FRBR 2.0?
There’s a lot of talk going around about Web 2.0 and Library 2.0, but this isn’t about that, so don’t worry. Here’s some mail I sent to the FRBR mailing list last week:
Are there any plans, or is it expected that, FRBR will be revised? Next fall it will be ten years (!) since the final report was made. Since 1997 there have been implementations that have turned up difficulties with the model and as it’s become better known it’s been exposed to some good critical thought and applied in many different areas.
There are working groups on aggregates (which are hard to handle) and expressions (which cause confusion) and harmonization with CIDOC’s Conceptual Reference Model (which I think will lead to an object-oriented FRBR). Functional Requirements for Authority Records was out for comment and that group is thinking about them now, and Functional Requirements for Subject Authority Records is underway. AACR is being turned into the FRBRish Resource Description and Access.
That’s a lot of work going on. When these groups have finished their work, will everything be brought together, all the problems resolved or at least clarified with suggested solutions, and something like FRBR 2.0 issued? The minutes of the August Review Group’s meeting in Oslo say, “Given the importance of the topics to be addressed, the newly formed WG on Aggregates will presumably prove to be a major element in the RG’s policy for the two years to come.” What’ll happen after that? I’m curious.
No-one replied, but if I do hear an answer, I’ll let you know. If you know, leave a comment!