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This is what I plan to go over today. Today is an introduction only, and if you need or want

more information or training, I will be recommending some resources at the end of this more information or training, I will be recommending some resources at the end of this

presentation.

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The online RDA Toolkit is available from LC by subscription starting at $195 per year for a

single user; for one user at a time, unlimited number of total users and profiles $325 and single user; for one user at a time, unlimited number of total users and profiles $325 and

for 2 to 9 concurrent users for an additional $55 per additional user. Consortia or group

prices must be negotiated separately. The print version is available from ALA Publishing

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This is what the RDA toolkit looks like. This shows the results of a keyword search for

“conference name”. Notice at the left is the table of contents for RDA . Each chapter “conference name”. Notice at the left is the table of contents for RDA . Each chapter

expands to the rule and hot links. The other tabs are RDA Tools which includes the mapping

functions; MARC to RDA and RDA to MARC included. Workflows, which give the steps and

rules for a variety of materials are also included here. The Resources tab includes links to

RDA, the Library of Congress Policy Statements and other resources such as Cataloger’s

Desktop.

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Basic RDA ideas. Libraries have generally chosen to continue to use ISBD punctuation in

OCLC records because it is familiar and library systems have been configured to display it. OCLC records because it is familiar and library systems have been configured to display it.

Patrons also have learned some of the conventions of ISBD and using it makes RDA records

easier to understand by patrons.

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Learn FRBR. I can’t say this often enough. FRBR (Functional Requirements of Bibliographic

Relations) is the basic system of organization of RDA. You will need to learn FRBR in order Relations) is the basic system of organization of RDA. You will need to learn FRBR in order

to identify the materials you are cataloging and to locate the cataloging instructions in the

RDA Toolkit.

Yes, it’s confusing! It’s often difficult to tell what you are cataloging, especially at first. I’ve

included a link to Barbara Tillett’s publication What is FRBR in my For Further Study slide

and it includes an excellent chart of the FRBR entities.

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FRBR language can be very theoretical. The relationships can be complicated. Practice.

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So now we get down to the nitty gritty of MARC fields and codes, and AACR2/RDA rules. I’ll

take this more or less in field number order.take this more or less in field number order.

Fixed fields--If you use ISBD punctuation, the code in the Desc. Field is “i” but you can use

other punctuation and code for that.

040 #beng and #erda are REQUIRED

NOTE—no GMD in the 245. The new 336, 337 and 338 fields will be used instead. They are

more granular than the GMD and can give more details about the materials and what

equipment is needed to use them.

Rule of Three—This is a major difference between RDA and AACR2. RDA rules say to

include all the persons listed if principle responsibility is shared or not indicated. The

authorized access point (AACR2 Main Entry) is based on the first named person/corporate

body. Added entries for additional persons/corporate bodies is allowed but NOT required.

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RDA looks forward to linked data schemes and abbreviations are said to be difficult to use

with linked data. However, RDA also says to transcribe what is on the piece for the place of with linked data. However, RDA also says to transcribe what is on the piece for the place of

publication, manufacture, and or distribution, and also for the name of the publisher. So

transcribe abbreviations but don’t add them.

Also note that we no longer supply the larger jurisdiction for place of publication, etc., even

when it might be important or explain other information we add (Toldeo, Spain and Toledo,

Ohio will have different fixed field codes, for example). This may change in the future.

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Dates are given if at all possible. Copyright dates are included if on the piece, even if there

is a publication date or supplied publication date per LCPS. The fixed field “date typ” would is a publication date or supplied publication date per LCPS. The fixed field “date typ” would

be “t” and both dates would be entered in the Dates fields. The copyright symbol or

“copyright” is always included with a copyright date.

If the date of publication is not known, a similar phrase “Date of publication not given” is

used. You would then try to find another date, such as the date of manufacture, to include.

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The 3XX fields aren’t really intended for humans to read, but are intended to be machine

manipulated to produce something like GMDs in title lists or format icons in online catalogs manipulated to produce something like GMDs in title lists or format icons in online catalogs

and discovery tools.

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The 336 is print but the word text is used here. That one is obvious.

