The impact of the IFLA Library Reference Model on cataloging practice: use cases, advantages and disadvantages

Abstract

The IFLA Library Reference Model (IFLA LRM) is a high-level conceptual model that arises from the need to consolidate the three models of the FR Family, the demands of the current technological context and compatibility with the best practices of Linked Data. The IFLA LRM treats bibliographic data in a broad sense, explaining the general principles that govern the logical structure of bibliographic information, as the basis for formulating cataloging rules and implementations of bibliographic systems. Thus, this research aims to identify the state of the art of the IFLA LRM model, based on the available scientific literature. As a research method, the Systematic Literature Review (RSL) was adopted in order to build the theoretical framework. For the analysis of the documents, the following categories were established: (I) focus of the documents; (ii) IFLA LRM concept; (iii) relationship between IFLA LRM and Linked Data; (iv) advantages and disadvantages of the model; (v) IFLA LRM use cases. As a result, the state of the art on the IFLA LRM model is presented, as well as the research trends and the impact of the model on cataloging practice, as presented in the identification of use cases. It is concluded that the IFLA LRM model presents itself as an object of investigation of capital importance, since it reflects the changes in Descriptive Cataloging and the new directions of the area in the digital context, in the adequacy, sharing and reuse of bibliographic data in the scenery of Semantic Web and Linked Data.