Popular Music in FRBR and RDA: Toward User-Friendly and Cataloger-Friendly Identification of Works

Abstract

The gradual adoption since 2010 of the content standard Resource Description and Access, based on the conceptual model Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records, has brought change to many areas of library cataloging, including popular music. In particular, the cataloging community has had to grapple with new practices in assigning access points for resources once considered simple, such as popular music albums containing songs written by people other than the featured recording artist. This article outlines some of the difficulties encountered and offers a principled approach to cataloging popular music that would reduce cataloger burden and reconcile catalog data with users' expectations.