Ed Jones wrote: "(1) Yes, if you were looking for a particular manifestation you certainly wouldn't want to be presented with work/expression information, but if you're unsure what exactly you're looking for, it can be very helpful in clarifying things."
The CastAlbumCollector website (http://www.castalbumcollector.com) is a very good example of how a database (in this case of recordings of musicals) based on FRBR entities can help users navigate large results sets and clarify what they're looking for. The website lets you browse by show (=Work), by recording (=Expression) or by release (=Manifestation); you can also do a keyword search by show or recording. If you search for the work "Les misérables", you will be presented with only two results: the musical by Schönberg or the one by Spencer (who knew there was another musical on the same subject?). Once you select the Schönberg work, you can pick among the 55 recordings of the musical in the database. Only after you selected a recording are you offered with specific releases. At this stage, the details pertaining to the work and expression entities are neatly grouped together under "Show details" and "Recording details." I was not surprised to read on his personal website that the creator of this database has an MLS... (By the way, Schönberg's musical is represented by authority record n 87120341 (Schönberg, Claude-Michel. Misérables). Authority record no97072905 [Misérables]) is for a dramatic adaptation for children, by Jean Avran, of Hugo's novel.) Daniel Paradis Bibliographic Access Librarian Concordia University Libraries 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd. West, LB 317-3 Montreal QC H3G 1M8 514-848-2424, x7752 daniel.para...@concordia.ca
