Frequently Asked Questions

Understandably, many of you have asked questions about the new standard for resource description and access, RDA: Resource Description and Access. We have attempted to capture a number of these questions and respond to them in the following FAQ. Given that RDA is a work in progress, we know there will be additional questions as it is developed. Consequently, we will add more questions to this list as the months go on.

Table of contents

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1. RDA Basics

1.1 What is RDA?

RDA stands for “Resource Description and Access” and is the working title of the new standard that will be the successor to AACR2.

1.2 What happened to AACR3?

In April 2005, the Joint Steering Committee for the Revision of AACR (JSC) and its parent organization, the Committee of Principals (CoP) determined from comments received on the revision of part I of AACR3 that they needed to change their approach. After reviewing a number of alternatives, they decided that a new standard designed for the digital environment was more appropriate. Their vision included guidelines and instructions that would cover description and access for all digital and analog resources, resulting in records that could be used in a variety of digital environments (the Internet, Web OPACs, etc.).

1.3 Why did the name change to RDA - Resource Description and Access?

The name “RDA - Resource Description and Access” reflects the changes both in format and scope envisioned by the JSC and CoP at their April 2005 meeting. RDA will be a new standard for resource description and access designed for the digital world. RDA will provide:

• A flexible framework for describing all resources - analog and digital
• Data that is readily adaptable to new and emerging database structures
• Data that is compatible with existing records in online library catalogues

1.4 Why is it necessary to issue a brand new standard? (What's wrong with the old one?)

AACR2 was first published in 1978. Although it has been updated many times through the revision process that was established by the JSC, it is largely designed for an environment dominated by the card catalog. The International Conference on the Principles and Future Development of AACR that was held in Toronto in 1997 identified substantive problems with AACR2. Although the updates issued in the years following that conference addressed some of these problems, it became clear that a fundamental rethinking of the code was required to respond fully to the challenges and opportunities of the digital world.

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2. RDA Organization and Governance

2.1 Who is responsible for developing RDA?

The Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA (JSC), working with the RDA Editor, is responsible for developing RDA. The JSC consists of representatives from six major Anglo-American cataloguing communities. These include the American Library Association (ALA), the Australian Committee on Cataloguing (ACOC), the British Library (BL), the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing (CCC), the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP), and the Library of Congress (LC). The JSC and RDA Editor are assisted by the JSC Secretary and the RDA Project Manager. See the list of JSC members.

2.2 To whom does the JSC report?

The JSC reports to the Committee of Principals (CoP) - the directors or their representatives from the Canadian, UK, and US professional library associations, the British Library, Library and Archives Canada, the Library of Congress, and the National Library of Australia. Additional information about the governance structure can be found at http://www.aacr2.org/governance.html

2.3 Are there others groups participating in the development of RDA?

Yes. Each member of the JSC has specific constituencies with whom they work alongside and whose perspectives and comments they constantly monitor and share with other JSC members. JSC has also established an Outreach Group, charged with identifying and working with others who have a stake in RDA outcomes (such as library administrators, library school educators, library management systems vendors, the metadata community, other national and international organizations, etc.).

Other groups are currently participating in the preparation of RDA. They include the Appendices Working Group (revising the appendices on capitalization, abbreviations, and initial articles), and two RDA Examples Groups (reviewing and updating examples for inclusion in RDA).

2.4 Who publishes RDA?

The Co-Publishers, consisting of the three national associations (The American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) are responsible for issuing RDA. The three associations serve as joint publishers for RDA, both for the online product and any offline products. Additional information can be found at http://www.aacr2.org/index.html

2.5 How does the JSC reach its decisions?

The process used by the JSC to reach decisions is grounded in repeated and thorough consultation with the constituent communities and other stakeholders. When reaching final decisions about RDA, members of the JSC have a framework of understanding on the value of compromise and the need to reach mutually satisfying agreements within the JSC.

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3. RDA Development

3.1 Is RDA envisioned as being used only by libraries?

RDA is built on the foundations established by the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR). It will provide a comprehensive set of guidelines and instructions on resource description and access covering all types of content and media. The new standard is being developed for use primarily in libraries, but consultations are being undertaken with other communities (archives, museums, publishers, educators, book dealers, ILS vendors, etc.) in an effort to attain effective levels of alignment between RDA and the metadata standards used in those communities.

3.2 How does RDA relate to the Statement of International Cataloguing Principles?

RDA is being developed concurrently with the work being undertaken by IFLA (the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) to revise the 1961 Paris Principles. They are separate projects, but the work of each is being carried out with an awareness of the work being done by the other, related project. A formal relationship exists between the JSC and IFLA and this is supplemented by overlap in working group memberships. Members of the JSC participated in the first of the series of meetings by the international cataloguing experts and have continued to participate in the ongoing work on the Statement of International Cataloguing Principles.

3.3 What is FRBR and what is its relationship to RDA?

The acronym “FRBR” stands for Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records. FRBR was developed by an IFLA Study Group (1992-1997), and IFLA continues to monitor the application of FRBR and promotes its use.

FRBR includes a conceptual model of entities and relationships and attributes; identifies specific user tasks that bibliographic records are intended to fulfill: find, identify, select, obtain; and recommends a set of elements for inclusion in national bibliographic records.

FRBR provides the conceptual foundation for RDA. RDA will include the FRBR terminology when appropriate (for example, use of the names of bibliographic entities: “work”, “expression”, “manifestation”, and “item”), will use the FRBR attributes as the basis for specific data elements to be included in bibliographic descriptions, will address FRBR relationships, and will use the FRBR user tasks (Find, Identify, Select, Obtain) as the basis for defining a set of mandatory data elements. RDA will also use FRAD (Functional Requirements for Authority Data) as the basis for instructions on authority control.

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4. Details of RDA's Content

4.1 How will RDA be structured?

At its October 2007 meeting, the JSC agreed on a new structure for RDA which was suggested by the RDA Editor.

The structure relates data elements more closely to both FRBR entities and user tasks. RDA will consist of 10 sections which focus firstly on recording attributes for FRBR entities, and then on recording relationships between these entities.

Recording attributes

• Section 1 - Recording attributes of manifestation and item
• Section 2 - Recording attributes of work and expression
• Section 3 - Recording attributes of person, family, and corporate body
• Section 4 - Recording attributes of concept, object, event, and place

Recording relationships

• Section 5 - Recording primary relationships
• Section 6 - Recording relationships to persons, families, and corporate bodies associated with a resource
• Section 7 - Recording subject relationships
• Section 8 - Recording relationships between works, expressions, manifestations and items
• Section 9 - Recording relationships between persons, families, and corporate bodies
• Section 10 - Recording relationships between concepts, objects, events, and places

Each section will contain general guidelines and a chapter for each entity. Each chapter will be associated with an FRBR user task. The chapters on recording attributes and relationships for concepts, objects, and events will be placeholders for completeness in mapping to FRBR and FRAD and may developed further in future releases of RDA. The instructions on recording attributes and relationships for places will not initially go beyond the scope of AACR2 chapter 23. There will be a General Introduction and appendices on abbreviations, capitalization, initial articles, and data presentation as previously planned.

See the RDA Prospectus for more information.

4.2 What does RDA include?

RDA will include guidelines and instructions on recording the attributes of the entities identified in FRBR (initially works, expressions, manifestations, and items) and the relationships between them as well as those creating them (persons, families, and corporate bodies). As was the case with AACR2 and earlier cataloguing codes, RDA includes guidelines and instructions that govern resource description and choice and form of access points. RDA will also include information regarding references (AACR2's chapter 26) and the relationships between and among records.

4.3 What does RDA not include?

While RDA does not include instructions on how to create or format subject headings (FRBR's Group 3 entities), it does refer to them with regard to their relationship to Group 1 FRBR entities. Even so, there are “place-holder” chapters (found in sections 4 and 10) for the Group 3 entities, anticipating future work on RDA. RDA does not include instructions on the provision of classification or Cutter numbers, or on content designation used in formats such as MARC 21 and mark-up languages such as XML.

4.4 Does RDA focus on the recording of data, the presentation of data, or both?

One of a number of key elements in RDA is that it establishes a clear line of separation between the recording of data and the presentation of data. The major focus of RDA will be on providing guidelines and instructions on recording data to reflect attributes of, and relationships between, the entities defined in FRBR and FRAD.

4.5 Will ISBD punctuation be required in RDA?

The ISBD order of areas, data elements and punctuation will not be required. Information on presenting RDA data in an ISBD display will appear in an appendix (Appendix D).

4.6 Will there be a more comprehensive list of GMDs (general material designation) and SMDs (specific material designation) in RDA?

Representatives from the publishing community, ONIX, and the JSC have looked specifically at the types of content and carriers covered in RDA. Information about type and form of content and type and form of carrier will still be recorded, but the terms used will likely change. Aspects of the resource being described that relate to the type of content, such as cartographic, textual, or numeric will be declared or recorded separately from aspects relating to the type of carrier (microform, electronic resource, etc.). There will still be the possibility to give users an "early warning" regarding the type (content type, carrier type, or mixture) of material described in the record, but that will be determined in relation to the display or presentation of the data rather than the recording of the data.

The SMDs will likely continue to be a mixture of established terms and common usage terms.

4.7 Will there be more flexibility in the inclusion of specific elements in an RDA cataloguing record; in other words, will there be “required” and “not required” elements?

In RDA, certain elements are designated as “core”. For background information, see the paper RDA Core elements and FRBR user tasks

Each section of RDA will contain a listing of the core elements for that section, and the General Introduction will contain a full list.

4.8 Many people have questioned the relevancy of “main entry” especially in light of online systems. How is RDA dealing with the concept of “main entry”?

The concept of main entry as used in a card catalogue is no longer applicable in online catalogues, and this term will not be used in RDA. Nevertheless, there is still a need to choose a preferred access point for a work or expression in order to create bibliographic citations, and to collocate works and expressions in the online catalogue. Section 2 of RDA will provide instructions on constructing the preferred access point representing the work or expression.

4.9 What happened to my favorite chapter on _____ [fill in the blank: Music, Continuing Resources, Cartographic materials, etc.]?

Over the years, the JSC experimented with several possible arrangements for describing materials that would have retained some division of instructions for type of content and type of resource. However, reviewers found the arrangement to be unworkable (especially for digital materials) because it would have required cataloguers to consult multiple chapters.

RDA's structure relates data elements more closely to both FRBR entities and user tasks and consists of 10 sections which focus firstly on recording attributes for FRBR entities, and then on recording relationships between these entities. Each section will contain general guidelines and a chapter for each entity. Each chapter will be associated with an FRBR user task. Special instructions for specific types of resources are included with the general instructions on the element involved. In the Web version of RDA, cataloguers will be able to locate easily all of the instructions pertinent to describing a certain category of resource and mask the display of others.

4.10 Will RDA have many examples?

Yes. An RDA Examples Group has been established to review the existing examples and to provide new examples wherever they are needed. The new and changed examples will be added to drafts of RDA and additional examples will be provided in the online product.

4.11 How will multiple manifestations of the same title be handled in RDA (the “multiple versions” issue)? Will RDA recommend that we use one bibliographic record for all manifestations of the same title, will it recommend that we use a separate bibliographic record for each manifestation of a title, or both?

These questions address current practices in cataloguing multiple manifestations of the same title. There are two primary techniques in use for doing this. The first is to create a separate bibliographic record for each manifestation (as in AACR2 and RDA), and bring these records together when displaying them to users. The second involves using the same bibliographic record (most often that of the print manifestation) for all manifestations of a title.

