US RDA Test and Implementation or Not Barbara Tillett For the Texas Library Association Conference April 12, 2011

US Test of RDA

Purposes of the US RDA Test To determine benefits versus costs To see if initial release achieved the JSC objectives –Already knew JSC has list of issues to address after the first release To determine whether the three US national libraries will implement the initial release of RDA –Yes, no, or with conditions

Assumptions of the Test Results to be shared Test in current systems All data from the test will be freely available Testers experiences compared to codes they currently apply

U.S. RDA Test Timeline June 2010 ALA released RDA Toolkit June-Aug.31 ALA allowed free access to RDA Toolkit to everyone who registered June-Sept. 30 U.S. testers were training and had time to practice Oct. 1-Dec. 31 U.S. test of RDA Jan.-May 2011 analysis of test results June 2011 decisions by U.S. national libraries (expected by ALA) 5

Preparing for the Test MARC 21 format adjustments in local ILS Local decisions on RDA alternatives/ options - documentation Local decision on which elements to include beyond the RDA Core elements Templates and macros set up for standard data Practice time after basic training 6

The Test Common Original Set (25 titles) –AACR2 (or other current rules) –RDA Common Copy Set (5 titles) Extra Original Set Extra Copy Set Surveys

Results of the Test Surveys for cataloger’s experience and costs Feedback on user reaction to records built on RDA instructions –To help inform future adjustments to RDA –To help improve the IFLA models and principles Test records 10,570 RDA bibliographic records 12,800 RDA authority records 8

Implementing RDA? If “yes” to that question, need to get ready If “no” to that question, still need to get ready –RDA bibliographic and authority records in shared databases & local catalogs –RDA access points in non-RDA records If you don’t know the answer, still need to get ready

Who needs to get ready? You Your library colleagues Your library’s ILS Your library’s users

How to prepare yourself 1. Become familiar with FRBR and FRAD: entities, terminology, user tasks 2. Review available training materials and documentation 3. Explore RDA Toolkit or printed version of RDA if have access; if not, review last full draft (caveat: some aspects changed):

How to prepare yourself 4. View webcasts/webinars and attend briefings, workshops, etc. 5. Read books and articles about RDA 6. Talk with cataloging colleagues in your library: share what you know with each other

How to prepare yourself 7. Talk with cataloging colleagues in other libraries 8. Create RDA practice records 9. Create more RDA practice records !!

How to prepare your colleagues Staff in all parts of your library Tell them what you’ve learned about FRBR, FRAD, RDA, MARC –In appropriate levels of detail –Telling someone else ensures you really do understand

Prepare your library: If implementing RDA Make policy decisions with colleagues from various areas: –Elements beyond RDA core elements you will include in own records and accept in copy records (consult with vendor and consortium as needed) –Decisions on options and alternatives or always apply cataloger judgment –Changes in existing records (e.g., form of access points, GMD vs fields)

Prepare your library: If not implementing RDA Make policy decisions with colleagues from various areas: –Add RDA records from vendors or other libraries to your catalog for resources in your collection? –If adding RDA records, accept with no changes? If make some changes, what changes?

Library system impact if RDA records in your catalog Talk with IT staff and/or vendor to ensure MARC 21 RDA changes were implemented (have been issued as regular MARC updates) Make decisions on display and indexing of new fields in your OPAC

Training and implementation If implementing RDA: –Develop training materials –Give demonstrations of the RDA Toolkit –Review mappings –Create templates, macros, workflows –Practice, practice, practice !!! –Discuss practice/real records –Foster cataloger judgment (includes “stamping out tweaking” of others’ records)

Training and implementation If not implementing RDA: –Explain changes from AACR2 so staff can understand records in WorldCat, etc. (and especially if RDA records will be added to your catalog) –Explain changes in MARC 21 formats

Inform your library’s users Explain changes in display and indexing If your policy is not to change authorized access points to the same form in all records, give guidance where forms are different

Down the road... Stay informed/investigate: –Controlled vocabularies on the Web –Linked data –Encoding schema successor to MARC 21 Talk with colleagues in other information communities (e.g., archives, museums) Enjoy exciting challenges and opportunities!

Suggested reading

Help with RDA Instructions RDA Toolkit –“Support” in the Toolkit –Via

Webcasts (the free software for RealPlayer is needed to see and hear these Webcasts, it is available freely on the Internet) Resource Description and Access: Background / Overview. Speaker: Barbara Tillett. Recorded May 14, Running time: 67 minutes. Available at: Cataloging Principles and RDA: Resource Description and Access. Speaker: Barbara Tillett. Recorded June 10, Running time: 49 minutes. Available at: [FRBR for Non-Catalogers.] FRBR: Things You Should Know but Were Afraid to Ask. Speaker: Barbara Tillett. Recorded March 4, Running time: 57 minutes. Available at:

Webcasts (the free software for RealPlayer is needed to see and hear these Webcasts, it is available freely on the Internet) AACR2, RDA, VIAF, and the Future: there to here to there. Speaker: Barbara Tillett for the NISO Webinar: “Bibliographic Control Alphabet Soup: AACR to RDA and Evolution of MARC”. Recorded October 14, Available through October 2010 at: 8M8 8M8 Q&A: RDA Changes from AACR2 for Texts. Speaker: Barbara B. Tillett. Recorded January 12, Running time: 75 minutes (41 minutes of presentation followed by Q&A). Available at: RDA Test “Train the Trainer” (Training modules). Presented by Judy Kuhagen and Barbara Tillett, January 15, 2010; Northeastern University, Boston, Mass. Modules future/rda/trainthetrainer.htmlhttp:// future/rda/trainthetrainer.html RDA: Looking to the Future: Information Systems and Metadata. Speaker: Barbara Tillett. Recorded March 9, Running time: 54 minutes. Available at:

Webcasts in Spanish RDA: Recursos Descripción y Acceso: Antecedentes y Aspectos de su Implementación. Speaker: Barbara Tillett. In Spanish. Recorded August 13, Running time: 85 min. Available at: RDA: Recursos, Descripción y Acceso - Cambios en las pautas de catalogación y desafíos para la implementación, por Peru y Costa Rica, Septiembre-Octubre, Speaker: Barbara Tillett. Recorded: December Available at:

Training modules - Free RDA Test “Train the Trainer”, Modules 1-9. Presented by Judy Kuhagen and Barbara Tillett, January 15, 2010; Northeastern University, Boston, Mass. at: Module 1: What RDA Is and Isn’t Module 2: Structure Module 3: Description of Manifestations and Items Module 4: Identifying Works, Expressions, and Manifestations Module 5: Identifying Persons Module 6: Identifying FamiliesModule 6: Identifying Families (filmed at the Library of Congress, March 1, 2010) Module 7: Identifying Corporate Bodies Module 8: Relationships Module 9: Review of Main Concepts, Changes, Etc. PowerPoint files of the Modules (with speaker’s notes) and accompanying material are freely available at: