Some Reservations about FRBR

Aims to promote discussion of issues concerning Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR).

An opnion piece on the value of a new library cataloguing system.

FRBR is a theoretical and unproven model for organizing data in online library catalogs. Although the viability of the model remains unproven, it is being accepted largely without question in the library community, supported by a bandwagon effect among many librarians. The model has numerous weaknesses, such as vague terminology, and its implementation will demand large expenditures of resources, while its added value is unclear.

Opines that although the model is a new cataloging standard, its implementation will have an impact on all areas of librarianship.