APPLICATION OF THE FRBR TO
RARE BOOK CATALOGUING
Tinka Katic
The National and University
Library, Zagreb
e-mail: tkatic@nsk.hr
1. Introduction
While
considering the structure of the MARC record as well as the structure of the
machine readable catalogue, it is not enough today to follow only ISBDs. It is
necessary to reconsider it in the light of entity-relationship model presented
in the study Functional requirements for
bibliographic records (FRBR).[1] The model offers a new conceptualization of
bibliographic information organization. During the last few years it had great
impact both within the library and wider information communities as was
reviewed systematically but far from exhaustively by John D. Byrum and Olivia
M. A. Madison.[2]
In
order to meet a broad range of users’ requirements, the FRBR determines which
functions, i.e. goals or aims, a bibliographic record has to fulfil. These
requirements are defined as to find,
identify, select and obtain the
needed entity. Data elements that describe these requirements were extracted
from ISBDs, GARE (Guidelines for
Authority and Reference Entries), GSARE (Guidelines for Subject Authority and
Reference Entries), UNIMARC Manual:
Bibliographic Format and AITF
Categories for the Description of Works of Art. To structure data elements
identified in such a way, the entity-relationship model which comprises entities, attributes and their relationships was chosen. The model caters for all types of the
library material, media (carrier), and formats.
FRBR
describes three groups of entities. The entities of the first group are:
work, expression, manifestation and item.
The entities of the second group (persons
and corporate bodies) are responsible
for intellectual and artistic creation, production or ownership of the entities
of the first group. The entities of the third group (concept, object, event and place) are used in subject cataloguing.
Entities of the first two groups can also be a topic of the work.
The
attributes of entities important to the users are data elements as they
are defined in ISBDs, GARE and GSARE assuming that they are the elements for
creating users’ requests and users’
interpretation of the answers to their requests.
The
relationships are described as relationships between the entities of
each group of entities (the relation between work, expression, manifestation
and item, persons and corporate bodies relationship to the entities of the
first group; subject relationship to work), and relationships between the same
entity of the first group of entities (work-to-work relationship;
expression-to-expression relationship; manifestation-to-manifestation
relationship etc.). To assess their value, attributes and entity relationships
were reconsidered in relation to users’ tasks to find, identify, select and obtain
certain entity or group of entities.
One
of the possible purposes of the entity-relationship model is to serve as a
basis for the revision of national cataloguing codes. The actual Croatian
cataloguing code is based on international standards valid in the seventies and
eighties when it was compiled. Since
its provisions regulate modern printed material, the Code’s revision is needed because other types of material and
new media are present in the library. Beside description of new types of
material, revision must also include description of older book which is, as a
result of various retrospective activities, particularly present both in
general and specialized databases, and is part of different digital projects.
Thus it seemed useful to examine whether the entity-relationship model
developed for the FRBR is applicable in organising rules for older books’
cataloguing. Since cataloguing rules must be expressed in the content and
structure of a bibliographic record, the function of the model in the UNIMARC
record was also examined.
2. Definition of the older book
The
older book, as well as any other book, is primarily defined by the dichotomy of
work and its material carrier. The
specific characteristic of the older book is its belonging to the period from
the 15th century when the printing was invented to approximately the
first part of the 19th century. The belonging to that period is
evident in the specific characteristics of older book as a result of the way in
which it was produced. These specific characteristics are connected with very
complex publishing and printing relationships between all available edition,
issues, impressions and states. They also depend on changes which have impact
on a book after it left printing house. Namely, chronologically determined
definition of the older book should be expanded to include multiple
relationships in the communication chain: publisher and/or printer -
distributor - reader/user/owner, in which each participant has a special role
in creating its special nature .
3. Users’ community: its structure and
requirements
Bibliographic
processing of the older book is closely connected with the users’ needs, i.e.
researchers who belong to the wide range of scientific disciplines. Primarily,
there is a study of the literature and textual history which is a part of the
history of the book. The history of producing, using and impact of printed
artefacts is fundamental for other studies connected with a history of the art
(graphics, miniature, binding crafts etc.),
a history of the book, a history of the libraries both public and
private, sociological researches in reading, book collection etc. In one word,
the intellectual and cultural history as a whole.
