My understanding of FRBR is of a system that was created with the

intention to assist in the cataloguing process by providing a model that

aids in describing the relationships between the various entities that
exist within the bibliographic universe. The FRBR model has three
groups of entities with different terminologies and relationships that
are meant to reflect the importance of the role of information for
performing user tasks (Tillet). Denton identifies the use of axioms to
explain the purpose of catalogs, the importance of user needs, the idea
of the work, and standardization and internationalization as four
ideas that have persisted through modern Anglo-American library
history and argues that FRBR is a manifestation of all four. The FRBR
system has fleshed out the idea of the work by breaking it down into
its Group 1 entity, Work, expression, manifestation, item. This
ordering allows for a number of results when searching for or imagining
a particular work rather than a single item The group 2 and 3 entities
also allow for various results but all the while maintaining a
standardized model. The FRBR model seems to have resulted from the
desire of the library profession to address the four ideas Denton
identifies in his article. The model grew from previous models that
sought to standardize and address the idea of the work in the
bibliographic universe.