The Application of FRBR in a National Bibliographic Database

Revolution or Evolution? The impact of FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records) Organized by the Australian Committee on Cataloging.

Melbourne Convention Center, 2 February 2004

Bemal Rajapatirana

Group 1 entities

Products of intellectual and artistic endeavour:

Work – distinct intellectual or artistic creation;

Expression – intellectual or artistic realisation of work

Manifestation – physical embodiment of an expression of a work

Item – single example of a manifestation

Scope

Quantify the results of applying FRBR to the NBD

Determine future strategies for improvements to the NBD based upon exploiting the FRBR model

Waltzing Matilda case study

Process

LC FRBR Display Tool‑ www.loc.gov/marc/marc-functional-analysis/tool.ht

ml FRBR Work-Set Algorithm

‑ www.oclc.org/research

Test 1:‑ Identify most commonly occurring works‑ Extract sample dataset and apply available tools‑ Determine work ratios for most common Name and

Title entries

Test 2: Apply to NBD or larger subset (pending)

Identifying works

‘Commonly occurring’ headings defined as those with the most number of bibliographic records attached

Initial lists refined to remove ‘inappropriate’ work headings ranked in the top 100

Separate ranking for Australian work headings

Selected works Global exclusion criteria programmed

- Series and ‘series like’ works- Thesis- Serials

Manual exclusion or amalgamation of some headings- coding - Spelling - Bible. English. Authorised’ and Bible.

English. Authorized’

- Form of entry e.g. ‘Aesop’s fables’ or ‘Aesop. Aesop’s

Fables’ or ‘Aesop. Fables’

Selected works

Final list - 20,000 records extracted- 13,561 representing works under Name/Titles- 7,025 representing works under Uniform titles

1:3 works to manifestation/records

Reflects literary, religious and musical works

Similar composition to OCLC WorldCat analysis

Top 10 NBD works: Name-titles

Cervantes Saavedra, Miguel de,1547-1616. Don Quixote England and Wales. Laws etc. Chopin, Frédéric,1810-1849 Piano music. Selections Schubert, Franz,1797-1828 Songs. Selections Bach, Johann Sebastian,1685-1750 Cantatas. Selection Liszt, Franz,1811-1886. Piano music. Selections Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Hamlet Shakespeare, William,1564-1616. Macbeth Shakespeare, William,1564-1616. Romeo and Juliet Carroll, Lewis,1832-1898. Alice's adventures in Wonderland

Top 10 NBD works: Uniform Titles

Bible. Authorized Mother Goose Koran Aesop's fables Arabian nights Bhagavadgita Imitatio ChristiBible. O.T.PsalmsHaggadahBible

LC FRBR Display Tool

Available from: http://www.loc.gov/marc/marc-functional-analysis/tool.html

Converts MARC to MARCXML Rigorous data validation rules Scale to accommodate large data sets No statistics or reports generated Sorting rules may required refinement Problematic amalgamation of some expression

forms e.g. sound recording and musical sound recording combined under one expression

Display exampleAuthor: Clauson, WilliamWork: AustraliaForm: text-English

Edition:

Title: Australia : Waltzing Matilda and other Australian songs

Imprint: [197-?]

Physical Description: 1 cassette : (monographic)

Author: Cowan, Marie

Title: Waltzing Matilda

Form: notated music Edition:

Title: Waltzing matilda

Statement of responsibility: music by Marie Cowan; words by “Banjo Paterson ; arranged by Warren Barker

Imprint: Hal Leonard Publishing Corp, c1987

Physical Description: 1 score (16 p.) + 30 parts ; 31 cm

Edition:

Title: Waltzing Matilda

Statement of responsibility: arranged for brass band by Gordon Langford.

Imprint: Chandos Music, c1975

Physical Description: 25 parts ; 25 cm

 

Algorithms

OCLC identifies Work, LC identifies Work, Expression & Manifestion

Similar data normalisation routines e.g. ignore filing indicators, trailing and leading blanks, etc

Similar data elements for constructing author title keys

Limited number of ‘expression’ attributes

Maps variant data in headings through authority files (OCLC)

Waltzing Matilda …

Australian icon Multiple works Omissions

‐ Variant forms of headings or content of heading/authority

‐ Headings not present in bibliographic record

‐ Non-literary or musical Manual selection

required‐ Queensland version

Waltzing Matilda … Results:

- 154 manifestations - 55 expressions- 46 works

You’ll come a Waltzing Matilda with me

Main works :- Cowan, Marie. Waltzing Matilda (50 manifestations)- Paterson, A. B. (Andrew Barton), 1864-1941.

Waltzing Matilda (35 manifestation) - Waltzing Matilda (7 manifestations)

Others- Christina Macpherson - Dave De Hugard- Queensland Version- Expression data placed in contents notes or as

subject of work- Variability in form of expression

Implications for NBD

Data quality- Incorrectly coded data LDR/06 = ‘m’ (computer file)

- Variant forms of headings- ‘Sendak, Maurice, 1928-’ and ‘Sendak, Maurice’

‘Montresor, Beni. I saw a ship a sailing’‘Montresor, Beni. I saw a ship a sailing, or, The

wonderful games that only little flower-plant children play’

Implications for NBD Cataloguing practice

- main entry problems (choice and error)W1:

Bartoli, CeciliaItalian songs

W2:Italian songs

- Inclusion of added entries- Inclusion of additional data elements e.g. relators- Rules and interfaces to support aggregation of work

and expression level metadata

Data massage and human input

Implications for NBD

Apply FRBR to NBD subsets- Australian- Topical e.g. literature, music

How to apply FRBR- Work, expression and manifestion?- Hybrid approach - User-focused- Search and display options

Future strategies

Determine if all Group 1 entities should be applied

Consider available software and options to enhance existing tools

Virtual or permanent work clusters

Determine interface applications of FRBR – public, cataloguing tool

Improvements to the Australian cataloguing process

Waltzing Matilda

Questions