4. Bibliographic relationships
In
the 1950ies and 1960ies the librarians were focused on work-item relationship
in attempting to determine library catalogue’s functions. This relationships
were derived from the definition of the book as a dichotomy of work and
material carrier i.e. literary item and bibliographic item. Almost all
cataloguing rules created at that time were based on the mentioned
relationship, the only difference being that some of cataloguing traditions
preferred literary item and others bibliographic item in determining the main
function of the catalogue.
In
the following decades, the changes that affected library catalogues with the
introduction and development of automation, made experts reconsider the
possibility of changing the conceptual structure of information organization in
these catalogues. Beside a lot of individual attempts of identifying
bibliographic relationships, the most important one is certainly the
recent FRBR study, i.e.
entity-relationship model.
As it was
mentioned before, Croatian cataloguing code was founded on the international
principles and standards. The provisions related to the choice and form of
headings are based on the Paris Principles while the rules for cataloguing
description are based on the ISBD(M). Although the code is principally based on
the literary item-bibliographic item relationship, i.e. work and item, it
caters for other entities sometimes explicitly, sometimes implicitely. For
example, in the definition of the three main functions of the catalogue, the code mentions verbatim revisions and translations,
i.e. expressions of a work in the
FRBR’s terminology, and editions, i.e. manifestations in the FRBR’s
terminology. In the provisions for the choice and form of headings, as well as
bibliographic description, all the entities are mentioned implicitely. The
revision of the cataloguing code in the light of FRBR, should therefore
explicate these entities as well as build on it the requirements for the older
book.
5. Structuring the MARC record for the
older book: the application of entity-relationship model
A
complex relationships which resulted from the complex bibliographic history of
older book, as well as its complex content structure should be recorded in
machine readable record. These relationships can be expressed by the
entity-relationship model: by the first group of entities - work, expression,
manifestation and item and by the relationships within one type of entity (e.g.
work-to-work). By putting the first
group of entities into relationships with the entities of the other three
groups, the bibliographic record brings together works and their authors,
translations and their translators, editions and their producers, items and
their former owners etc.
5.1 Case study: entity-relationship model
The
application of the entity-relationship model was examined on the example of
Marko Marulic’s work De institutione bene
vivendi per exempla sanctorum. Due to the fact that this most famous
Marulic’s work was published in numerous editions during the centuries, it was
a good example to verify the functionality of the model. The analysis was
restricted to the Latin original printed in Venice in 1506 and its German and
Italian translations printed in Venice and Dillingen in 1583. The copies are
owned by the National and University Library in Zagreb.
First,
the relationships between the entities of the first group - work (w),
expression (e), manifestation (m) and item (i), were considered using data
elements (entities and their attributes)
from Appendix A in the FRBR. As it was pointed out several times that
entites and their relationships as well as a list of attributes are
comprehensive, but not exaustive, the missing data elments for structuring the
record of older book were found in the Croatian cataloguing code, ISBD(A), UNIMARC Guideline No. 3: Older Monographic Publications (Antiquarian)
and UNIMARC Manual: Bibliographic Format.
To
indicate other types of relationships the scheme from the FRBR was used.
In
the examples of Marko Marulic’s work De
institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum the following relationships are recognized:
5.1.1 Work-
expression- manifestation- item relationship
On
the top level is a work De institutione
bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum which was realized through three
expressions. Each expression was embodied in separate manifestations and each
manifestation was exemplified in an item possesed by the National and
University Library Zagreb.
w1 De
institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum
e1 Original in Latin
m1 De institutione bene
vivendi per exempla sanctorum.
Venetiis ..., anno
D[domi]ni M.D.vi. die x. mensis Februarii>
i1 NSK: RIIF-16o-80
e2
Translation
in Italian
m1 De institutione del buono et beato vivere
secondo
l’esempio de’ Santi ... In Bergamo
..., 1583.
i1 NSK: RIIF-8o-61
e3 Translation in German
m1 Sechs Buecher von
Gedaechtnusss wuerdigen Reden
und Thatten ... Getruckt zu Dilingen
..., M.D.LXXXIII.
i1
NSK: RIIF-8o-319
After the recognition of the relationships between the
entities of the first group three UNIMARC records were created.
