Theoretical approaches to cataloguing the Work from the Paris Principles to the present

A historical overview

Abstract

The concept of the Work really came to the fore with the emergence of FRBR, and has become even more pronounced thanks to LRM. According to Chris Holden, it is becoming increasingly important to be able to present the work in the catalogue. Yet, there are still few catalogues in which you can search for the work, so the thinking is still largely theoretical. In the near future, however, the work will become a constituent element of catalogues. This is also supported by the fact that the harmonisation of standards and codes related to bibliographic description with LRM has started, for example the IFLA Cataloguing Section’s work plan 2021–2023 includes the harmonisation of ICP with LRM. Therefore, the author considers it important to explore the concept of the work, its representation in cataloguing theory at home and abroad, and how the FRBR lays the theoretical foundations of the concept of the work and how this is incorporated into the LRM model, national and international standards and codes. As the current domestic cataloguing is based on the ISBD, the study examines conceptual approaches to the work from the 1960s, with a particular focus on the domestic representatives of cataloguing theory, above all Ákos Domanovszky and Béla Szelle.