The technique of using a single record for all manifestations was developed as a way of presenting a library's holdings of a particular title to users in a usable and meaningful display. Although the practice of describing multiple manifestations on a single record is widely used, it prevents libraries from sharing data effectively. Bibliographic records that combine data about more than one manifestation cannot be used by other libraries without substantial editing to remove the information about versions not held locally. This single record technique was developed before the FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records) model was created.

In the FRBR model, the attributes of a resource are grouped in four levels: work, expression, manifestation, and item. Work and expression level records can be used to collocate manifestations in way very similar to uniform titles, but with greater precision than possible previously. These records can then be used to create usable and meaningful displays for users, while still ensuring that libraries can share data effectively.

RDA, like AACR, will recommend the use of a separate record for each manifestation.

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5. Submitting Comments on RDA

5.1 What is the process for submitting comments on or suggesting changes to RDA?

The process for submitting comments on RDA drafts is to use the existing constituent group structure. For details of the constituencies, see the List of JSC members.

The JSC has set up an Outreach Group to establish relations with other stakeholders-other cataloguing rule makers (e.g., Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian), other metadata communities (e.g., Dublin Core Metadata Initiative), archives, museums, and publishers. In general, relations with such stakeholder communities require the stakeholders to set up RDA response groups that represent the view of that community and can respond to RDA.

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6. RDA's Effect on my Library

6.1 Will I have to make major changes to my cataloguing records?

The JSC agreed early on that records created by using RDA would be compatible with AACR2 records and that any instance where incompatibility might exist would be scrutinized very carefully before recommending a change. This commitment holds true today. But, there will be a few instances where headings will require modification, such as the headings for “Bible”. Using computers' abilities for global updating will make these changes considerably easier than in pre-online system days.

6.2 What will be the effect of RDA on my integrated library system?

In large part, this depends on how ILS vendors decide to incorporate RDA into their software. The Outreach Group and the RDA Project Manager see the ILS vendors as major stakeholders in the RDA process and will continue to inform them when important RDA documents are available for comment, and keep them up-to-date regarding progress in RDA's online development. Regardless, the RDA instructions are designed to be independent of the format, medium or system used to store or communicate the data, and be readily adaptable to newly-emerging database structures.

6.3 Will changes to catalogue displays be required?

It is hoped that eventually library systems and OPACs will evolve to take full advantage of the data created using RDA, with its underlying FRBR structure of work, expression, manifestation, and item. These changes will improve the ease and effectiveness with which users are able to find, identify, and obtain the resources they require. For example, resources in a variety of formats such as print, online, microform, sound recording might be grouped to display purposes to show they belong to a particular work or expression, allowing users to view and navigate between related works much more easily. (Text taken from the National Library of Australia's RDA FAQs about system changes: http://www.nla.gov.au/lis/stndrds/grps/acoc/documents/RDAFAQsaboutsystemchanges.pdf)

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7. RDA Publication

7.1 When will RDA be issued for general use?

The Co-Publishers intend to have RDA ready for release in June 2010.

7.2 In what format(s) will RDA be issued?

RDA is being developed and written first as an online database product to incorporate the features and functionalities of online access.

Once the online product has been released, the Co-Publishers will be able to identify more accurately the needs for off-line products (e.g., print, CD-ROM, RDA Core).

7.3 What will RDA cost?

7.3.1 Pricing considerations

As association publishers, the Co-Publishers recognize a responsibility to maintain reasonable prices as many of our “customers” are members and all of our “customers” are colleagues.

As an online product, RDA will have many user advantages over print that will improve the cataloguing process -- making it easier, faster, and more collaborative. For example, users of RDA Online will be able to browse, scroll, annotate online, print out any of the content, bookmark specific instructions, search at several levels, design, store and share workflows and access other related cataloguing tools.

While an online product has many user advantages, it also calls for different pricing considerations. Online database products typically are offered on a subscription basis due to ongoing costs for such things as hosting, updating, upgrading, and file maintenance that do not apply to print products. Print products are fixed in time and not extensible. Print products are not live and do not capitalize on collaborative applications and behaviors.

