Transcript RDA: Resource Description and Access

Resource Description and
Access (RDA): a new
standard for the digital world
Ann Huthwaite
Library Resource Services Manager, QUT
RDA: history and background
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RDA is evolving from AACR
AACR a merger of the British and American
cataloguing codes
AACR2 first published in 1978 (revisions issued in
1988, 1998, and 2002)
Based on “Paris Principles” (1961)
Incorporated ISBD (International Standard
Bibliographic Description)
Currently packaged in MARC format
RDA: governance
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Three groups responsible for the development
and management of AACR:
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Committee of Principals
AACR co-publishers
JSC (Joint Steering Committee for Revision of
AACR)
Countries represented on JSC: Australia,
Canada, US, and the UK
JSC members, JSC Editor, RDA
Project Manager
Why change from AACR to RDA?
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Environmental changes
Different user expectations
Different forms of media and methods of
publishing
Why change from AACR to RDA?
(cont.)
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Need for integration of standards
Pressures to simplify the cataloguing process
and reduce cataloguing costs
Inherent problems with the rules
Strengths of AACR
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International success
Integrated approach to resource description
Tight control over development
Shared expertise
Precision
Content standard
Progress so far
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International Conference on the Principles &
Future Development of AACR (Toronto,
1997)
Strategic plan for AACR developed in 2002
Editor appointed in 2004
Draft of part 1 of AACR3 issued in late 2004
RDA conceived in 2005
RDA due to be published in mid-2008
What changes will RDA bring?
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Simplification
Generalisation
Removal of emphasis on print
More emphasis on digital resources
Compatibility with other metadata standards
What changes will RDA bring? (cont.)
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Improved collocation in displays
Online product for use in the Web environment
Incorporation of principles derived from FRBR
(Functional Requirements for Bibliographic
Records) and FRAR (Functional Requirements for
Authority Records)
Inclusion of more principle-based guidelines
What changes will RDA bring? (cont.)
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Support of the objectives of resource
discovery: to find, identify, select, and obtain
relevant resources
Independence from communication format
(MARC)
Separation of guidelines for content from
guidelines for display
What changes will RDA bring? (cont.)
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Renaming of concepts (e.g. “main entry” to
“primary access point”)
Clarification of definition of “notes”
New elements to replace GMD and SMD
What changes will RDA bring? (cont.)
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Process of transcription simplified
Mandatory (required) elements indicated
All examples to be reviewed
Mapping to MARC 21 and Dublin Core
FRBR
Work
Expression
Manifestation
Item
Structure of RDA
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Part A (Bibliographic record elements)
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Part B (Authority record elements)
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Resource Description
Relationships
Access Point Control
Appendices
Glossary
Index
Part A: Resource Description and
Relationships
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Introduction to part A
General guidelines
Identification of the resource (Identify)
Technical (or carrier) description (Select)
Content description (Select)
Information on accessing the resource
(Obtain)
Part A (cont.)
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Related resources
Persons, families, and corporate bodies
associated with a resource
Special instructions for particular types of
content
Part B: Access Point Control
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Introduction to part B
General guidelines
Access points for persons
Access points for families
Access points for corporate bodies
Access points for places
Controlled access points for works, etc.
Other information used in access point control
Appendices, etc.
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Appendix A. Capitalization
Appendix B. Abbreviations
Appendix C. Initial articles
Appendix D. Presentation of data
Glossary
Index
Ongoing work
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Mode of issuance
Internationalisation
Persistent identifiers and URLs
Appendices
Access points for families
Examples
Glossary
Implementation of RDA
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Compatibility with existing records
Training
Documentation
Future timeline
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May – September 2006: Completion of draft of
second part of Part A, and constituency review
October 2006 – April 2007: Completion of Part B,
and constituency review
May 2007 – September 2007: Completion of
General Introduction, Appendices, and Glossary
2008: Publication
2008?: Implementation
JSC Outreach
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Stakeholder consultation
Outreach Group
Specific initiatives
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ONIX
MARC
System vendors
Transition to RDA
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Consult the JSC Web site for:
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RDA drafts
Instructions for subscribing to RDA-L
JSC’s strategic plan for RDA
Other news and announcements
www.collectionscanada.ca/jsc