Jenn Riley Metadata Librarian IU Digital Library Program New Developments in Cataloging

The future of the catalog 4/17/08 S504 Spring Eric Lease Morgan

Big changes are in the works Change is constant But we’re in a particularly active period right now Three major developments to know about Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) Resource Description and Access (RDA) Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control 4/17/08 S504 Spring 20083

4/17/08 S504 Spring What is FRBR? Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records 1998 report from IFLA Conceptual model describing the entities and relationships underlying bibliographic information Only recently gaining real traction

4/17/08 S504 Spring User Tasks FRBR Find Identify Select Obtain Cutter To enable a person to find a book of which either the author the title the subject...is known To show what the library has by a given author on a given subject in a given kind of literature To assist in the choice of a book as to its edition (bibliographically) as to its character (literary or topical)

FRBR Group 1 Entities 4/17/08 S504 Spring 20086

4/17/08 S504 Spring Other FRBR entities Group 2 (those responsible for Group 1 entities) Person Corporate body Group 3 (subjects of Works) Group 1 & 2 entities Concept Object Event Place

4/17/08 S504 Spring FRAD Functional Requirements for Authority Data Applies FRBR approach to authorities 2 nd draft released April 2007 Like FRBR, uses entity-relationship modeling Clarifies the focus is authority data, not authority records Adds these entities Family Name Identifier Controlled Access Point Rules

4/17/08 S504 Spring How many records are affected? 78% of works have a single manifestation 99% of all works in WorldCat have seven manifestations or less 30,000, or <1% have more than 20 manifestations R. Bennett et. al. (2003) "The concept of a work in WorldCat: an application of FRBR" Library Collections Acquisitions & Technical Services 27, Need to develop cataloging interfaces that show complexity only when necessary

So what does this mean? A new way of thinking about bibliographic data Will probably affect record structure and cataloging code 4/17/08 S504 Spring …but interfaces and cataloging workflows don’t have to mirror FRBR/FRAD entities/attributes exactly!

RDA: A new cataloging code “…designed for the digital world” “…comprehensive set of guidelines and instructions on resource description and access covering all types of content and media” Formerly known as AACR3; name change signifies a fundamental change in approach Will be based on FRBR principles 4/17/08 S504 Spring

RDA structure 4/17/08 S504 Spring 2008  37 (!) chapters, grouped into 10 sections 1 – Recording attributes of manifestation and item 2 – Recording attributes of work and expression 3 – Recording attributes of person, family, and corporate body 4 – Recording attributes of concept, object, event, and place 5 – Recording primary relationships between work, expression, manifestation, and item 6 – Recording relationships to persons, families, and corporate bodies associated with a resource 7 – Recording relationships to concepts, objects, events, and places associated with a work 8 – Recording relationships between works, expressions, manifestations and items 9 – Recording relationships between persons, families, and corporate bodies 10 – Recording relationships between concepts, objects, events, and places 12

Database implementation scenarios 4/17/08 S504 Spring 2008 Scenario 1: Relational / object-oriented database structure Scenario 2: Linked bibliographic and authority records Scenario 3: ‘Flat file’ database structure (no links) 13

Current proposed timeline 4/17/08 S504 Spring 2008 Major reorganization announced October 2007 December 2007-March 2008: Review of sections 2-4, 9 July-September 2008: Review of complete draft of RDA 2009: Release of RDA 14

DCMI/RDA Task Group Proposed outcomes Definition of an RDA Element Vocabulary Disclosure on the public web of RDA Value Vocabularies using RDF/RDFS/SKOS technologies DC Application Profile for RDA based on FRBR and FRAD Goals Integration into the larger web environment Usable by machines in addition to humans 4/17/08 S504 Spring

RDA/MARC Working Group 4/17/08 S504 Spring 2008 Just announced March 13 Will represent implementation scenario 2: linked bibliographic and authority records “drafting proposals for review and discussion by the MARC community in June 2008” “identify what changes are required to MARC 21 to support compatibility with RDA and ensure effective data exchange into the future” 16

4/17/08 S504 Spring 2008 Reaction to RDA drafts Rhetoric is at times heated Mostly taking place on lists and the blogosphere, rather than in the published literature Falls into two camps: Too extreme Not extreme enough Both sides have some valid points; both miss the point entirely at times 17

4/17/08 S504 Spring 2008 Implementation plans October 2007 announcement of plans for adoption byannouncement British Library Library and Archives Canada Library of Congress National Library of Australia Goal is to implement by the end of 2009 BUT…. 18

Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control Present findings on how bibliographic control and other descriptive practices can effectively support management of and access to library materials in the evolving information and technology environment; Recommend ways in which the library community can collectively move toward achieving this vision; Advise the Library of Congress on its role and priorities. 4/17/08 S504 Spring

Recommendations Area 1: Increase the efficiency of bibliographic production for all libraries Area 2: Transfer effort into higher-value activity (e.g., special collections) Area 3: Position our technology for the future More flexible, extensible metadata carrier Suspend work on RDA Area 4: Position our community for the future Develop test plan for FRBR Area 5: Strengthen the LIS profession 4/17/08 20S504 Spring 2008

LC response to WG report 4/17/08 S504 Spring 2008 “The most contentious recommendation, that LC cease participation in the development of RDA, will be studied alongside the other one hundred thirteen recommendations without foregone conclusions.” WG reports due to LC beginning of May; official LC response end of May 21

More information These presentation slides: 08spring/s504/s504-2.ppt Handout: 08spring/s504/handout-2.doc 4/17/08 S504 Spring