RDA: Resource Description and Access

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RDA Resource Description and Access

• A New Cataloging Standard
• for a Digital Future
• Jennifer Bowen
• OLAC 2006 Conference
• October 27, 2006
• Jbowen_at_library.rochester.edu

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My topics today

• Why a new standard?
• RDA Goals
• RDA Content
• Issues in developing RDA
• Preparing for RDA

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Why a new standard?

• Simplify rules
• Encourage use as a content standard for metadata
  schema
• Encourage international applicability
• Provide more consistency
• Address current problems
• Principle-based
• Build on catalogers judgment
• Encourage application of FRBR/FRAD

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Why not just keep revising AACR2?

• AACR2
• 1978
• 1988
• 1998
• 2002

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1978When this car and AACR2 were new
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A new cataloging environment

• Wide range of information carriers wider depth
  and complexity of content
• Metadata created by a wider range of personnel
• Many new metadata formats

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International developments

• IFLAs Functional Requirements for Bibliographic
  Records (FRBR)
• FRAD for authority data
• Updating the Paris Principles (IME ICC)
• IFLA Meeting of Experts on an International
  Cataloguing Code

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Standards and more standards

• Communication Standards
• MARC
• UNIMARC
• MARC 21
• MODS/MADS
• MARCXML
• XML DTDs
• Next generation?

• Metadata Standards
• Dublin Core
• MPEG 7
• VRA
• EAD
• ISBD (also a content/display standard)

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• RDA Goals

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RDA will be

• A new standard for resource description and
  access
• Designed for the digital environment
• Developed as a web-based product
• Description and access of all digital resources
  (and analog)
• Resulting records usable in the digital
  environment (Internet, Web OPACs, etc.)

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RDA will be

• Multinational content standard providing
  bibliographic description and access for a
  variety of media and formats collected by
  libraries today
• Developed for use in English language
  environment it can also be used in other
  language communities
• Independent of the format (e.g., MARC 21) used to
  communicate information

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RDA will

• Support FRBR user tasks
• Find, identify, select, obtain
• Enable users of library catalogs, etc. to find
  and use resources appropriate to their
  information needs

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Who develops and supports RDA?
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JSC, Editor, Project Manager, Secretary
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• RDA Content

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RDA structure A work in progress!

• AACR2

• RDA

Part A - Description
Part I Description
Part I Description
Part II Relationships
Part II Access
Part B
Part III Access Point Control
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Part A Chapters 0-5

• 0. Introduction
• 1. General guidelines for resource description
• 2. Identification of the resource
• 3. Carrier description - FRBR Select
• 4. Content description - FRBR Select
• 5. Acquisition and access information - FRBR
  Obtain

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Part A Ch. 6-7Relationships
FRBR user task Find

• Chapter 7 Relationships between FRBR Group 1
  entities
• Works
• Expressions
• Manifestations
• Items

• Chapter 6 Relationships between FRBR Group 1
  and Group 2 entities
• Persons
• Corporate bodies
• Families

Choice of access points Part B
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Part B Access Point Control

• Choice of access points
• General guidelines for access point control
• Access points (preferred forms and variants) for
  
• Persons, Families, Corporate bodies, Places
• Works, Expressions, etc.
• Other information used in access point control
  (entity identifiers, sources, etc.)

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New Terminology

• AACR2 terms
• Heading
• Authorized heading
• Uniform title
• Main Entry
• Added Entry

• RDA terms
• Access point
• Preferred access point
• Preferred title
• Primary Access point
• Secondary Access point

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RDA Draft Reviews (Tentative!)

• Chapter 3 Carrier
• Chapters 6 and 7 (order reversed!)
• Ch. 6 Persons, families, corporate bodies
  associated with a resource
• Ch. 7 Related Resources
• Part B Access Point Control
• Complete Draft of RDA
• August 2008 RDA roll out at IFLA in Quebec
  City

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• Some Big Issues

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Continuity vs. change

• Why didnt you just throw out AACR2 and start
  over?
• Keep the best of what we have
• Compatibility with existing records is essential!

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Content vs. display

• RDA will be a content standard not a display
  standard
• RDA will contain new data elements, redefined
  elements
• New elements to replace the GMD
• Clarify definition of notes
• Retain relationships between elements
• RDA records can still be displayed in an ISBD
  display if desired

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Transcription

• How important is data transcription to resource
  identification?
• Rare books, etc. very important!
• Metadata communities not!
• Take what you see
• Correction of inaccuracies
• Facilitating automated data capture

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Content issues

• Terms for Content and Carrier
• RDA/ONIX framework for resource categorization
• JSC GMD/SMD Working Group
• Mandatory (Required) Elements
• Mapping Data Elements
• RDA/MARC 21
• Dublin Core

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Ongoing work

• Mode of Issuance
• Internationalization
• Persistent Identifiers and URLs
• Appendices
• Access Points for Families
• Examples
• Glossary

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Preparing for RDA
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Coding RDA records in MARC 21 and DC?

• Most RDA data elements can be incorporated into
  MARC 21
• A few changes
• New data elements to replace GMDs
• Possibly some other modifications necessary to
  MARC 21
• RDA and DC mappings, further discussions

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Considering ISBD punctuation

• RDA will establish a clear line of separation
  between the recording of data and the
  presentation of data
• ISBD punctuation not required in RDA, but instead
  is an option.
• Presentation information (e.g. ISBD punctuation)
  will appear in an appendix of RDA

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Retrospective catalog maintenance?

• No - Significant changes to existing records will
  not be required
• Need for retrospective adjustments when
  integrating RDA and AACR2 records will be minimal

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Making decisions about RDA

• RDA will offer many alternatives, options
• Only a few required data elements
• Who decides how to apply RDA?
• National libraries
• Other governing bodies OCLC, PCC

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Training for RDA

• Catalogers will need some training in RDA
• Groups that provide training are beginning to
  make plans
• Online product will assist with learning

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RDA Online Prototype

• View/listen to a 3-minute demo. of RDA Online
• Complete a brief survey we want your feedback!
• www.rdaonline.org

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Commenting on RDA drafts

• RDA drafts available at
• www.collectionscanada.ca/jsc/rda.html
• Informal discussion subscribe to RDA-L (link on
  page above)
• Formal comments within the U.S., use web form
  via ALCTS website (www.ala.org/ALCTS)