337“unmediated” is an awkward term but that’s what was chosen. Remember, these aren’t 337“unmediated” is an awkward term but that’s what was chosen. Remember, these aren’t

meant to be seen by users, although many ILSs show them for now. Formats that

require some sort of equipment to use would have that listed here. “computer” is used

for all electronic resources, whether remote online resources or direct access through a

computer or other player such as a CD. NOTE—this is controversial since many

electronic resources can now be accessed by mobile devices that are not computers,

338 the physical format is called the “carrier” so here it is a volume. Other formats would

be “online resource”

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There are some radical changes with choice of name. Pseudonyms can be the authorized

heading, called “preferred name” in RDA. Also, fictional characters can be the preferred heading, called “preferred name” in RDA. Also, fictional characters can be the preferred

name for pieces, so Miss Piggy could be the author of “Miss Piggy’s guide to life” –

statement of responsibility says “by Miss Piggy as told to Henry Beard.”

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AACR2 allowed the inclusion of dates only to break conflicts, so if they were known they

had to be included in the 670 notes, which are not easily searched by machine. Now any had to be included in the 670 notes, which are not easily searched by machine. Now any

information about an person or corporate body can be added if the cataloger has it, even if

it is not needed to break a conflict. U. of Chicago adds any information from the piece in

hand because it could be useful to identify a person or corporate body later, or distinguish

otherwise identical headings. Taking a few minutes to add this information can save lots of

cataloger time later.

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So here is an AACR2 authority record. Note all of the information in the Found in (670) field

that cannot be easily found by automated searching.that cannot be easily found by automated searching.

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Here is the new RDA authority record, with the information formerly included in the 670

(as an option) now in separate MARC fields and subfields. This is much easier for (as an option) now in separate MARC fields and subfields. This is much easier for

automated searching to use.

In this slide the Associated Country would be in the 370, Associated Place field. You could

add another Associated Place for Washington, D.C. and include the dates of his residency

there.

The Birthdate is coded in the 046 field

Place of Birth is also in the 370 field, in a different subfield from Chicago or Washington,

D.C. This display takes advantage of computer manipulation of the subfields to add labels

that make sense to viewers.

Affiliation is in the 373 field, called Associated group

Profession or Occupation is in the 374 field and again, there are separate subfields for

different occupations

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Multilateral treaties—treaties between 2 or more national governments

Preferred title—another new vocabulary term. Used for AACR2 Uniform title.Preferred title—another new vocabulary term. Used for AACR2 Uniform title.

Single jurisdiction would be under Netherlands for a piece entitled A convention between

the government of the Netherlands on one side, and the governments of Belgium and

Luxembourg on the other side

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Under AACR2 this would have been entered under Bulgaria, but in RDA is is entered under

United States as the first named jurisdiction.United States as the first named jurisdiction.

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Date of signing—note the month is no longer abbreviated.

Note the differences in the headings. What do we do about this? That’s under discussion

now. Libraries doing original cataloging should accept the AACR2 form if there is an

authority record for it.

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This treaty is commonly referred to as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the

Sea. Note that the first signatory is Angola. This will be used to construct the RDA preferred Sea. Note that the first signatory is Angola. This will be used to construct the RDA preferred

access point.

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This is a hypothetical example for now since there is an authorized AACR2 form already

established. However, this is the form future conventions could have. established. However, this is the form future conventions could have.

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RDA records are being created and added right now to OCLC and several libraries have

made the decision to do all original cataloging in RDA—Chicago is one of these. made the decision to do all original cataloging in RDA—Chicago is one of these.

So you will be seeing RDA records in the future, if you haven’t already. What do you do with

them?

This is a problem. Accepting both RDA and AACR2 records into your catalog may require

the least amount of work, if you can deal with the display issues. We have never done

wholescale recataloging for past rule changes and were able to live and adapt to split

catalogs. AACR1 to AACR2 isn’t that much different from AACR2 to RDA and could be dealt

with just as easily.