In the
Example 1:
(1) A work is decribed by the uniform title heading.
(2) Expression is described by the year,
which is exactly the year of publication, and by the language in which it was
realized.
(3) Manifestation is described
following the ISBDs areas: title and statement of responsibility area, imprint
area and physical description area. The only exception is made in note area
that is dispersed in the record describing a particular entity.
(4) Item is described using UNIMARC fields
especially developed for older books cataloguing.
Almost the
same was done in the next two examples. A difference can be noticed on the
expression level which is described by the year, original language and language
of translation both in the coded field 101 and as an addition to the uniform
title as well as by the note on translation.
Example 1:
w1 Marko Marulic’s work De institutione bene vivendi per exempla
sanctorum
500 10 $3 941202031$a De
institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum
e1 Original in Latin: De institutione bene vivendi per exempla
sanctorum
100 ## $a
19930513d1506 y0hrvy0191 na
101
0# $a lat
m1
a Book printed in Venice 1506
200 1# $a
Marcus Marulus Spalatensis De institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum
$a M. Maruli Carmen de doctrina Domini nostri Iesu Christi pendentis in cruce$c
Carme[n] Hieronymi Macareli ...$c Lamp. Francisco Lucensi [epigramma in fine]
300 ## $a
Jed. oblik autorova imena: Marko Marulic
700 #1 $3
910312027$a Marulic$b Marko
423
#1 $1 2001#$a Carmen$1700#1$a Macareli$b Girolamo
423
#1 $1 2001#$a Epigramma$1700$a Consorti$b Francesco
300 ## $a
List Q7: Jacobus Grasolarius ad lectorem; Franciscus Lucensis de
[Con]sortibus ad lectore[m]
702
#1 $3 910312028$a Grasolarius$b Jacobus$4 075
702
11 $3 930513008$a Consorti$b Francesco de$4075
102
## $a IT
210 ## $a
Impressit Venetiis$c presbiter Fra[n]ciscus Lucensis de Co[n]sortibus ... et
Bernardinus de Vitalib[us] Venetus$d anno D[domi]ni M.D.vi. die x. mensis
Februarii>
300
## $a Podaci o izdavanju preuzeti iz kolofona
620
## $a Italija$d Venezia
702
11 $3 930513008$a Consorti$b Francesco de$4 750
702
11 $3 930513032$a Vitali$b Bernardino$4 750
215 ## $a [334] listova$d 16o
(15 cm)
300
## $a Sig.: a8-z8, A8-Q8
300 ## $a Inicijali
i1
Incomplete
copy owned by the National and University Library Zagreb, previous owner:
Vicenzo Capelli
141
## $a f b0ee$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-16o-80
316 ## $a
Nedostaje poglavlje XI. i XII. u cetvrtoj knjizi i pocetak pete knjige$5
CiZaNSK: RIIF-16o-80
316
## $a Uvezano u kartonske korice, bez hrpta$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-16o-80
317
## $a Na nasl. str. zapis: Vincy Capelli$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-16o-80
318 ## $a
Pregledano$c 19941129$l Dobro ocuvano$n Restaurirati uvez $5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-16o-80
702 11 $3
941129068$a Capelli$b Vicenzo$4 390$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-16o-80
990 ## $a
RIIF-16o-80
990
## $a 62.775 (st. sig.)
990
## $a SM.26.G.13. (st. sig.)
Example 2:
w1 Marko Marulic’s work De institutione bene vivendi per exempla
sanctorum
500 10 $3 941202031$a De
institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum
e2 Translation in Italian: De
institutione del buono et beato vivere
secondo l’esempio de’ Santi ...
