La categorización de contenidos y medios en la descripción bibliográfica: La designación general de material (DGM) y su pasado, presente y futuro en la era digital

Abstract

This paper studies the origins, functional nature and history of general material designation (GMD) as an element of bibliographic description for the identification of non-book materials. It records the appearance, and development of GMD in the AACR code and ISBD standards. The problems arising in the interpretation and use of GMD, especially the lack of a formal definition of the class of material concept, the emergence of multiple characteristic resources, and terminological confusion are also analysed. The factors affecting the present transformation of GMD within the context of the revision of AACR2 and the appearance of the FRBR conceptual model are reviewed. Finally, current initiatives related to the redefinition of GMD and its adaptation to the digital environment, undertaken by the IFLA, IME-ICC and JSC (the last of these being responsible for the RDA-Resource Description and Access standard), are presented.