[DCRB-L] General Principles draft, 20021116

[Joe Springer]

Jane's point is one that the General Principles group will, I am sure, want 
to discuss.  Group wisdom may come up with clearer ways to articulate 
various points contained in the draft

In the section of the draft devoted to FRBR I was attempting a rather 
cursory "drill-down" through FRBR to get to those parts that are 
particularly germaine to the discussion of descriptive cataloging of rare 
materials.  It is my firm belief that we should and do in fact use the same 
underlying principles in descriptive cataloging of rare materials as are 
used in other cataloging.  What we need to pay attention to in our rules is 
where, as stated a bit further on in the draft, the "standard provisions of 
general rules of description such as found in AACR2 ... render adequate 
description of the attributes of manifestations and items difficult or 
impossible." [understanding that the manifestations and items referred to 
here are "rare materials"].  Although the ultimate focus of all cataloging 
tends to include manifestations, there are certainly always aspects that 
relate to work and expression.  In my consideration, I failed to conceive 
of instances where the provisions of general cataloging rules that promote 
description of work/expression do not work as well for rare 
materials.  This is, however, not the case once one reaches the level of 
manifestation.

(Historically, of course, it was not even so much "manifestation" as "item" 
that was the focus of all cataloging and at some level much cataloging 
still derives at some level not only from "manifestation" but from 
"item"--albeit at times rather loosely conceived, e.g. is the basis of CIP 
records, truly an item?.  I would posit, however, that it general 
cataloging today seldom truly needs to concern itself with item, whereas 
ignoring the "item" in cataloging rare materials would be next to 
impossible if one is producing records that meet user needs.)
Joe Springer

At 11:28 AM 1/10/03 -0500, you wrote:
>Joe's draft is excellent. From my understanding of FRBR (and I am learning 
>more about it all the time) I have a question on the sentence that appears 
>on p. 2:
>
>Of these four entities, rules for describing rare materials necessarily 
>place particular emphasis on guidance for descriptions of manifestations 
>and for descriptions of items.
>
>According to FRBR:
>
>3.1.1. Group 1 Entities: .. "The entities defines as work ... and 
>expression ... reflect intellectual or artistic content.  The entities 
>defines as manifestation ... and item, ... on the other hand, reflect 
>physical form.
>
>The only entities that anyone catalogs are manifestations and items.  You 
>can't catalog an expression or work since they are  not physical.  AACR2 
>gives us rules for cataloging manifestations.  Besides the item 
>itself,  whatever there is between manifestation and item (issue, state?) 
>is where rare materials catalogers need more guidance.
>
>It is also possible that this is my misreading of FRBR.
>
>Jane
>
>Jane Gillis | Rare Book Cataloger|  Sterling Memorial Library
>Yale University | New Haven CT  06520
>(203)432-8383 (voice) | (203)432-7231 (fax) | jane.gillis at yale.edu

Joe Springer
joeas at goshen.edu/574-535-7421
fax 574-535-7438