Question: Where can one see FRBR in action?
Answer: There are several examples of FRBR-based or FRBR-inspired bibliographic databases online. Try out some searches and see what FRBR offers.
Most of these databases do not strictly separate all four levels of the WEMI (Work, Expression, Manifestation, Item) hierarchy. The following four databases use FRBR primarily to link the work record with a cluster of records for the work’s manifestations.
- OLAC prototype: http://blazing-sunset-24.heroku.com/. Try searching Dracula.
- LibraryThing: http://www.frbr.org/eg/hp-goblet-1.html. Try searching Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
- LibraryThing and FRBR: http://www.librarything.com/blogs/thingology/2011/02/librarything-and-frbr/
- Editions and Expressions: http://www.librarything.com/topic/109523
- Work-to-work relationships: http://www.librarything.com/blogs/librarything/2011/02/librarything-gets-work-to-work-relationships/
- Scherzo at Indiana University Music Library: http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/scherzo/. Try searching Beethoven Symphonies.
- Australian Music Centre: http://www.australianmusiccentre.com.au/. Try searching Symphonies. There are 114 works in this category. Each work title is only listed once. Click on the title of any work to see results for that work in all available formats (e.g. score and audio).
Here is a mock-up using all four levels of WEMI.
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: http://www.frbr.org/eg/hp-goblet-1.html. Be sure to let your mouse hover over anything in blue to find out if it is a work, expression, manifestation, or item. Also click on the plus signs to open up the lists of narrower options.
For more about FRBR and various implementations of FRBR, see http://www.frbr.org/ and http://www.frbr.org/categories/implementations.