Planning for RDA: An Early Adopter’s View on Training and Management Christee Pascale Associate Head, Metadata & Cataloging North Carolina State University Libraries Mississippi Library Association Technical Services Round Table October 20, 2011 Jackson, MS

Presentation Overview 1.About the NCSU Metadata & Cataloging Department 2.U.S. RDA Test and NCSU’s experience as an Institutional Test Participant 3.How NCSU prepared to implement RDA 4.Where RDA is now and what you need to be thinking about

CATALOGING AT NCSU LIBRARIES Resource Description and Access (RDA): An Implementation Game Plan

Metadata & NCSU 18 Metadata & Cataloging staff: –5 in Monographs –6 in Serials & Continuing Resources –3 in Metadata & Data Quality –1 Technology Support for Technical Services Highly centralized cataloging output –60,568 physical & electronic titles (MARC) –50,504 physical volumes (MARC) –12,909 digital image assets (non-MARC) –779 digital text assets (non-MARC) – linear feet of manuscript materials (non-MARC) –2,943 faculty citations (non-MARC)

Metadata & NCSU ~5% of NCSU MARC cataloging is original –Much of that is new editions and/or electronic derived from print NCSU is not a PCC participant MLS holding librarians are doing (next to) no cataloging Support staff are doing all copy AND original cataloging and both MARC and non-MARC cataloging

U.S. RDA TEST Resource Description and Access (RDA): An Implementation Game Plan

Why did NCSU choose to participate in the U.S. RDA Test? To force ourselves to learn Copy-heavy institution Support staff-heavy institution Trying to re-invigorate our training program To answer question: how do records of various types co-exist happily? Assessment/usability & cost/value

U.S. RDA Test Timeline U.S. RDA Test Participant Preparation Jul-Sep 2010 U.S. RDA Test Oct-Dec 2010 Data analysis Jan-Mar 2011 Final report to LC, NAL, NLM senior management US National Library RDA decision May – Jun 2011 Requirements Common Original & Copy Set Extra Set Surveys: –Record by Record –Record Creator Profile –Record Use –Institutional

NCSU U.S. RDA Test Statistics Common set original: 25 Common set copy: –met NCSU criteria for upgrade: 4 –did not meet NCSU criteria for upgrade: 1 Extra set with surveys: 462 –MARC Original: 390 (includes 201 ETDs) –MARC Copy: 62 –MODS: 10 NCSU was the 5 th highest record creator

U.S. RDA Test Record Creation Findings Report & Recommendations of the U.S. RDA Test Coordinating Committee 26 minutesAverage original record creation time for professionals and paraprofessionals 53 minutesAverage time to create an original RDA records for records minutesAverage copy cataloging record time for professionals and paraprofessionals

NCSU RDA Test Record Creation Findings Record creation times at the end of the test period: minutes for original book cataloging 5-20 minutes for copy book cataloging These times match NCSU’s existing local data for AACR2 book record creation time. 75% of NCSU catalogers showed increased rapidity in record creation over the course of the test. Average time per record decreased 40% by the end of the test. For books, ebooks and ejournals we noted a steady decrease in record creation time The majority of print serials were cataloged by 3 individuals and despite repeat cataloging, time to catalog did not decrease much over time. We have no idea why.

NCSU’S RDA IMPLEMENTATION AND TRAINING Resource Description and Access (RDA): An Implementation Game Plan

RDA Implementation NCSU’s Action Plan 1.Brainstorm master task list a.Categorized tasks into functional areas b.Assigned tasks and deadlines 2.RDA training and RDA practice record creation 3.U.S. RDA Test training 4.RDA continuing education and ongoing discussion

NCSU Master List Functional Categories Tasks related to overall implementation Coordination Tasks related to policy, procedure, documentation and RDA Toolkit setup Data Management Tasks related to how materials flow through Technical Services Workflow Management Tasks related to coordinating staffing resources, training Staff Management ILS and OPAC system-related tasks System Management

NCSU’s RDA Training Program Involved all Metadata & Cataloging staff Established an RDA Training Team Was not a debate about the merits of RDA Did not cover everything Focused on what staff needed to know for the test Had to succeed!

