Transcript Convergence is the Goal’: Activity Report of the IFLA FRBR

Harmonising without Harm:
towards an object-oriented formulation of FRBR
aligned on the CIDOC CRM ontology
Maja Žumer (University of Ljubljana) & Patrick Le Bœuf (National Library of France)
International Workshop on Semantic Interoperability for e-Research in the Sciences,
Arts and Humanities – Imperial College Internet Institute, Imperial College, London
30 March, 2006
What is FRBR?
 “FRBR” is for “Functional Requirements for
Bibliographic Records”
 Developed 1991-1997 & published 1998 by
IFLA (International Federation of Library
Associations and Institutions)
 Maintained by the IFLA FRBR Review Group
 Covers “bibliographic records” and “headings”
for library materials: “textual, music,
cartographic, audio-visual, graphic, threedimensional materials”
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What is CIDOC CRM?
 “CRM” is for “Conceptual Reference Model”
 Developed from 1996 on by ICOM CIDOC
(International Council of Museums – International
Committee for Documentation)
 Maintained by CRM-SIG (Special Interest Group)
 About to be validated as ISO 21127
 Builds upon the CIDOC Information Categories
 Covers any kind of data (“descriptive” or
“authorities”) created by museums in the fields of
fine arts, archaeology, natural history…
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Key concepts of FRBR
“Headings” refer to:
Concept
“Bibliographic records”
are about:
Work
Object
Event
Place
Expression
Manifestation
Person
Corporate Body
Item
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Key concepts of CIDOC CRM
 Formal structure of metadata =
Appellations (= how we name things)
Types (= how we categorise and
organise things into controlled lists)
Metadata
Strings (= free-text notes)
Numbers
Time Primitives
(machine processable)
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Key concepts of CIDOC CRM
 Semantic structure of metadata =
Involving
whom?
Actor
Appellation
Involving
what?
Appellation
Actor
What
happened?
Physical
Conceptual
Stuff
Object
Event
Of what
Time-Span
Place
Type ?
Time
Appellation
Place
Appellation
When?
Where?
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Some similarities, but no 1:1 overlapping...
Person
Item
Corporate Body
Object
“Headings”
Appellation
Work
Physical
Conceptual
Stuff
Object
Actor
Expression
Manifestation
Event
Concept
Event
Place
String
[Notes within]
“Bibliographic
records”
Type
Place
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FRBR/CRM Harmonisation Group
 formed 2003
 gathers representatives for & corresponding
members of:
the IFLA FRBR Review Group
 the CRM Special Interest Group

 chaired by Martin Doerr, Institute of Computer
Science of the FOundation for Research &
Technology Hellas – ICS-FORTH (assisted by
Patrick Le Bœuf)
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Methodology (1)
 6 meetings so far:
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Meeting #1: 2003, Nov. 12-14
Meeting #2: 2004, March 22-25
Meeting #3: 2005, Feb. 14-16
Meeting #4: 2005, July 4-6
Meeting #5: 2005, Nov. 16-18
Meeting #6: 2006, March 27-29
 Detailed reports have not been made publicly available so far
 What we do at those meetings:
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‘translate’ FRBR entities and attributes into an OO model
that OO model borrows as much as possible from the existing
structures defined in CIDOC CRM
sometimes it also gives back to CIDOC CRM
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Methodology (2)
 Examine each attribute:
 What does it mean?
 Is there any implicit assumption about its meaning?
 How do non-librarians understand its definition?
 How to express the same meaning in a CRM-like
structure?
 What’s on a librarian’s mind?
 Cataloguing processes sometimes important to model too
 What’s on an author’s and a publisher’s minds?
 Production processes are important to model in order to
understand how things happen to be there
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Methodology (3)
 Too many Attributes?  Split the entity!
 A given Attribute actually refers to an Event?
 Make the Event explicit!
 How do cataloguers acquire knowledge about
merely “abstract” entities?  Through
concrete entities that are deemed to be
representative for abstract entities
 Taking a user (or use)-centered approach
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To what purpose harmonise
FRBR & CIDOC CRM?
 To reach a common view of cultural heritage
information (because we share users and types of
materials)
 To check FRBR’s internal consistency
 To enable interoperability and integration (mediation
tools, Semantic Web applications…)
 For FRBR’s and CIDOC CRM’s mutual benefit (to
extend the scope of both)
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Library catalogue (bibliographic records)
in history
 Inventory control
 Resource discovery
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Current catalogues
 Paris Principles (1961)
 ISBD – International Standard Bibliographic
Description
 (National) cataloguing rules
 Card catalogues
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IFLA commissioned a study which resulted in
FRBR
 Changes: computer catalogues, union (shared)
catalogues, new library materials, new user
needs
 Cost of cataloguing
 Examination of user needs (required functions)
 Examination of characteristics of new types of
library materials
 Effective and efficient
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(Future) FRBR applications
 Better catalogues, more appropriate for the
intended users
 Use the potential of new technology
 Extend the focus from physical to intellectual
 Possibility of interoperability with the broader
community (e.g. cultural heritage, intellectual
property rights )
 Potential of Semantic Web
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What next?
 Group 2, Group 3, FRAR and FRSAR attributes
 FRBR, FRAR & FRSAR relationships
 Polish the overall picture (some attributes were
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postponed, some new concepts need clarification)
Check the robustness
Deliverables: scope notes and examples for each
class & property, tutorials, explanatory documents…
Prototype applications
Extend the modelling to performing arts
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