[Publib] What FRBR is

[Mary Beachum]

I am not sure if FRBR is what the developers are using, but the new (mostly)
statewide PINES catalog for Georgia public libraries will do this when it
comes on line in September. Anyone interested in seeing how it looks can
visit http://demo.gapines.org.

If you want to know more or share ideas with the developers, try
http://openils.org.


Mary M. Beachum
East Central Georgia Regional Library
902 Greene St, Augusta GA 30901
Voice: 706-821-2612  |  Fax: 706-724-6762
www.ecgrl.org

-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org]
On Behalf Of K.G. Schneider
Sent: Wednesday, June 07, 2006 6:23 PM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] What FRBR is

I had a question off-list asking me what FRBR is. I immediately ran to
several well-known papers and blog posts and found them... well,
interesting; but perhaps not strong at explaining FRBR from the public
service point of view, which to me is the meat of the matter (or the
soybean, should you be so inclined). 

OCLC has a project, Fictionfinder, which employs FRBR:

http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/frbr/fictionfinder.htm

The OCLC introduction notes, "A key feature of the system is the aggregation
at the work or expression level of selected elements from records within a
given cluster."

In kgs-speak, I could say that a FRBR-enhanced catalog collection gloms
together like items (hardcover, paperback, video, etc.) so the user isn't
fishing through a pile of bib records. You know how you look for Breakfast
at Tiffany's and there's umpty records? FRBR clusters (aggregates, groups,
etc.) like items. 

The OCLC page links to a tutorial that shows FRBR in action:

http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/frbr/fictionfinder.htm#top

"A benefit of a FRBR-based interface is that results lists are shorter and
easier to navigate. In this example, 395 bibliographic records, which have
Michael Crichton as author, are presented in a search results list of 20
entries."

FRBR stands for Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records. I've
heard some similar projects described as FRBR-ish, pronounced "ferbish." 

Imho? It's a Good Thing. 

Karen G. Schneider
kgs at bluehighways.com 

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