Section on Cataloguing

ISBD Review Group Activities: Sept. 2001-July 2002

The 2002 version of ISBD(M) was approved by the Section on Cataloging in late May and published IFLANET in June 2002. This is the first ISBD to appear in PDF format, including hot links to facilitate navigation of the text. Its availability has been widely announced. The significance of this revision is its incorporation of recommendations presented in the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records. This version is currently being translated into Estonian. Other translations are likely to follow.

The Sections on Cataloguing and Serial Publications approved the 2002 version of the ISBD(CR) in early June. The document was submitted to K. G. Saur for publication as a printed text to be available in time for the 2002 IFLA Conference. This version represents a major update in providing guidance for bibliographic description of electronic serials and integrating resources for the first time within the ISBD program. The project endeavored successfully to maximize coordination of the ISBD(CR) with appropriate provisions in AACR2 and ISDS. The version also reflects implementation of FRBR recommendations.

With generous support from OCLC, the Review Group contracted with Ann Sandberg-Fox, editor of the ISBD(ER), to study significant problem areas needing immediate attention within ER: (1) 0.5; (2) Area 3; and (3) Area 5. Ms. Fox's project was widely advertised in order to provide opportunities for user input to the topics to be studied. In June, Ms. Fox delivered a report of her findings together with recommendations for changes to ER in the form of rule revisions. Meanwhile, the text has also been analyzed from the viewpoint of the FRBR recommendations.

In late May, the chair of the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR2 informed the Review Group that access would be provided to members of the Review Group to the closed part of the JSC Web site where papers regarding proposals under consideration are stored. The Review Group has recruited one of its members to monitor postings and assess JSC work for its potential impact on the ISBDs. This welcome development will significantly facilitate coordination between Review Group projects and relevant developments within the AACR community.

Text of an announcement has been prepared proposing changes to the ISBDs to provide for treatment of publications in multiple formats where there is need to refer to more than one ISBD in developing bibliographic descriptions. The proposal will be posted for World Wide Review following its further consideration during the Review Group's 2002 meetings.

A major effort was made during the year to identify translations of the ISBDs in order to add them to the listing that appears on IFLANET under "Family of ISBDs". As a result, citations for various ISBDs now appear in 19 languages, including those in three non-Roman scripts.

Work was also begun on revision of the ISBD Procedures to streamline and otherwise improve them.