Friday, July 18, 2008

FRBR (Book)

FRBR: A Guide for the Perplexed. Chicago : American Library Association, 2008.

From the ALA website:

“FRBR has the potential to inspire dramatic changes in library catalogs, and those changes will greatly impact how reference and resource sharing staff and patrons use this core tool.”
--netconnect, 2005

FRBR – Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records– is an evolving conceptual model designed to help users easily navigate catalogs and find the material they want in the form they want it – be that print, DVD, audio, or adaptations. Developed by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Cataloging Section, FRBR is now being integrated into cataloging theory and implemented into systems and practice.

Cataloging expert Maxwell offers clear concise explanations for every librarian interested in the next phase of access to their library’s digital information. He answers such questions as

  • What is FRBR and how does it work?
  • How will FRBR affect libraries?
  • Do all librarians need to be concerned, or just those doing cataloging?
  • How do authority records fit into the picture?
With an understanding of the FRBR model, public and academic librarians, technical and public services librarians, and administrators can get a jump on this vital new cataloging technology to make catalogs more user-friendly.

About the Author:
Robert L. Maxwell, one of the foremost authorities in the cataloging field, is senior librarian and section head for the Special Collections and Metadata Cataloging Section at the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. He has chaired RBMS Bibliographic Standards Committee of ACRL and currently serves on the Committee on Cataloging: Description and Access (CC:DA) of ALCTS. He is the author of the Highsmith Award-winning Maxwell’s Guide to Authority Work and Maxwell’s Guide to AACR2. He holds a MLS from the University of Arizona, JD and MA from Brigham Young University, and PhD in classical languages and literature from the University of Toronto.