Strategic Plan, 2009/2011

Mission

The Cataloguing Section of IFLA strives to be the leader in international developments in cataloguing theory, activities, and standards development. The Section analyzes the principles and functions of cataloguing activities for all types of materials and media, including both bibliographic and authority information, for the benefit of all kinds of users. The Section proposes and develops cataloguing rules, guidelines, and standards for bibliographic information, taking into account the developing electronic and networked environment in order to promote universal access to and exchange of bibliographic and authority information.

The Section also provides leadership in the development of various standards and guidelines related to data modelling (e.g. FRBR, FRAD, FRSAD, ISBD), bibliographic activities, such as corporate name headings, authority entries, OPAC displays and metadata standards. The section cooperates with other sections as needed and desired. Up until now the section has received support from ICABS (IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Bibliographic Standards). It is our hope that this support continues, at least to some extent, now that ICABS has been transformed into ICADS (IFLA-CDNL Alliance for Digital Strategies).

Action plan for 2011

  • ISBD: Publish the final consolidated ISBD during 2011
  • FRBR: Explore the preparation of a consolidated document for IFLA's FRBR family of conceptual models in an entity-relationship formulation
  • Promote IFLA standards: Participate in the development of namespaces for all IFLA bibliographic standards, including the ISBD, FRBR, and FRAD and in connection with this promote and position the IFLA standards and models in the semantic web

Goals

  1. Promote the development and maintenance of the Statement of International Cataloguing Principles for bibliographic description and access
    (Pillar:  Profession; Professional priorities:  (f) Promoting resource sharing; (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)
    • 1.1.  Following the successful international agreement on the Statement of International Cataloguing Principles (ICP) and its Glossary in February 2009, encourage the cataloguing rule makers of the world to follow these principles.
    • 1.2.  Encourage further translations of the Statement of International Cataloguing Principles and Glossary; make those translations and other information available on the IFLA web site.
    • 1.3.  Begin preparations in 2011 for a review of the Statement of International Cataloguing Principles (ICP) and ascertain the need to update the Principles in today's rapidly evolving environment. The first review is scheduled for 2014 (or sooner as deemed necessary).
    • 1.4.  Be prepared, if deemed necessary by the review carried out under 1.3, to form a working group, in collaboration with other relevant sections, to further look into the need of separating the specific cataloguing rules from the principles and explore the need to expand the statement further towards becoming an international cataloguing code.

  2. Continue development and use of IFLA's FRBR family of conceptual models. 
    (Pillar: Profession; Professional priorities: (f) Promoting resource sharing; (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)
    • 2.1.  Maintain and develop the FRBR model in an entity-relationship formulation.
      • Assess any amendments to be recommended by the Working Group on Aggregates;
      • Review the attributes of the Group 1 entities;
      • Assess other reviewing suggestions and follow through as appropriate.
    • 2.2.  Explore the preparation of a consolidated document for IFLA's FRBR family of conceptual models in an entity-relationship formulation.
      • Determine the scope and format of a consolidated conceptual model document;
      • Identify areas in which the FRAD model results in revisions of the FRBR model
      • Once FRSAD is approved, identify areas in which the FRSAD model results in revisions to FRBR.
    • 2.3.  Maintain and develop an object-oriented formulation of FRBR (FRBRoo) jointly with CIDOC-CRM.
      • Develop a "core" FRBRoo model for implementation;
      • Support the development of an implementation prototype;
      • Expand FRBRoo to include additional entities, attributes and relationships from the FRAD model;
      • Encourage the further harmonisation of conceptual models by participating in joint work with the archival community and other relating communities.
    • 2.4.  Develop, update and make available guidelines and interpretative documents to assist those applying IFLA's FRBR family of conceptual models.
      • Update the FRBR Bibliography semi-annually;
      • Prepare new FAQs for the FRBR pages on the IFLA website, starting with those on the expression entity;
      • Provide interpretative text on the treatment of aggregates within FRBR.
    • 2.5.  Continue representation on the IFLA Working Group on Functional Requirements of Subject Authority Records (FRSAR).
    • 2.6.  Maintain liaisons between the FRBR Review Group and the ISBD Review Group and with rule-makers in order to have the main principles of FRBR and FRAD reflected in cataloguing codes.
    • 2.7.  Maintain liaisons with other IFLA units, vendor groups (such as the ALA FRBR Implementers’ Group), and with other relevant groups to assure widespread awareness and use of FRBR and FRAD.
    • 2.8.  Monitor and publicize translations of the FRBR and FRAD documents.

  3. Continue ISBD revision
    (Pillar: Profession; Professional priorities: (f) Promoting resource sharing; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines, and best practice)
    • 3.1.  Publish a standard for describing content forms and media types as Area 0 of the ISBD in 2010.
    • 3.2.  Continue the work on the first revision to the consolidated ISBD for publication in 2010.
    • 3.3.  Provide leadership in encouraging harmonization of existing cataloguing rules with the ISBD through communication with rule-making bodies internationally by forming liaison relationships between each rule-making body and the ISBD Review Group.
    • 3.4.  Maintain liaisons with the Permanent UNIMARC Committee, the ISSN Network, and the International Association of Musical Libraries, Archives and Documentation Centres (IAML), with other IFLA units, and with other relevant groups to assure widespread use of the ISBD as a metadata content scheme.
    • 3.5.  Encourage translations of the consolidated ISBD.

  4. Develop additional approaches, standards, rules, and lists for information that provide access to bibliographic and authority data in all languages.
    (Pillar: Profession; Professional priorities: (d) Providing unrestricted access to information; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)
    • 4.1.  Participate in the development of namespaces for all IFLA bibliographic standards, including the ISBD, FRBR, and FRAD.
    • 4.2.  Post MulDiCat on the IFLA Web site and encourage the addition of other language contributions to assist in translation and provide consistent vocabulary for IFLA publications/standards in the area of bibliographic control. Pursue the possibilities of establishing the terms as a Web registry or other means to facilitate free access to these terms on the Web.
    • 4.3.  Support the work on the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) project and share information about the project.
    • 4.4.  Continue updating Names of Persons. Invite comments, additions, and updates for a possible new edition in 2010.
    • 4.5.  Publish Anonymous Classics, Part 3, Africa. Develop contacts for work on Part 2, Latin America.

  5. Explore opportunities for promoting cataloguing activities, especially for developing countries.
    (Pillars: Society, Members, Profession; Professional priorities: (c) Promoting literacy and reading; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (h) Developing library professional; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)
    • 5.1.  Ensure that the section’s standards, guidelines and reports are available in print and/or on the IFLA website.
    • 5.2.  Continue to promote bibliographic standards and information about cataloguing developments around the world via documents from Standing Committee groups, the Section newsletter and information in International Cataloguing and Bibliographic Control.
    • 5.3.  Provide updated information for IFLA’s listing of standards.

  6. Provide information about the work of the Section and Standing Committee.
    (Pillars: Members, Profession; Professional priorities: (a) Supporting the role of libraries in society; (d) Providing unrestricted access to information; (f) Promoting resource sharing; (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)
    • 6.1.  Assure distribution of all relevant documents to all Section members.
    • 6.2.  Continue communication of Section and Standing Committee activities through the Section newsletter, the open programme of the Section, IFLA website, ICBC, CATSMAIL (the Section list), etc.
    • 6.3.  Post the strategic plan of the Section on the IFLA website.
    • 6.4.  Encourage translations of Section documents and of open programme papers.

  7. Promote membership in the Section, emphasizing a broader geographic representation on the Standing Committee.
    (Pillars: Members, Profession; Professional priorities: (f) Promoting resource sharing; (h) Developing library professionals; (i) Promoting standards, guidelines and best practices)
    • 7.1.  Involve more representatives from existing institutional members in attending meetings of the Standing Committee and in participating in the various Working Groups of the Section by emphasizing opportunities in the Section newsletter and via CATSMAIL (the Section list).
    • 7.2.  Send information on the activities of the Section to library associations in underrepresented regions of the world, to IFLA offices for Asia, Africa, and Latin America, and to chairs of sections in IFLA Division III.

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Last update: 1 November 2010