BUT the display issues are greated because of the new fields, especially the 33X fields

which are not optional. How local systems use or don’t use these fields will determine

what each library or consortia does with the RDA records. It may require recataloging them

back to AACR2, at least for the time being. If you haven’t done so already, you need to talk

to your vendor and see what they are doing for RDA. The RDA toolkit has a section with

interviews from ILS vendors (aothough you need to be subscribed to the Toolkit to see

them) that address these questions. User group meetings or email lists may also have

information about the vendors’ preparations.

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But what about authority records? Well the good news is that all of the existing AACR2

authority records will remain in AACR2 and continue to be used, even with RDA cataloging. authority records will remain in AACR2 and continue to be used, even with RDA cataloging.

Only if there is no AACR2 heading will an RDA heading be created—but this means that a

later AACR2 record would need to use the RDA heading. There will be no parallel authority

records in the NAF. Although during the RDA test period, catalogers participating in the

test added RDA entries to AACR2 records, they will not be used to automatically flip the

heading to RDA. RDA added entries were only created during the test period and are not

being created now.

There will be no hybrid headings created. Each heading will be either all AACR2 or all RDA.

In certain complex situations, AACR2 and RDA heading, if created, would be in conflict.

These are cases involving authority records for different expressions, either in multiple

languages or with the uniform title Selections or Works/Selections (in RDA). In these cases,

RDA catalogers will add the correct heading but NOT create an authority record for it.

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Transcribed fields have no added information from the cataloger. Examples: place of

publication not added if not there, jurisdiction abbreviations not used if full form is on the publication not added if not there, jurisdiction abbreviations not used if full form is on the

piece, the edition statement is not automatically changed to a numerical statement if it is

written out.

“Take what you see”– see above for abbreviations. Also don’t correct spelling errors in the

title as in AACR2 [sic]. Transcribe the title exactly and make an added title entry if the

cataloger feels it’s necessary for identification

Less bracketed information—the sources of information have expanded to include all of the

piece, the container and labels, as well as the contents of non-print materials.

No more supplied GMD

New fields such as the 3XXs allow for more detailed description and added information.

More cataloger judgment—for example, only the first named author needs to be

transcribed. If the cataloger or cataloging agency feels it is important to transcribe the rest

they can do so, but it’s not required. It is also not required to create authority records for

added entries.

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“no earlier” does not mean “not later” so this is a tentative date at this point.

Some changes were made based on the responses catalogers had to the RDA test and

some vocabulary lists, such as those in Appendix I, can be expanded. But RDA is not being

redone in a major way.

There are no current instructions in RDA about what to do if you are referred to a section

that does not yet exist. Yes, that can happen—it did to me during the RDA test. I suggest

that you revert to AACR2 if you need guidance in such a situation. No one else will know

what to do either.

Remember, we’ve lived with multiple cataloging rules for a long time and can continue to

live with them. We will just need to train staff how to recognize good cataloging based on

the rules in force at the time. If copy catalogers cannot do this for whatever reason, original

catalogers will have to assist.

Although it’s been said that RDA will do away with MARC, they are actually unrelated. RDA

is a set of instructions for describing materials the library wants to make available to users,

and MARC is the most familiar communications format to do this with. But RDA works with

Dublin Core, MODS, and other communications formats. RDA does not need to wait until a

MARC alternative is developed.

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This is the link for Barbara Tillett’s FRBR publication. Become very familiar with it, it will be

your new best friend. your new best friend.

LC training site has all the LC training materials posted and is updated as necessary. Chicago

viewed all the training videos and webinars that were available before the RDA test and

continue to revisit the site for updates. Some of the new documentation explains special

situations and includes LC’s changes in core elements and in policy decisions informed by

the US RDA Test.

The Georgia Cataloging Summit includes sessions from the Joint Steering Committee for

the Development of the Resource Description and Access(RDA) cataloging code from the

Georgia Cataloging Summit held in Helen, GA, August 9-10 by Barbara Tillett and Judy

Kuhagen.

Vendor interviews on from the RDA Toolkit

PCC Authority records information from the PCC website.

And of course, other catalogers. Email each other and remember, we’re all in this together

and there are no experts yet. We’re all learning.

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