRBR 101 First lessons
• FRBR 102 More FRBR
• Since the FRBR Study Group
• FRBR inspiration

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Overview history of FRBR
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• The FRBR model is revolutionary. The (computer)
  catalogue is not seen as a sequence of
  bibliographic records and a replica of the
  traditional card catalogue, but rather as a
  network of connected data, enabling the user to
  perform seamlessly all the necessary functions.
• -Dr. Maja Žumer. National and University Library,
  Ljubljana, Slovenia

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Quickly

• FRBR Functional Requirements for Bibliographic
  Records
• Developed by cataloging experts working under the
  auspices of IFLA (International Federation of
  Library Associations and Institutions)
• FRBR is from a document issued by IFLA
• Functional requirements for bibliographic records
  final report (1998)
• FRBR is a conceptual model (not a standard!)
• FRBR systematically models the bibliographic
  universe

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Impetus a changing environment

• Automated systems for creation processing of
  bibliographic data
• Growth of large-scale databases (national
  international)
• Shared cataloging programs
• Economic pressure to reduce cataloging costs
• Adapting practice to accommodate new formats a
  networked environment
• Changing user expectations and needs

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On the shoulders of giants

• The heritage of cataloging theory and practice
• Sir Anthony Panizzi's Rules (1841)
• Charles Ammi Cutters Principles (1874)
• S.R. Ranganathan's Five Laws (1931)
• The Paris Principles (1961)
• Seymour Lubetzkys Principles (1969)
• The International Standard Bibliographic
  Descriptions (1969-)
• Stockholm Seminar on Bibliographic Records (1990)
• Issued a resolution calling for the commissioning
  of a study to define the functional requirements
  of bibliographic records

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The FRBR Project

• IFLA Study Group on the Functional Requirements
  for Bibliographic Records
• Study (1992-1995)
• Against the changing environment within which
  cataloging principles standards operate
• Conceptualize a cataloging code- and
  implementation-agnostic, generalized view of the
  bibliographic universe
• Deliver (1996-1998)
• A reference (i.e. conceptual) model
• A report Functional requirements for
  bibliographic records final report Münich
  K.G. Saur, 1998. viii, 136 pages. ISBN
  3-598-11382-X

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Value of FRBR

• FRBR study process and report
• Fresh look at what functions bibliographic
  records perform
• FRBR systematically models the bibliographic
  universe
• Helps us answer important questions
• What information is of the most value to users of
  the catalog?
• How can that most valuable information be used
  more effectively?
• Promises to inspire next generation catalogs,
  etc.
• Illuminates user tasks
• Clarifies how catalogs should function

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FRBR 101 First lessons
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About the FRBR study

• Primary objectives of the FRBR study
• Provide a clearly defined, structured framework
  for relating bibliographic data to user needs
• Recommend a basic level of functionality for
  records created by national bibliographic
  agencies
• Modeling the bibliographic universe
• Utilizes an entity-relationship framework
• Entities (a class of things)
• Relationships (associations among entities)
• Attributes (characteristics of the entities)

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What FRBR says catalog users do

• Four User Tasks
• Find entities that match the search criteria
• Identify entities (confirm that the user has
  found what they were looking for)
• Select an entity that matches the users criteria
• Obtain access to the entity through purchase,
  loan, or through electronic remote access
• And, maybe a fifth
• Navigate

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FRBR defines 3 groups of entities

• Group 1 products of intellectual or artistic
  endeavor that are named of described in
  bibliographic records
• work, expression, manifestation, item
• Group 2 entities responsible for the
  intellectual or artistic content, the physical
  production and dissemination, or the
  custodianship of such products
• person, corporate body
• Group 3 entities that serve as the subjects of
  intellectual or artistic endeavor
• concept, object, event, place

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Group 1 - Bibliographic Entities

• Work
• A distinct intellectual or artistic creation
• Expression
• The intellectual or artistic realization of a
  work
• Manifestation
• The physical embodiment of an expression of a
  work
• Item
• A single example of a manifestation

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Group 1
Work
is realized through
Expression
Intellectual/Artistic
is embodied in

Manifestation
Physical
is exemplified by
Item
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FRBR Entity Levels
Group 1
From Tillett, Barbara "AACR2's Strategic Plan
and IFLA Work towards an International
Cataloguing Code (2002)
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Group 1
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FRBR Entity Levels revisited
Group 1
From Tillett, Barbara "AACR2's Strategic Plan
and IFLA Work towards an International
Cataloguing Code (2002)
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Group 1
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Attributes

• A set of characteristics that serve as the basis
  for formulating queries and interpreting
  responses
• Can be either inherent or externally applied
• E.g., inherent the physical medium and dimension
  of an object
• E.g., externally sourced assigned identifiers
  (e. g., thematic catalog numbers for musical
  compositions)

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Attributes of Group 1 Entities

• Work
• Work title, form or genre, date, performance
  medium, intended audience
• Expression
• Expression title, form of the expression,
  language of the expression, type of score, scale
  of a map
• Manifestation
• Manifestation title, publisher, date of
  publication, form of carrier, dimensions,
  manifestation identifier (e.g. ISBN), terms of
  availability
• Item
• Location or call number, barcode, provenance,
  condition, access restrictions on an item

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FRBR 102 More FRBR
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Group 2 Responsible Entities

• Entities responsible for the intellectual or
  artistic content, the physical production and
  dissemination, or the custodianship of such
  products
• Group 2 entities
• Person
• Corporate Body
• And perhaps a third
• Family

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Attributes of Group 2 Entities

• Attributes of Group 2 entities
• Person
• Names, dates, titles or other designations
• Corporate body
• Name, number, place, date, other designation

