Joe Hourcle wrote:
>
> Perhaps a slightly different perspective on looking at requirements:
>
>  	What should be easier to do, but is a pain currently?
>
>
>   

My answers to that won't point to a more simplified data structure I 
think some are hoping for.

1. For a serial title, identify if a particular issue of that serial is 
held, and where.
2. Group alternate editions of the same work.
3. Identify the form/genre of an item

There are more. This is what immediately comes to mind. Most of these 
issues are issues of metadata control, and not trivial to solve.