Applying the FRAD Conceptual Model to an Authority File for Manuscripts: Analysis of a Local Implementation

To date, the library literature has overflowed with articles on the theory and application of the FRBR conceptual model, but little has been written about its counterpart for authorities: the Functional Requirements for Authority Data conceptual model (FRAD). Discussions of the theory of FRAD have been written by Glenn Patton and members of the FRANAR Working Group, but nothing has been documented yet about its application to real authority files. The following article addresses this gap in the literature by analyzing the FRAD conceptual model, examining its applicability to an authority file for manuscripts, and proposing a way to implement and display this entity-relationship model in a local authority file. The usefulness of this FRAD-based authority file in cataloging manuscripts is evaluated and presented.