7.3.2 Pricing options

ALA Publishing, the Canadian Library Association (CLA) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals have begun to develop pricing strategies for RDA, concentrating on the diverse marketplace within their specific markets. Pricing options under consideration include the following:

• Subscriptions based on usage, taking into consideration large libraries, small libraries, consortia or systems, Carnegie Classifications, library service areas. Size of staff instead of size of institution, for-profit organizations, library schools, etc.
• Subscriptions based on confined access , such as access confined to a core version only, or to educational versions, or special types of cataloguing (e.g., maps)
• Time-based subscriptions for time-limited needs
• An e-book option for customers who don't need or want access to other cataloguing sources
• Libraries or institutions from countries outside the established “territories” of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, and Mexico
• Pricing considerations for developing countries

7.3.3 So when will we know what RDA Online will cost?

The Co-Publishers are very much aware that customers will need to know what RDA Online will cost so they can include this cost in their budget preparations. Pricing and purchasing information for the US market was announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting, January 2010.

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8. RDA and MARC 21

8.1 Will RDA include instructions for MARC coding along with the cataloguing instructions?

AACR2 and MARC 21 are two different standards designed for two different purposes. AACR2 is largely a content and display standard while MARC 21 is largely an encoding standard. RDA is being developed only as a content standard rather than as an encoding standard. It is important that the RDA standard maintain this separation. RDA will contain guidelines for choosing and recording data to include in bibliographic and authority records. MARC 21 is one possible schema for encoding records created using RDA, but it will also be possible to encode records created using RDA in other schemas, such as MODS or Dublin Core.

8.2 How will RDA affect the way that records are coded in MARC 21?

The RDA/MARC Working Group has developed a number of proposals for changes to the MARC 21 formats to accommodate the encoding of RDA data. See the listing of proposals and discussion papers at http://www.rda-jsc.org/rdamarcwg.html. The JSC expects that most RDA data elements can be incorporated into the existing MARC 21 structure using current MARC 21 guidelines for coding and order of data elements. Thus, in most cases, RDA will not necessitate users of MARC 21 to make changes to the way their MARC data displays. Draft Appendix D of RDA contains a mapping from MARC 21 Bibliographic to RDA, and Appendix E contains a mapping from MARC 21 Authorities to RDA.

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9. Adopting RDA

9.1 Will I need training when adopting RDA?

As with any new standard, users of the new code will find some training useful in order to use it. If you are familiar with AACR2 you should find it easy to use RDA once you have familiarized yourself with its organisation and vocabulary. Information on the key changes between AACR2 and RDA will be available to ease the transition, and since RDA will be a web-based tool it will be easy to navigate to the instructions you need.

There are a couple of things that you can do in order to prepare for RDA. The first is to familiarize yourself with the concepts and vocabulary that is found in FRBR. The second is to keep up-to-date with RDA developments by reviewing drafts as they become available and monitoring comments about RDA on various listservs.

Information on RDA can be found at:

Another way to find out about RDA is by subscribing to the RDA listserv:

In October 2007, the four national libraries directly involved with the development of RDA (the British Library, the Library and Archives Canada, the Library of Congress and the National Library of Australia) joined forces to implement RDA. To quote from that statement: “To ensure a smooth transition to RDA, the four national libraries will work together where possible on implementation matters such as training, documentation and any national application decisions. Regular updates will be issued by the group to keep the library communities in their countries informed on RDA implementation progress and policy decisions.”

9.2 I currently use AACR2. Where can I expect to see major differences in RDA?

The foundation for RDA is the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) and the Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD) whereas the foundation for the first part of AACR2 was ISBD. The structure of RDA reflects this difference.

At its October 2007 meeting, the JSC agreed on a new structure for RDA which was suggested by the RDA Editor. The new structure relates data elements more closely to both FRBR entities (works, expressions, manifestations, and items) and user tasks (find, identify, select, and obtain). RDA will be divided into 10 sections which focus firstly on recording attributes for FRBR entities, and then on recording relationships between these entities.

