FRBR and TMS:

Applying a Conceptual

Organizational Model for

Cataloguing Photographic Archives

Presentation By:

Sarah GillisAssistant Registrar for Image Management

WORCESTER ART MUSEUM

Worcester Art Museum

Worcester Art Museum

• Collection: ~38,000 objects

• Encyclopedic Collection

• Almost 2/3 of collection digitized

• Create nearly triple the amount of images in

comparison to collection size

Value of Photographic Archives

• Early documentation of objects within the

galleries

• Before Treatment photography

• Sometimes only current existing photography of

an object

DCC Curation Lifecycle Model

The OAIS Reference Model

Delivery

Information

PackageTMS

(Internal Access)

Delivery

Information

PackageeMuseum

(Public Access)

Archival Information Package (AIP)

DCC and OAIS

Challenges:

• Integrating various layers of metadata

• Once digitized, how do I to distinguish between the born-digital and digitized images of art objects

• The application of a unique identifier system to these analog and digital instances

• Initiate rethinking by introducing new methods of image access to staff at the Worcester Art Museum.

Unique Identifiers for Image Files…

• Old Method: ObjectNumber_anythingelse.jpg

– e.g. 1913.45_scannedBW.jpg

• Not a bad file naming system, but can get muddled once multiple digital images are produced.

• Need to implement a more simple, yet distinctive organizational system.

File Name Organization

Prefix What is represents

DP Digital Photograph

DNG Digital Negative

SL Slide

BWP Black & White Print

NG Negative

GNG Glass Plate Negative

CR Color Reproduction (transparency)

XR X-Ray

CON Conservation Image

If this represents a physical image, the digitized rendition will share the

shame filename, but with a ‘D-’ as an additional prefix to acknowledge

that this is a digitized item.

Unique Identifiers for Image Files…

• New Method:

BWP + 758 + .jpg

What is the origin of the image file?Black and White Print

Sequentially assigned number.

File type (automatically created)

Unique Identifiers for Image Files…

• New Method:

D-BWP + 758 + .jpg

What is the origin of the image file?Black and White Print

Sequentially assigned number.

File type (automatically created)

Digital Rendition of Print

Unique Identifiers for Image Files…

• New Method:

DP + 3058 + .jpg

What is the origin of the image file?Born-Digital Photograph“Digital Photograph”

Sequentially assigned number.

File type (automatically created)

Unique Identifier Naming Convention

"Why aren't we keeping the object number in

the image file that it represents?"

Because the image is not the object which has

received its own unique identifier (object

number), but is a representation of the object

TMS Access Guidance

Functional Requirements of

Bibliographic Records (FRBR)

• “ontology that captures and represents the

underlying semantics of bibliographic

information [which] facilitates the integrating,

mediation, and interchange of bibliographic and

museum information.”*

*Page 10, FRBR: object-oriented definition and mapping from FRBRer, FRAD and FRSAD, version 2.0, International Working Group on FRBR

and CIDOC CRM Harmonisation.

FRBRER Group One

Person

(Conception of Idea)

(Drafts/Sketches)

(Final Product; Object)

(copies)

Entity-Related FRBR

(Artist/Creator)

FRBROO

• LAMs are all “memory systems” focusing on the

same goal of sustainability into the digital future

• LAMs ensure that the analog components are

not left behind

• All conceptual models require content standards

for cataloguing in order to survive

Object-Oriented Functional Requirements of

Bibliographic Records (FRBROO)

Work Elaboration

Work Conception Expression Creation

Time

Produces an Idea Produces (simultaneously) an Expression and Manifestation Production Type

Produces a Work

FRBROO Expression

Conceptual Level Physical Level

F28 Expression Creation

F14 Individual Work F22 Self Contained Expression F4 Manifestation Production Type

Created a realization of…

Created

Realized in aIs created by

Created

Time

E65 Creation E12 Production

Application of FRBROO to TMS

F2 Expression

F28 ExpressionCreation

F4 ManifestationSingleton

E24 Physical Man-Made Thing

F3 Manifestation Product Type

F5 Item

E54 Dimension

E55 Type

E57 Material

E30 Right

Is example of

created

carries

created

FRBR and TMS

Media Module

FRBR

and TMS

Media Record

FRBR and TMS Media Record

FRBR

and TMS

Media

Record

FRBR and TMSMedia Record

Summary

• Cataloguing following conceptual models ensures easier metadata crosswalks in the future

• Linked Data across various memory centers (LAMs)

• If we do not take the time to ensure that all object related media (analog and digital) are carefully catalogued and linked within our CMS, we will not be doing justice to the collection for future stakeholders.

Acknowledgements

• Contributors to my GoFundMe Campaign

• Gallery Systems

• Worcester Art Museum

• Joe Leduc (former Chief Registrar at WAM)

• IMLS Museums for America Grant

References

• Harvey, R. (2010). Digital Curation: a how-to-do-it manual. New York, NY: Neal-Schuman

Publishers.

• Howarth, L.C. (2012) FRBR and Linked Data: Connecting FRBR and Linked Data.

Cataloguing & Classification Quarterly, 50, 763-776.

• IFLA Study Group on the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (1997,

amended 2009). Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records- Final Report.

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

• International Working Group on FRBR and CIDOC CRM Harmonisation. (May 2012).

FRBR object-oriented definition and mapping from FRBRER, FRAD and FRSAD (version

2.0) Published Working Draft.

• Peponakis, M. (2012). Conceptualizations of the Cataloguing Object: A Critique on Current

Perceptions of FRBR Group 1 Entities. Cataloguing & Classification Quarterly, 50, 587-

602.