100 ## $a
19941202d1583 y0hrvy0191 ba
101 1# $a ita$c lat
300 ## $a
Prijevod djela: De institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum / Marko
Marulic prev. Remigio Nannini
500 10 $3
941202031$a De institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum$m tal. prijevod
m1
A book printed in Bergamo 1583
200 1# $a
Institutione del buono et beato vivere secondo l' essempio de' Santi del
Vecchio e Nuouo Testamento$f composta da Marco Marulo da Spalato$g e tradotta
dalla latina nella italiana lingua, dal R. P. Maestro Remigio Fiorentino, dell'
ordine de' predicatori
300 ## $a Jed. oblik autorova imena: Marko
Marulic
700 #1 $3
910312027$a MarulicbMarko
702
11 $3 930705210$a Nannini$b Remigio$4 730
205 ## $a Di
nuovo con diligenza ristampata, e da notabilissimi errori emendata, con l'
aggiunta di una copiosa tavola, oltra quella delle principali materie
102
## $a IT
210
## $a In Bergamo$c apresso Comino Ventura$d 1583
620 ## $a
Italija$d Bergamo
702 11 $3
930806042$a Ventura$b Comino$4 750
i1 A well-preserved paperboard
copy, owned by the National and University Library Zagreb
141
## $a fb b0bb$5CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-61
316 ## $a
Uvezano u sarene kartonske korice s koznatim hrptom; na hrptu naljepnica: 53$5
CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-61
318 ## $a
Pregledano$c 19941202$l Dobro ocuvano$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-61
990 ## $a
RIIF-8o-61
990
## $a R 2558 (st. sig.)
Example 3:
w1 Marko Marulic’s work De institutione bene vivendi per exempla
sanctorum
500 10 $3 941202031$a De
institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum
e3 Translation in German: M. Maruli Spalatensis Sechs Buecher von
Gedaechtnusss wuerdigen Reden und Thatten ...
100 ## $a
19941208d1583 y0hrvy0191 ba
101
1# $a ger$c lat
300 ## $a
Prijevod djela: De institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum / Marko
Marulic prev. Hermann Baumgartern
500 10 $3
941205099$a De institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum$m njem. prijevod
m1 A book printed in Dillingen 1583
200 1# $a M.
Maruli Spalatensis Sechs Buecher. Von Gedaechtnuss wuerdigen Reden und Thatten.
Oder: Von Lehr und Underweisung das Leben wol und selig anzustellen nach form
der Hailigen Lebens Altes und Newen
Testaments ... $f in teutsche Spraach gebracht durch Herman Baumgartern Burgern
und Bischofflichen Fiscal zu[m] Augspurg
300 ## $a
[Str. 3-7:] Dem hochwuerdigen Fuersten und Herrn Marquarden vom Berg Bischoffen
zu Augspurg und Thumprobsten zu Bamberg meinem gnedigen Fuersten und Herrn ...
/ Herman Baumgartern
300 ## $a
Jed. oblik autorova imena: Marko Marulic
700 #1 $3 910312027$a Marulic$bMarko
702 11 $3 941205102$a Baumgartern$b
Hermann$4 730$4 290
210
## $a Getruckt zu Dilingen$c durch Johannem Mayer$d M.D.LXXXIII
620
## $a Njemacka$d Dillingen
702 11 $3
941205100$a Mayer$b Johann$4 750
215 ## $a
[68], 964 str.$c ilustr.$d 8o (22 cm)
300 ## $a
Got.
i1
A copy
presented to the National and University Library Zagreb by Ivan Kukuljevic
Sakcinski
141
## $a b a0ea$5CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-319
316 ## $a
Uvezano u koznate korice s utisnutim
ukrasima$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-319
316 ## $a Na
poledini prednje korice zapis na lat. jeziku$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-319
