[DCRB-L] Fwd: books and non-books

[Richard Noble]

On a lighter note, this, forwarded from sharp-l, which does rather sum up 
what I take to be the point of view from which FRBR was devised (insert 
amiably ironic emoticon here):

>Date:         Thu, 20 Feb 2003 13:28:31 -0400
>From: Mary Lu MacDonald <jbmlmac at NS.SYMPATICO.CA>
>Subject: books and non-books
>To: SHARP-L at LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
>
>I've always liked the definition given by a computer person - "A book is 
>the physical manifestation of a bibliographic entry."

More seriously, I've just re-read D.F. McKenzie's "Bibliography and the 
Sociology of Texts" (British Library, 1986; Cambridge Univ. Pr., 1999; also 
apparently available via netLibrary), and if I were in a position to do so, 
I'd make it required reading for conference participants. It's not terribly 
long but remarkably rich; and, in its third part especially, addresses the 
principles underlying what we're trying to do with DCRM, and does so from 
the correct perspective.



RICHARD NOBLE : RARE BOOKS CATALOGER : JOHN HAY LIBRARY : BROWN UNIVERSITY
PROVIDENCE, RI 02912 : 401-863-1187/FAX 863-2093 : RICHARD_NOBLE at BROWN.EDU