Dear Michael,

A BIBFRAME Annotation is a different type of resource than a BIBFRAME Work or BIBFRAME Instance resource.  It is no less important (or more important) than a Work or Instance.  An annotation resource is designed, in part, to accommodate institution specific information [1].   The Annotation component of the model reflects a pattern of description that captures information about who made the assertion ("Library A states it has a copy of Book Y signed by the author.").  And a Holding, unlike a Work or Instance resource, is specific to an institution.   It may have a call number that is specific to the institution, copy notes that are specific ("Signed by author"; "copy has ms. notes by author on endpapers"), etc. 

I see a Holding as essential to fully describing an institution's copy of something.  To that end, all three types of resources - Work, Instance, Holding - will be necessary and related to each other (or at least I expect so 99% of the time).  The Holding, in turn, will relate to an Instance, which will relate to a Work. 

Does that help?  I received the impression that you were viewing an Annotation as some kind of second-class resource to BIBFRAME Works and Instances.  That's not the case at all.  Is it different? Yes.   Any less  important? No.

Cordially,

Kevin

[1] http://bibframe.org/documentation/annotations/#whatIsAnAnnotation

--

Kevin Ford

Network Development and MARC Standards Office

Library of Congress

Washington, DC

From: Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Mitchell, Michael
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2013 6:04 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [BIBFRAME] BIBFRAME Annotation Model Draft 2

           OK. I have great trouble equating a "holding" to an annotation. A holding is an integral part of an instance and a work. Cover art, descriptions, and reviews really aren't integral, they are extra. You can refer to several million bib records in LC to see this as you are unlikely to find any without holdings but millions without the other annotations.

           To take this a step further, as I see it, a work really can't exist, except in the mind of the creator, without an instance, even if that is only the author's manuscript, and an instance really can't exist without an item or holding, again, even if only the handwritten manuscript. I really can't practically get to a work without working backward from an item to an instance to a work. Anything else is vaporware. I can't get into the mind of the creator until the work is recorded in some way, once that work is recorded there is an instance and unless I can have that instance in my possession, as an item, I can't catalog the work or instance. The three forms are integral.

           I don't see that holdings are any more annotation that instances. Items should be core resources, not annotations, in my humble opinion.

Michael Mitchell

Technical Services Librarian

Brazosport College

Lake Jackson, TX

Michael.mitchell at brazosport.edu

From: Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Denenberg, Ray
Sent: Monday, August 26, 2013 1:44 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [BIBFRAME] BIBFRAME Annotation Model Draft 2

Announcing:

BIBFRAME Annotation Model -
BIBFRAME Community Draft, 26 August 2013 (second draft)

http://bibframe.org/documentation/annotations/

As with the previous draft (April 30) this is a work in progress, comments and discussion encouraged.  

Thanks to the BIBFRAME community, including the Early Experimenters, for the many comments and suggestions, which have resulted in what we think is a significantly improved document.

Ray Denenberg
Library of Congress