317 ## $a Na
poledini prednje korice zapis: Daruje Sveucilišnoj knjiznici: Ivan Kukuljevic5
CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-319
318 ## $a
Pregledano$c 19941208$l Dobro ocuvano, hrbat djelomicno ostecen$n Restaurirati
uvez$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-319
702 11 $3
910724176$a Kukuljevic-Sakcinski$b Ivan$4 320$5 CiZaNSK: RIIF-8o-319
990
## $a RIIF-8o-319
990
## $a 62.856 (st. sig.)
990
## $a SM.27.B.22. (st. sig.)
5.1.2
Relationships between entity person to the first group of entities
5.1.2.1
Person-to-work relationship (created by)
p1 Marko Marulic (author)
w1 De institutione bene
vivendi per exempla sanctorum
w2 Carmen de doctrina Domini
nostri Iesu Christi pendentis in cruce
p1 Girolamo Macareli (author)
w1 Carmen
p1 Francesco Consorti (author)
w1 Epigramma
5.1.2.2
Person-to-expression relationship (realised by)
p1 Remigio Nanni (translator)
e1 Italian translation of the
work De institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum
p1 Hermann Baumgartern
(translator)
e1 German translation of the
work De institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum
5.1.2.3
Person-to-manifestation relationship (produced by)
p1 Francesco Consorti (printer)
p1 Bernardino Vitali (printer)
m1
A book printed in Venice 1506
p1 Comino Ventura (printer)
m1 A book printed in Bergamo
1583
p1 Johann Mayer (printer)
m1 A book printed in Dillingen
1583
5.1.2.4
Person-to-item (owned by)
p1 Vicenzo Capelli (former owner)
i1 A copy NSK RIIF-16o-80
was owned by V. Capelli
p1 Ivan Kukuljevic Sakcinski
(donator)
i1 A copy NSK RIIF-8o-319
was presented to the Library by Ivan Kukuljevic Sakcinski
5.1.3 Subject
relationship
5.1.3.1 Concept
c1 Moral teology
w1 De institutione bene
vivendi per exempla sanctorum
5.1.4
Expression-to-expression relationship
w1 Marko Marulic’s work De
institutione bene vivendi per exempla sanctorum
e1
Author’s
original text in Latin
translated
into®
¬ is a translation of
e2
Italian,
Italian translation
e3
German,
German translation
5.1.5 Other
possible relationships
The
relationship on the manifestation level for the entity “produced in” is
missing. The authors of the study considered the problem but they did not solve
it. For this issue they proposed the creation of additional direct link from
manifestation to the existing entity place or indirect link from manifestation
to person/corporate body (printer, publisher) responsible for production of the
manifestation.[3]
5.2 Discussion
In
each record, the first group of entities (work, expression, manifetation, item)
are described for the original in Latin and for the two translations in German
and Italian. In order to establish relationships with the entities of the
second and the third group, access points are added to the descriptive
elements. In this way the following relationships are provided for:
author-work; translator-expression; producer-manifestation; item-previous
owner/donator. The relationships between records (collocative function) are
created by uniform title heading (work), author’s name heading (person), and
subject heading (work).
In other words, elements of information are
aggregated at one place according to their common functions. A record
“constructed” in such a way enables a modular access because it contains both
data elements (description) (e.g. entity “manifestation”: ISBD’s publication,
distribution etc. and notes on publication, printing etc., and MARC’s relevant
coded data) and access points (e.g. place access, printer’s name, distributor’s
name), as well as relationships. These relationships can function within a
particular entity (e.g. printer’s name and year of publication and place of
publication), and relationships with other (modulary described) entities (e.g.
Italian translation of a work, i.e. “expression” printed in Venice in 16th
century, i.e. “manifestation”). On the
contrary, in a linear description according to ISBDs, pieces of information
(data elements) are given one by one, following the logical sequence of the
title page. At first glance, it appears that the user can get the same
information from the ISBD record as from the one modelled according to the
FRBR. However, FRBR makes us think about bibliographic information in a way
that it is to be described, accessed and displayed in a particular
group/aggregated form. These are the real
advantages of using the model.
The
record structured in such a way can meet the users’ needs as they are defined
in the FRBR. This is possible for all
three groups of entities that will enable
user to find a certain work, identify all its expressions and
manifestations, select certain expressions and manifestations and obtain the
item which is most appropriate to the user’s query.
