Jim Weinheimer wrote:
> I haven't spoken up against FRBR on this list yet, and for
> me, many parts are just too theoretical without enough
> concern for reality. For example, do we really think it's in
> the user's interest to make a separate record for each
> format? What if there are formats in txt, pdf, djvu, jpeg,
> gif, who knows what else? Making separate records for each of
> these would be a lot of work, and be more or less
> incomprehensible to the user.
I think it's important to remember that FRBR is a *conceptual* model.
The entities in FRBR don't necessarily have to be "records" in a catalog
the same way we have records today, individual screens or tabs a
cataloger has to interact with. It's certainly simple from a system
point of view to make records that match FRBR entities, but even if we
do this, it doesn't mean that a cataloger has to manually create or even
*see* each of these records. It could all be handled from a simple
screen indicating formats, or even just generating format information
from files on a file system. We need good (or even reasonable?) UI
design for cataloging interfaces, even more now than ever before. The
cataloging interface does *not* have to mirror the underlying database
structure. Ditto the end-user interface.
And that's not even considering the possibility of a database structure
that doesn't exactly parallel FRBR entities. I don't know precisely what
that would look like, but surely we have more imagination than just
copying FRBR entities into a database structure. We're smart folks who
know a great deal about resource description and access. Can't we
collaboratively design database structures that conform to FRBR
principles but also meet system needs of normalization, cataloger needs
for streamlined data entry, etc., etc., etc.? Can't we at least consider
options beyond a 1:1 match between the data structure and the conceptual
model, if even to, in the end, determine it's better to stick with the
1:1 match?
Jenn
========================
Jenn Riley
Metadata Librarian
Digital Library Program
Indiana University - Bloomington
Wells Library W501
(812) 856-5759
www.dlib.indiana.edu
Inquiring Librarian blog: www.inquiringlibrarian.blogspot.com
Received on Thu Sep 06 2007 - 19:49:33 EDT