Recording attributes

• Section 1 - Recording attributes of manifestation and item
• Section 2 - Recording attributes of work and expression
• Section 3 - Recording attributes of person, family, and corporate body
• Section 4 - Recording attributes of concept, object, event, and place

Recording relationships

• Section 5 - Recording primary relationships
• Section 6 - Recording relationships to persons, families, and corporate bodies associated with a resource
• Section 7 - Recording subject relationships
• Section 8 - Recording relationships between works, expressions, manifestations and items
• Section 9 - Recording relationships between persons, families, and corporate bodies
• Section 10 - Recording relationships between concepts, objects, events, and places

Each section will contain general guidelines and a chapter for each entity. Each chapter will be associated with an FRBR user task. The chapters on recording attributes and relationships for concepts, objects, and events will be placeholders for completeness in mapping to FRBR and FRAD and may developed further in future releases of RDA. The instructions on recording attributes and relationships for places will not initially go beyond the scope of AACR2 chapter 23. There will be a General Introduction and appendices on abbreviations, capitalization, initial articles, and data presentation as previously planned.

9.3 What tools can we expect to have to help us learn RDA?

If you are familiar with AACR2 you should find it easy to use RDA once you have familiarized yourself with its organisation. Information on the key changes between AACR2 and RDA will be available to ease the transition, and as RDA will be a web-based tool it will be easy to navigate to the instructions you need. The JSC plans to make available a concordance “Where's that rule?” as was done for the transition to AACR2, a list of the changes arranged by area/element, and a map to MARC 21. Additional materials will be developed as RDA gets closer to completion.

RDA's online features will allow users to select different interfaces, develop worksheets, view different levels of completeness of the code and, of course, provide the ability to use hyperlinks in getting from instruction to instruction.

You most likely will want to consult the RDA website routinely to review the drafts of the code, working papers, and general information about RDA development.

Information on RDA can be found at:

Another way to find out about RDA is by subscribing to the RDA listserv:

In October 2007, the four libraries directly involved with the development of RDA (the British Library, the Library and Archives Canada, the Library of Congress and the National Library of Australia) joined forces to implement RDA. To quote from that statement: “To ensure a smooth transition to RDA, the four national libraries will work together where possible on implementation matters such as training, documentation and any national application decisions. Regular updates will be issued by the group to keep the library communities in their countries informed on RDA implementation progress and policy decisions.”

9.4 What about training for new staff and library school students - people who are not familiar with AACR2?

People approaching a cataloguing code for the first time will need to receive an understanding of the principles of cataloguing. These include an understanding of the purpose of descriptive cataloging, and the need to standardize the transcription of data and the format of headings. People new to cataloguing will also need to have a broader understanding of how different communities (libraries, archives, museums, metadata communities) provide the metadata that represents their collections. Discussions of these topics should occur as part of new staff training and in library school courses.

After having a conceptual understanding of RDA, applying the code will be an essential part of the learning process. RDA Online should facilitate the learning process since it will be possible to customize RDA for your specific needs, such as by developing step-by-step tutorials.

9.5 If ISBD will no longer be mandatory, will RDA provide instructions for the order of descriptive cataloguing data elements?

RDA identifies the data elements used for descriptive cataloguing and lists them in an order similar to that found in AACR2. RDA does not provide instructions on the order the elements are to be given in the record (this is governed by encoding standard use); or the order in which they appear in a catalogue display. However, if a library, consortium, or metadata community decides to continue to use ISBD, it most certainly has the option to do so.

Each section of RDA will contain a listing of the core elements for that section, and the General Introduction will contain a full list.

9.6 What sort of training will I need on RDA's instructions on Access Points?

Many of the instructions for constructing access points will be familiar to those already using AACR2. The JSC agreed early on that records created by using RDA would be compatible with AACR2 records and that any instance where incompatibility might exist would be scrutinized very carefully before recommending a change. This commitment holds true today. But there will be a few instances where headings will require modification, such as the headings for “Bible”. Using computers' abilities for global updating will make these changes considerably easier than in pre-online system days.