6.1
Revision of cataloguing codes
Description
of the rich relationships between entities enabled by the FRBR model is
particularly important for the period of five centuries to which the older book
belongs. A significant number of books of that period were realized in several
expressions and published in more than one manifestations, out of which n-items
have been preserved. Each of these items as a specific entity, together with
other entities such as work, expression, manifestation, person and subject, can
be the subject of research of different categories of older book researchers.
In the revision of the cataloguing code therefore it will be necessary to
examine the following: (1) whether the principles for the bibliographic
description contain all three groups of entities, relationships between entities
within the first group, and relationships between each group of entities, all
of which, by identifying relations between editions, impressions, issues and
states, would express the complexity of printing process and refer to the work
contained in these editions; (2) link all persons or corporate bodies
responsible for the intellectual and artistic content of the work, and all
those who participated in the creation of the work/edition/impression/issue and
in the history of the item, and (3) describe all material characteristics of
the book which identify it as a unique object, i.e. an artefact.
The
revision of cataloguing code can take the following directions: (1) retain the
present state if the four level model is considered to be only a more detailed
concept of the two level model (work-item); (2) redefine functions of the
bibliographic record and certain cataloguing rules to make the model more
transparent i.e. explicit mention of entities and their relationships; and (3)
explicitness of the FRBR entitiy-relationship model make the organisational
model of cataloguing code instead of the linearity of ISBD structural areas. If the first proposal is seen as a status quo, is the second one evolution,
while the third one revolution?
6.2 Reexamination of MARC record
Examples
created in the UNIMARC format show that we already have a tool for the creation
of a full bibliographic record in which it is possible to express relationships and enable access to all
relevant data elements of description. Further analysis of the use of UNIMARC
within such a model is needed to show whether UNIMARC needs to be extended to
incorporate some new relationships or attributes to the entities for the older
book.
6.3 Record level
However,
if there is a wish to meet all the requirements for bibliographic records and
fulfil all the users’ queries, i.e. to follow the consensus present in most
cataloguing codes for the full record description of older books, it will not
be possible to follow the minimal level description as proposed in the FRBR.
6.4 The definition of functional
requirements for authority records (FRANAR)
It
is necessary to stress the importance of the definition of functional
requirements for authority records as complementary requirements to the
bibliographic records which is expected from the Working Group on Functional
Requirements and Numbering for Authority Records - FRANAR.[4]
6.5 The design of the search and
retrieval interfaces
Well
structured and related bibliographic and authority records are essential in
retrospective projects – national bibliographies/databases for older book, and
multinational databases which will enable reconstruction of the five century
common European cultural circle, as it was evident in the example of Marulic’s
work and its translations printed in different places, and owned by different
persons. To which extent would they fulfil functional requirements defined in
the FRBR depends also on the design of the search and retrieval interfaces.
Furthermore, in their design, it is necessary to take into consideration the
establishment of the links between the entities and their links to their
digital forms since the model is particularly applicable for their integration
with the traditionally printed material.
6.6
The further development of the FRBR
The development of the FRBR, from the point of view of rare book librarian, is needed at the manifestation level for the relationship “produced in”. The use of full bibliographic record for the description of rare books and consequently the expansion of Appendix A are also needed. These problems are mentioned in the FRBR but their compilers do not solve them. The further development should also be connected with the development of the FRANAR in order to integrate functional requirements of bibliographic and authority records as they function in integrated bibliographic and authority databases.
[1] Functional requirements for bibliographic records : final report / IFLA Study Group on the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records; approved by the Standing Committee of the IFLA Section on Cataloguing [International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. IFLA Universal Bibliographic Control and International MARC Programme]. Muenchen : K. G. Saur, 1998. (UBCIM Publications, New Series; vol. 19)
[2] Byrum, John D.; Olivia M. A. Madison. Reflections on the goals, concepts and recommendations of the IFLA Study on functional requirements for bibliographic records. // FRBR (Functional requirements for bibliographic records) Seminar. Florence, 27-28 January 2000. http://www.aib.it/aib/sezioni/toscana/conf/frbr/byrmadis.htm
[3] Functional requirements for bibliographic records, pag. 31.
[4] Byrum, John D.; Olivia M. A. Madison. Ibid., pag. 10.