The Author and the Person: A Foucauldian Reflection on the Author in Knowledge Organization Systems

Authors

  • Heather Lea Moulaison University of Missouri, School of Information Science & Learning Technologies
  • Felicity Dykas University of Missouri, Ellis Library
  • John M. Budd University of Missouri, School of Information Science & Learning Technologies

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7152/nasko.v4i1.14654

Abstract

Based on Foucault’s exploration of the author-function, the current study investigates knowledge organization systems’ treatment of persons. FRBR and FRAD do well to extend the information in library authority records beyond the personal name as a character string to include attributes of the person, yet aspects of the person as an author and of her author-function are still lacking. This paper briefly compares RDA/MARC and other current initiatives, and finds that Europeana, AustLit, The American Civil War: Letters and Diaries, and DBpedia all have the potential to record both attributes and relationships in authority records for persons. We conclude that additional attributes, relationships, and the previously unused category of events are pivotal to moving toward more Foucault-friendly KOSs in libraries.

Author Biographies

Heather Lea Moulaison, University of Missouri, School of Information Science & Learning Technologies

Felicity Dykas, University of Missouri, Ellis Library

John M. Budd, University of Missouri, School of Information Science & Learning Technologies

Downloads

Published

2013-10-31

Issue

Vol. 4 (2013): Proceedings from North American Symposium on Knowledge Organization

Section

Papers

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

  2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

  3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).