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Group 3 - Subject Entities

• Entities that serve as the subjects of
  intellectual or artistic endeavor
• Group 3 entities
• Concept topical subject heading
• Object name for an object
• Event name for an event
• Place name for a place
• Plus the Group 1 and 2 Entities
• Works about Works/Expressions/Manifestations/Items
  
• Works about Persons and/or Corporate Entities

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Attributes of Group 3 Entities

• Attributes of Group 3 entities
• Concept
• term
• Object
• term
• Event
• term
• Place
• term

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Relationships

• Link entities to one another
• Entities of different groups (person and work)
• Entities of the same group (work and expression)
• Collocation and navigation

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Relationships (between different FRBR groups)

• Work ? Person
• Expression ? Person
• Manifestation ? Corporate body
• Item ? Corporate body
• Concept ? Work

• Created by
• Translated by
• Produced by
• Owned by
• Is subject of

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Relationships (within a group)

• Work to work
• Successor
• Supplement
• Complement
• Summarization
• Adaptation
• Transformation
• Imitation

• Work to work
• Whole/part

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Making Relationships

• Uniform titles
• In cataloging, historically
• Not consistently applied over time
• Not consistently applied to all materials
• Role and function identifiers
• In cataloging, historically
• Not consistently applied
• Buried in natural language

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Scenario A (Now)
Concept
Authority
Person
Series (work/expression) Uniform Title
Bibliographic
Item
Holding
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Scenario B (Future)
Concept
Person
Authority
Work/ Expression Uniform Title
Series (work/expression) Uniform Title
Manifestation
Bibliographic
Item
Holding
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Since the FRBR Study Group
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Paris Principles reborn

• Statement of International Cataloguing Principles
  Approved by the IFLA Meeting of Experts on an
  International Cataloguging Code (Frankfurt, 2003)
• Adapts and expands the Paris Principles (1961)
• Expands scope from
• Textual works to all types of materials
• Choice and form of entry to all aspects of
  bibliographic authority records
• First principle remains Serve the convenience of
  the users of the catalogue

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Working the FRBR/FRANAR framework

• All work now under the FRBR Review Group
• Group 1 entities bibliographic
• The IFLA Study Group on the Functional
  Requirements for Bibliographic Records, 1992-1998
  
• Various follow-on work underway (Clarifying
  expression Clarifying FRBR for continuing
  resources, more)
• Group 2 entities authorities
• Functional Requirements and Numbering of
  Authority Records (FRANAR) Working Group
• Group 3 entities subject access
• Working Group on Subject Relationships

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FRBR inspiration
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Applying FRBR in services

• Incorporating the concepts of the FRBR model in
  systems
• Superior presentation of search results
• Esp. in large files more intuitive clustering
• May help streamline library cataloging
• Reduces repeated keying of work-related info
• Bibliographic management intelligence
• New insights into works (e.g., OCLCs 1000 list)
• Libraries can operate at workset level (e.g., ILL)

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Show tell

• OCLC Research
• Top 1000 titles http//www.oclc.org/research/top10
  00
• xISBN http//www.oclc.org/research/researchworks/x
  isbn/
• Fiction Finder http//fictionfinder.oclc.org/
• Curiouser http//www.oclc.org/research/projects/cu
  riouser
• OCLC production services
• Open WorldCat http//www.oclc.org/worldcat/open
• FRBR-inspired FirstSearch WorldCat (coming soon)

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Note cards from FRBR-land
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IFLA-related resources

• IFLA FRBR Review Group
• http//www.ifla.org/VII/s13/wgfrbr/wgfrbr.htm
• Functional requirements for bibliographic records
  final report / IFLA Study Group on the
  Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records
  Approved by the Standing Committee of the IFLA
  Section on Cataloguing. Münich K.G. Saur,
  1998.
• viii, 136 pages. ISBN 3-598-11382-X
• also online http//www.ifla.org/VII/s13/frbr/frbr
  .htm
• FRBR Bibliography http//www.ifla.org/VII/s13/wgf
  rbr/bibliography.htm
• FRBR in 21st century catalogues (Workshop held at
  OCLC)
• http//www.oclc.org/research/events/frbr-workshop
  
• Statement of International Cataloguing Principles
• http//www.ddb.de/news/pdf/statement_draft.pdf

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Selected additional resources

• Boston, Tony, Bemal Rajapatirana and Roxanne
  Missingham Libraries Australia Simplifying the
  Search Experience (2005)
• http//www.nla.gov.au/nla/staffpaper/2005/boston1.
  html
• Denton, William. FRBR and Fundamental
  Cataloguing Rules. (2003)
• http//www.miskatonic.org/library/frbr.html
• Tillett, Barbara, What is FRBR? A Conceptual
  Model for the Bibliographic Universe (2004)
• http//www.loc.gov/cds/FRBR.html
• OCLC FRBR Projects page http//www.oclc.org/resear
  ch/projects/frbr

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Selected tools, projects, services, blogs

• FRBR Blog http//www.frbr.org/
• LC FRBR Display Tool
• http//www.loc.gov/marc/marc-functional-analysis/t
  ool.html
• OCLC Research
• Top 1000 titles http//www.oclc.org/research/top10
  00
• xISBN http//www.oclc.org/research/researchworks/x
  isbn/
• Fiction Finder http//fictionfinder.oclc.org/
• Curiouser http//www.oclc.org/research/projects/cu
  riouser
• VisualCat (Denmark)
• http//www.portia.dk/pubs/VisualCat/Present/Visual
  CatOverview20050607.pdf
• VTLS
• http//www.vtls.com/Corporate/FRBR.shtml

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Questions?