RSC Meeting in Frankfurt 7-11 November 2016: Update

The RDA Steering Committee (RSC) just concluded a productive meeting at the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. This message is the first of several that—in addition to the forthcoming and more detailed Outcomes document—provides basic information about decisions taken.

The meeting agenda as well as relevant proposals and discussion papers can be found on the RSC website. In early 2017 a table will be posted there that indicates the decisions/actions for all proposals and discussion papers.

The RSC continues to expand the international perspective of RDA. This meeting was the first under the new governance model for the recently-organized Europe RDA region, represented by Renate Behrens-Neumann of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. There are an increasing number of translations of RDA—of the instructions contained in the RDA Toolkit as well as the RDA Reference elements and value vocabularies in the RDA Registry. The RSC’s discussions at the meeting were enhanced by the presence of observers from eleven countries.

The RSC wishes to announce four decisions briefly here; more information will be provided in forthcoming announcements.

First, following the announcement on the Toolkit website in October, the RSC and Co-Publishers continued to develop and refine plans for the re-structuring and re-design of RDA Toolkit (3R Project). This initiative under the leadership of James Hennelly will include development of a responsive design and a plan to bring the site into compliance with established accessibility standards. It will also investigate improvements to Toolkit navigation, display, and features with the goal of creating a user experience that is more intrinsically of the web. The schedule anticipates the release of the re-designed Toolkit in April 2018.

Second, the RSC took the decision to implement the IFLA Library Reference Model (LRM) in RDA. Adapting to this new standard, which updates and combines FRBR, FRAD, and FRSAD, will require some structural changes to RDA, and moving forward now allows the RSC to build those changes into the 3R Project. Final approval of the standard by IFLA is expected soon, but the RSC does not anticipate further significant changes to the model.

Third, the RSC supported the Co-Publishers’ decision to freeze Toolkit content following the April 2017 release because of the substantive work required to implement the LRM during the 3R Project. Details about the content of the February and April 2017 releases will be provided in a subsequent message. This freeze means that the RSC will not be accepting proposals for changes to RDA in 2017, with normal processes expected to resume in 2018. This decision supersedes the working principle established by the JSC/RSC in 2014.

Fourth, the RSC agreed to meet twice in 2017 because of the amount and nature of activity anticipated during next year. RSC will meet in Chicago in May 2017 to focus on LRM integration, the addition of new text based on LRM content, and Toolkit re-structuring. The RSC proposes to meet in Europe in October or November 2017, creating an opportunity to meet with translators to discuss the impact on RDA translations as well as discussing progress on the project. The RSC hopes to associate this meeting with an outreach event such as a seminar, workshop, or Jane-athon.

Posted: 20 November 2016