The FRBR Blog

Update on Ronald Murray and Paper Tools

Murray followed up on last week’s post by pointing out his 2008 paper The FRBR-Theoretic Library: The Role of Conceptual Data Modeling in Cultural Heritage Information System Design (197 KB PDF), “the paper that presents the conceptual data model that jump started the paper tool.”

ABSTRACT: The use of digital technologies in support of Cultural Heritage missions has highlighted the need to create information modeling systems different from those that are used in conventional business and government. In addition, the practice of data modeling – and especially of the conceptual data modeling that engages cataloging theory and practice – must be urgently be brought up to date in order to develop the data models required to represent the desirable characteristics of both print and digital media.

Regarding the 472 slides in Reimagining the Bibliographic Universe: FRBR, Physics and the World Wide Web, he said readers should use the bookmarks inside the PDF to jump right to the sections that interest them most, and that “the slides with the blue band are attended to provide supplementary information and were not shown during presentation.”

Ockerbloom, Some Concepts and Their Catalogs

In Some Concepts and Their Catalogs John Mark Ockerbloom uses FRBR in his discussion of “concept-oriented catalogs” that “go beyond the bibliographic record.”

IFLA Cataloguing Section Strategic Plan 2009-2011

From the 2009-2011 strategic plan of the Cataloguing Section of IFLA:

Continue development and use of IFLA’s FRBR family of conceptual models.  Pillar: Profession; Professional priorities: (f) Promoting resource sharing; (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)

• 2.1.  Maintain and develop the FRBR model in an entity-relationship formulation.
  • Assess any amendments to be recommended by the Working Group on Aggregates;
  • Review the attributes of the Group 1 entities;
  • Assess other reviewing suggestions and follow through as appropriate.
• 2.2.  Explore the preparation of a consolidated document for IFLA’s FRBR family of conceptual models in an entity-relationship formulation.
  • Determine the scope and format of a consolidated conceptual model document;
  • Identify areas in which the FRAD model results in revisions of the FRBR model
  • Once FRSAD is approved, identify areas in which the FRSAD model results in revisions to FRBR.
• 2.3.  Maintain and develop an object-oriented formulation of FRBR (FRBRoo) jointly with CIDOC-CRM.
  • Develop a "core" FRBRoo model for implementation;
  • Support the development of an implementation prototype;
  • Expand FRBRoo to include additional entities, attributes and relationships from the FRAD model;
  • Encourage the further harmonisation of conceptual models by participating in joint work with the archival community and other relating communities.
• 2.4.  Develop, update and make available guidelines and interpretative documents to assist those applying IFLA’s FRBR family of conceptual models.
  • Update the FRBR Bibliography semi-annually;
  • Prepare new FAQs for the FRBR pages on the IFLA website, starting with those on the expression entity;
  • Provide interpretative text on the treatment of aggregates within FRBR.
• 2.5.  Continue representation on the IFLA Working Group on Functional Requirements of Subject Authority Records (FRSAR).
• 2.6.  Maintain liaisons between the FRBR Review Group and the ISBD Review Group and with rule-makers in order to have the main principles of FRBR and FRAD reflected in cataloguing codes.
• 2.7.  Maintain liaisons with other IFLA units, vendor groups (such as the ALA FRBR Implementers’ Group), and with other relevant groups to assure widespread awareness and use of FRBR and FRAD.
• 2.8.  Monitor and publicize translations of the FRBR and FRAD documents.

CiTO, Citation Typing Ontology

Jodi Schneider pointed out a couple of things to me, saying “Wondering if you’ve seen CiTO, which applies FRBR.” (Thanks, Jodi.)

• CiTO, the Citation Typing Ontology, and its use for annotation of reference lists and visualization of citation networks (76 KB PDF) by David Shotton. “The fourth purpose of CiTO is to enable the cited works themselves to be characterized, so that someone reading a reference list marked up using CiTO can better appreciate their nature. In making this characterization, CiTO has adopted the classification developed by FRBR … for characterizing different aspects of a publication.”
• The Citation Typing Ontology specified. “CiTO, the Citation Typing Ontology, is an ontology for describing the nature of reference citations in scientific research articles and other scholarly works on the Semantic Web.”

Brenndorfer Reviews Maxwell’s Book

A Review of FRBR: A Guide for the Perplexed, book by Robert Maxwell, reviewed by Thomas Brenndorfer in Cataloging &amp Classification Quarterly 47:8, November 2009.

Although not a simplified introduction to FRBR, Maxwell’s FRBR: A Guide for the Perplexed can be a rewarding read for the perplexed provided they put an effort into carefully following the definitions, the matching diagrams, and the issues and problems that Maxwell adds to the examples he provides for the entities, attributes, relationships, and user tasks found within the bibliographic universe as demarcated by FRBR.

From Bibliographic Models to Cataloging Rules: Remarks on FRBR, ICP, ISBD, and RDA and the Relationships Between Them, Bianchini and Guerrini

From Bibliographic Models to Cataloging Rules: Remarks on FRBR, ICP, ISBD, and RDA and the Relationships Between Them, by Carlo Bianchini and Mauro Guerrini. Cataloging &amp Classification Quarterly 47:2, February 2009. (Not last week, but it’s new to me.)

Abstract: This article discusses the changes that are occurring in the world of cataloging. It argues that these changes need to be coordinated. It also discusses the feature of current OPACs, FRBR, the Paris Principles and its proposed replacement (ICP), AACR2 and its proposed replacement (RDA), ISBD, and the relationships between and among these standards. It argues that the syntax of ISBD is an essential component of RDA and all future international and national cataloging codes.

(Updated 16 December 2009 to fix a URL typo.)