9.7 How will the online format of RDA assist in training?

Having RDA issued in a web format should make training and use faster than in a print format. Some of the online features may include:

• Different views (levels of completeness) of the code (e.g., full view, core view)
• Mouse-over features and hotlinks taking the cataloguer from one instruction to another and back again, or to definitions of terms as appropriate.

The Co-Publishers of RDA (the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, and CILIP) are in the process of designing a new RDA demo reflecting continued RDA development. Announcements will be made on the JSC website as well as various listservs when the new prototype is available.

9.8 So what can we do to prepare for RDA?

The most immediate way to familiarise yourself with RA is by reading the Prospectus. The Prospectus provides an overview of the approach taken in RDA as well as an outline and chapter-by-chapter description of RDA.

The June 2010 release date for RDA also provides a general time frame for staff to prepare for RDA training and implementation. The national libraries of Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the Library of Congress have already made a commitment to implement RDA. Although those libraries will not assume the responsibility of training staff outside of those who work in their libraries, they will be providing guidance on options found in RDA and will be developing appropriate documentation.

The national libraries will also make their implementation schedules public so that other libraries, consortia, and metadata communities wishing to use RDA are aware of their plans. Further details will be forthcoming as they become available. Many implementation decisions will of course rest on local decisions -- those made at your institution or consortium. These decisions will need to be documented, and manuals will need to be modified and updated. Some aspects of the development of RDA will affect the MARC 21 formats. (For example, the new RDA data elements being discussed for Type and form of content, Type and form of carrier will require coding other than that currently used for the GMD). An RDA/MARC Working Group has been established to collaborate on the development of proposals for changes to the MARC 21 formats to accommodate the encoding of RDA data. The JSC expects that most RDA data elements, however, can be incorporated into the existing MARC 21 structure using current MARC 21 guidelines for coding and order of data elements. Draft Appendix D of RDA contains a mapping from MARC 21 Bibliographic to RDA, and Appendix E contains a mapping from MARC 21 Authorities to RDA.

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10. Principles and Conceptual Models

10.1 Where can I find out about the principles and conceptual models that form the foundation for RDA?

Perhaps the biggest change from AACR2 to RDA will be found in the conceptual models that serve as the foundations for the new code: Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) and the developing conceptual model, Functional Requirements for Authority Data, (FRAD, formerly FRAR). FRBR is a conceptual model that demonstrates the structure and relationships of bibliographic records and is the basis for part A. FRAD is the conceptual model that provides foundation for access points and authority control.

RDA is being developed in line with a set of objectives and principles which are informed by the Statement of International Cataloguing Principles, developed by the IFLA Meetings of Experts on an International Cataloguing Code (IME ICC).

One of the major ways in which you can prepare for RDA is to become familiar with the principles underlying RDA, and the models and the user tasks associated with them. Information about the Statement of International Cataloguing Principles can be found at:

With regard to FRBR, a good starting point is the brochure created by Barbara Tillett.

The final report on FRBR, containing more detail, can be found at:

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11. Testing RDA

11.1 I understand that there will be some testing of RDA shortly after its first release. Can you explain why this is being done?

The testing of RDA comes in response to issues identified by the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control. As a result of the Working Group's concerns, the three United States national libraries (the Library of Congress, National Library of Medicine, and the National Agricultural Library) agreed make a joint decision whether or not to implement RDA based on the results of testing both RDA content and the Web product in which that content will be made available. The goal of the test is to assure the operational, technical, and economic feasibility of implementing RDA. Testers will include the three national libraries identified above and approximately 20 other participants from the broader U.S. library community. See http://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/rda/ for documents detailing testing information.

11.2 What about the other national libraries responsible for RDA content? Will they test RDA similarly to the testing done in the United States?

While the other national libraries responsible for RDA content (the British Library, Library and Archives Canada, and the National Library of Australia) will be monitoring the U.S. national libraries' testing of RDA, they will not be conducting testing at the same level. Instead, their testing will be more along the lines of preparation for the implementation of RDA. These libraries and the Library of Congress agreed to work together to ensure a smooth transition to RDA on a variety of implementation issues. The press release was announced on October 22, 2007 and can be found in full at http://www.rda-jsc.org/rdaimpl.html

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12. RDA Testing by the three United States National Libraries

12.1 What is the purpose of the RDA testing?

The purpose of testing RDA is to determine whether RDA Online in its initial release offers sufficient benefit, compared to current methods, to achieve the objectives that the Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA has stated for the proposed new cataloging code. Based on the analysis of the test results, and considering the cost of implementation, the three US national libraries (the Library of Congress, the National Agricultural Library, and the National Library of Medicine) will determine whether to implement the initial release of RDA. For RDA's Objectives, see http://www.rda-jsc.org/docs/5rda-objectivesrev2.pdf

12.2 Who will do the testing?

In order to manage and coordinate the testing process effectively, the US National Libraries RDA Test Steering Committee has been created. It will limit the number of formal test partners to approximately 20. To ensure that the U.S. cataloging community is represented as completely as possible, the Steering Committee will strive to include test partners composed of consortia, book vendors/jobbers, and library school educators, as well as representatives of archives and public, academic, school, government, and special libraries. System developers and system vendors are also encouraged to participate in the testing and to make use of the RDA records created by the participants.

12.3 How will the U.S. National Libraries RDA Test Steering Committee conduct their testing? What methodologies will they use?

12.3.1 Approximately 20 test partners representing a wide array of institutions (libraries, vendors, individuals, consortia, educators, etc.) will be selected to participate in the formal testing process. In general, each participating test partner institution will name at least two individual staff members as testers. All the test partners will report their results directly to the US National Libraries RDA Test Steering Committee.

12.3.2 The Steering Committee will identify a core test set of 20-25 resources that together are representative of the range of digital and analog resources acquired, cataloged and maintained in contemporary U.S. libraries. The core test set will include textual monographs, AV materials, serials, and integrating resources.

12.3.3 Each test partner will produce an RDA bibliographic record and a bibliographic record produced using its currently adopted cataloging code, e.g. AACR2, DACS, VRA, for each resource in the core test set. No staff member should catalog a given resource using both codes.

12.3.4 In addition to the core test set, test partners will also produce RDA records for resources in their usual categories of cataloging, including any areas of specialization, e.g. foreign languages, cartographic material, or music scores. The additional test records will be created using only RDA.

12.3.5 For each record, each tester will also complete an online questionnaire that elicits information on the amount of time required to produce the records and on qualitative aspects such as how easy it was to understand RDA instructions and the instructions in the currently adopted code; what changes in workflow were necessitated by the use of RDA; what stumbling blocks were encountered in using RDA in local systems; and what kinds of consultation with colleagues or other documentation were needed to produce the records.

12.3.6 As one of the qualitative aspects, test partners will solicit feedback from their internal end users about the RDA records they create.

12.3.7 The test partners will make available the records they create in this test to the Steering Committee for review and analysis.

12.4 How long will the testing take place?

The testing period for the U.S. National Libraries test is expected to last approximately six months. It will begin when the online version of RDA is released (currently projected for late in calendar year 2009). The first three months of the testing period will be devoted to training and practice in using the online tool and becoming familiar with the new text. The second three months will be devoted to the creation of test records.

At the end of the testing period the Steering Committee will take approximately three months to analyze the results of the testing, as well as feedback from others in the U.S. community.

12.5 How will information about the testing be disseminated?

Information about updates and documentation related to U.S. National Libraries' testing plan as well as training materials and other related information will be shared with formal test partners and any others desiring such information at the U.S. National Libraries' RDA test web site: http://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/rda/

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