Prepared papers from the Latin American cataloging experts will focus attention on updating the 2003 draft "Statement of International Cataloguing Principles," which updates the IFLA "Paris Principles" of 1961, incorporating terminology and concepts of the IFLA Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR), and discussing ways to reach closer harmonisation of rules in the following areas (focus topics):

  • Personal names
  • Corporate bodies
  • Seriality issues of when to make a new record
  • Multipart structures
  • Uniform titles and GMDs (general material designators).

Background papers will be posted on the IME ICC4 Web site. We hope to have translations of these papers in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese.

During July-August there will be pre-meeting discussion on the listserv (in English) to collect current thinking in Asia on the focus topics for Working Groups (see above) and to identify other areas of interest for cataloging principles.

At the meeting in August, the conference organizers will present further background on IFLA initiatives in cataloging, including FRBR (IFLA's Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records), and the concept of a Virtual International Authority File (VIAF), as well as present an overview of the draft Statement of International Cataloguing Principles. There will be time to respond to comments and issues from the pre-meeting listserv discussions. During breakout sessions, each of the focus topics will be discussed by the respective Working Group and recommendations prepared for reaction during the final plenary session. The meeting will end with prioritized actions towards closer harmonization and recommendations for changes to the draft Statement of International Cataloguing Principles.

The recommendations and action items from the meeting will be posted on the IME ICC4 Web site (in English with translations for Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and possibly other languages as we are able to obtain them) and the results will also be reported to IFLA during the Cataloguing Section's Open Programme in Seoul, Korea during August 2006. The meeting report will be published by K.G. Saur through IFLA in 2007. Progress on fulfilling the recommendations and action items also will be posted on the IFLA Cataloguing Section Web site available through IFLANET.

 The participants will join the international community of cataloguing experts in future IFLA discussions related to cataloguing principles and cataloguing rules.