Constructing%20the%20Collection%20Model

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Constructing the Collection Model

• Mike Heaney
• Oxford University Library Services

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The Brief

• Provide an abstract representation to model
• the types of collections that exist
• the entities that are relevant to collections
• the relations between them
• Take note of
• the various strands of RSLP activity
• the variety of existing models and schemata

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The Collection Description Model

• Models collections and their description
• Is hospitable to all types of material
• Not just digital
• Not tied to an implementation
• Models structure not transactions
• Tries to get it right not make it easy

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What is a Collection?

• Natural objects
• Created objects
• Digital objects
• Substitutes for objects
• surrogates
• metadata!

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How the model was constructed (1)
Collection
Title Description Subject Date Item subjects Item
dates Item formats . . .
and so on . . .
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How the model was constructed (2)
Content
Item
Collector
Collection
Owner
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Agents and Objects

• Agents
• Necessary to initiate action
• Have rights
• Rights are important
• Objects
• Inanimate

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The Full Model A Collection
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Collection Description

• Four types
• Unitary Finding-Aid
• Calendar (Hierarchic)
• Catalogue (Analytic)
• Index

Colln Item Cont
ü ü ü ü ü ü ü

• RSLP focused on Unitary Finding-Aids

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From Collection to Collection Description
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The Full Model a Collection Description
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Stripped Down Relationships
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The CD Schema
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Modelling External Relations

• This model provides a structure for a single
  record
• External relations are relations between records
• A model of external relations is a model for a
  catalogue structure

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Mapping External Relations
Index2
Index1
UFA2
UFA3
Is-Descd-By
Is-Descd-By
Is-Descd-By
Is-Descd-By
Mfm
Calr1
Calr2
Has-Version
Has-Version
Is-Descd-By
Colln1
Colln2
UFA1
Is-Descd-By
Has-Part
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And so . . .

• The model is abstract
• It models static not dynamic relations
• It is multi-layered
• It is just a model for one instance
• The CD Schema is an implementation of just part
  of it