Expressions In Our Catalogs? FRBR and AACR Chapter 25 Jennifer Bowen Eastman School of Music Music Library Association, February 2004

2 URL for Today’s Handouts Docushare.lib.rochester.edu Select Conference Reports and Presentations Select FRBR Presentations If you can’t get into the site, keep trying!

3 Topics For Today 3-Minute Review of FRBR How might FRBR change how we catalog, and how our catalogs work? The FRBR entity Expression JSC Format Variation Working Group Possible Revisions to AACR Ch. 25, etc. Other ways to deal with FRBR expressions

4 FRBR: Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records IFLA publication, 1998 Conceptual Model for thinking about how users use bibliographic information Relates bibliographic data to user tasks: Find, Identify, Select, Obtain What good is it? Sheds new light on current practices, standards A clearer way to communicate about how catalogs should function

5 FRBR Entities Group 1: Work, Expression, Manifestation, Item Products of intellectual or artistic endeavor: Group 2: Person, Corporate Body Those responsible for intellectual or artistic content Group 3: Concept, Object, Event, Place Serve as subjects of works FRBR maps attributes of these entities to the User Tasks Find, Identify, Select, Obtain

6 Group 1 Entities Example: Sound Recording Work: Berlioz Symphonie fantastique Expression: 1972 recording of a performance by the Chicago Symphony and Georg Solti Manifestations: Original Decca release in 1972 (London CS 6790) Reissue on London Jubilee in 1985 ( ) Items: Individual copies of each manifestation at the Sibley Music Library

7 Group 1 Entities vs. MARC, or, What are We Cataloging? WorkAuthority record Expression???? ManifestationBibliographic Record ItemHolding Record CAVEAT: This is vastly oversimplified! Current bibliographic records may contain data from all four! See Library of Congress (Tom Delsey) mapping of FRBR and MARC

8 Is an Expression the same as an Edition? No! Some editions are different expressions: If the content has been revised (Rev. ed., 1 st ed., 2 nd ed.) Some editions are different manifestations of the same expression Reprint editions, simultaneous publications Same intellectual content=same expression

9 What Does FRBR Mean for Music? Collocation: Bring like things together in the catalog: Expressions of the same work Manifestations of the same expression Help users navigate search results, assist in user tasks (find, identify, select, obtain) Show relationships between records in the catalog.

Comment from Patrick LeBoeuf (Bibliotheque Nationale; Chair, IFLA FRBR Review Group) Book CatalogersMusic Catalogers To hell if I ever understand how to catalog a… what d’they call it? an espresso… POOH… DÉJÀ VU... Nothin’ but what we've been doin' for decades... GREAT! WONDERFUL! SO INNOVATIVE!

11 FRBR and Music…what’s the big deal? Works: We already use uniform titles for collocation Been there, done that! However, systems vendors are starting to LISTEN! Expressions: Not currently creating headings for expressions Attributes of expressions now buried within bibliographic records Could we go the next step, and collocate expressions?

12 When do we care about Expressions? Bibliographic families: When a work exists in multiple expressions When an expression exists in multiple manifestations Very common for music but not in the broader world Most works: only one expression and one manifestation – research by OCLC See writings by Barbara Tillett, Martha Yee, Richard Smiraglia, Sherry Vellucci

13 Defining Expressions: A Challenge FRBR definition: “any change in intellectual content” represents a new expression? How to implement this? Operationalize the definition to specify intellectually-significant change. What is useful to catalog users? Needs will vary by type of library

14 Joint Steering Committee Format Variation Working Group Subgroup of the Joint Steering Committee for the Revision of AACR International: US, UK, Canada, Australia Three music specialists! (to start) Charge: Focus on the Group 1 entity “Expression”

15 Working Group Task 1: Can you Catalog an Expression? Most group members: NO! Not the way most libraries operate We start by purchasing, and then cataloging, a manifestation. Sound archivist: YES! The performance is the expression Link all recordings of that performance to it Group Recommendation: library community should keep cataloging manifestations

16 Next WG Tasks: Explore Other Ways to Collocate Expressions Cataloger-based approach Write new rules for Chapter 25 for constructing headings for Expressions System-based approach Explore what systems can do with expression-level data already in MARC records

17 Goals for Rewriting Chapter 25 Clarify rules, make them easier to use Incorporate FRBR terminology Keep current practice if possible Add rules for constructing headings for expressions

18 Headings for Expressions in AACR – Why? AACR – moving toward rules for how a catalog should function Relationships between records Part III – authority control being proposed Need rules for expression-level headings to demonstrate that collocation of expressions is important

19 Sneak Preview: What’s in the Current Proposal Rewrite of General Rules in Ch. 25 Proposed Revisions to Chapter 20 to add Functions of Headings for Works and Expressions: Identification Differentiation Collocation Changes to the Glossary, chapter titles, etc.

20 Proposed Changes to AACR for Expressions, etc. Replace the term uniform title with constructed title Redefine heading to consist of: Name portion (usually) Title portion (always) Add elements to the end of a work heading to allow construction of headings for expressions

21 What Bibliographic Data can Identify an Expression? Revision: Edition statement, Name of editor, date of revision Translation: Language, Name of translator, date of translation Arrangement (Music): Name of arranger, medium of performance, date of arr. Performances, etc.: Names of performers, date of performance

22 Problems with Headings for Expressions Predetermined strings are limiting What elements to add, and in what order? Every possible solution eliminates all of the others How do we make the rules clear and easy to use?

23 What might Expression-Level Headings for music look like? Two score expressions: Berlioz, Hector, [Symphonie fantastique (Cone)… Berlioz, Hector, [Symphonie fantastique (Temperley)… Two sound recording expressions: Berlioz, Hector, [Symphonie fantastique. Sound (Solti)… Berlioz, Hector, [Symphonie fantastique. Sound (Bernstein)…

24 Who is Going to Use Headings for Expressions? Specialist collections could assign for certain authors/composers Use for related work headings Use to force local system to collocate expressions if the system won’t do it any other way. Bottom line: many (most?) libraries probably won’t use them

25 Alternative: System-based Collocation of Expressions Have the system identify expression- level data already in the records Use this data to collocate (sort) displays Systems are already working on this: VTLS Virtua, LC Music File OCLC: WorldCat redesign, FictionFinder RLG RedLightGreen

26 Possibilities of System-Based FRBR Collocation Works: can do now, if good uniform titles, clean data! Expressions: possible, but needs work Collocate by format, language Identify roles of added entries: relator info. Can improve collocation without explicitly identifying every expression More flexible than assigning headings

27 Which will it be…assigned headings or system-based? Probably both! Libraries will demand more of systems to show structure of catalog and collocate search results AND Catalogers will be able to assign headings for expressions when necessary.

28 What to do next? (Jennifer’s FRBR Advice!) Become comfortable with the terms work, expression, manifestation, item They will be in AACR! What is a Work?/What is an Expression?: Engage in the discussions but don’t get too hung up on the details Focus of what will help users! Participate in MLA discussions of Chapter 25