Terms of Reference

4JSC/Chair/71
29 February 2001

During the revision of AACR2 Rule 0.24 two separate aspects of that rule in need of attention have been identified: the “multiple characteristics” aspect and the “format variation” aspect. A proposal for revising the rule to deal more effectively with issues associated with multiple characteristics has been approved by JSC. Other proposals for revising the rule to deal more effectively with format variation issues have foundered upon the complexities of preparing bibliographic records that intelligibly describe work expressions and their various bibliographic relationships.

The JSC Format Variation Working Group is charged to develop an experiment to test the practicalities associated with the creation of bibliographic records for expressions. Using as the basis for its work the JSC papers 4JSC/ALA/30 and 4JSC/ALA/30/Chair follow-up, and the various responses to these papers, the Working Group should employ a “proof of concept” approach to identifying the practical issues associated with creating bibliographic records based on expressions. Specifically, the Working Group should determine whether:

• Expression-based cataloguing is viable;
• The bibliographic records that result from such cataloguing are intelligible to catalogue users;
• There is a cooperative will to implement such an approach to cataloguing in the not-too-distant future.

The Working Group will comprise representatives from JSC constituencies and other appropriate bodies.

Chair: Jennifer Bowen, Head of Cataloging, University of Rochester and Head of Technical Services, Eastman School of Music

Timeline: Interim report by September 2001, final report by April 2002

Ann Huthwaite
Chair, JSC

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