Training the Trainers 1.Library of Congress Train the Tester session (for testing participants) at ALA Midwinter, January Cataloging Management Team watched LC’s RDA Training Modules and other webinars as a group 3.The RDA Training Team assembled other available resources, then learned and muddled through as a group, developing content while simultaneously learning the material 4.Developed local policies, procedures and documentation

NCSU’s RDA Training Curriculum 1.LC webinar: RDA Changes from AACR2 for Texts (B. Tillett) 2.FRBR training 3.RDA core training 4.Breakout groups 5.ALCTS webinars & ongoing discussion

FRBR Training Hour-long session before the official start of RDA training Deliberately tailored the content to focus on the concepts needed to carry over into RDA training and then attempted to make those concepts more concrete

FRBR Training What worked well? –Tailoring the content to need-to-know for RDA –Concrete examples & props –Focus on user tasks –Group discussion

FRBR Training What worked less well? –FRBR is hard and needs to be reinforced throughout: FRBR terminology/language Connection between FRBR and RDA organization Connection between RDA organization and descriptive record elements Relationships

NCSU’s RDA Core Training Curriculum Day One Introducing RDA Access Points Relationship Designators Preferred Title for the Work Day Three Dates for Multipart Monographs, Serials and Integrating Resources Series Statement Numbering of Serials & Series Notes MARC Encoding for the US RDA Test Wrap-Up Day Two Sources of Information Identifier for the Manifestation Title Proper and Statement of Responsibility Content, Media and Carrier Types Designation of the Edition Publication Statement and Copyright Date Extent, Illustrative Content (etc.) and Dimensions

RDA Core Training 12 hours of training over a 3 day period Differed from LC’s training in two ways: –More intentionally taught RDA in terms of MARC21 and AACR2 –Softened the presentation of RDA in its FRBR/FRAD-based conceptual framework Did not cover –Materials we do not heavily collect: parts of the Bible, rare books, treaties, music Did not train in-depth on the new MARC Authority Record fields … just enough to be able to read an RDA authority record

RDA Core Training What worked well? –Half-day sessions –Involving support staff in the content creation –Having more than one presenter –Starting with the harder stuff and leaving on a “high” –Having professional-looking PowerPoint presentation & handouts –Having and sticking to an agenda –Investing in the planning –Discussion that ended in decision-making & follow-up –Snacks!

Breakout Groups Split our staff of 15 into small groups Created practice records together for resources we were likely to catalog during the U.S. RDA Test: –Single part monograph (print and electronic) –Multipart monograph (print and electronic) –Upgraded monographic copy (from AACR2 to RDA) –DVD –Children's resources –Streaming media –Theses & dissertations –Serials (print and electronic) –Integrating resources (print and electronic)

LESSONS LEARNED Resource Description and Access (RDA): An Implementation Game Plan

We learned … FRBR matters It is kind of cool to reset the training baseline It is easy to get bogged down by edge cases Unlearning and changing focus are hard Balance emphasis on cataloger’s judgment v. emphasis on efficiency is challenging Energy is a good thing in and of itself

We were reminded that … Cataloger’s judgment needs to be grounded in FRBR user tasks. Copy catalogers may never have engaged in these issues before. People like examples. Catalogers like rules. Catalogers like when expectations are clear and documentation is up to date. Support staff like when their bosses know the answers to their questions. Managers like when LC figures things out first.

RDA: WHERE ARE WE NOW? Resource Description and Access (RDA): An Implementation Game Plan

Report and Recommendations of the U.S. RDA Test Coordinating Committee Final report issued to public on May 9, 2011: 1.US National Libraries RDA implementation no sooner than January Contingent on satisfactory process/completion of report tasks & action items

Final Report Task and Action Item Highlights 1.Reword RDA instructions in clear, unambiguous, plain English 2.Define process for updating RDA in the online environment 3.Demonstrate credible progress towards a replacement for MARC 4.Lead and coordinate RDA Training

RDA Rewording RDA should be reworded as necessary to improve clarity and ease of reading, without altering the intent of the instructions Coordinating Committee recommendation: –6, Identifying Works and Expressions –9, Identifying Persons –10, Identifying Families –11, Identifying Corporate Bodies –17, General Guidelines on Recording Primary Relationships JSC recommendation: –2, Recording Attributes of Manifestation and Item

Rewording Time Frame ALA will select and contract with a copy editor as soon as possible A minimum of 5 chapters (those recommended by Coordinating Committee) will be completed and accepted no later than June 2012

RDA Toolkit Update Recommendations Anticipated updates to RDA: –Major: not more than twice annually –Minor: not more than monthly JSC and ALA Co-Publishing are working on a process for updating RDA in the online environment Time frame: within 3 months

Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative May 23, 2011: Announcement by Deanna Marcum: “Transforming our Bibliographic Framework” Fall 2011: Stakeholders being identified Current status: –Tasks and timeframe to follow Report timeframe: months

National RDA Training Efforts LC to lead training efforts PCC, ALCTS and other bodies to be engaged Status: –LC updating test training and documentation –Coordinating with PCC –Creating a training/implementation timetable

Other National Library Adoption Plans RDA Committee of Principals (14 August 2011): “The British Library, Library and Archives Canada, the Library of Congress and the National Library of Australia confirmed their agreement (22 October 2007) to coordinate implementation of RDA, not sooner than early 2013.”

THE IMPLEMENTATION GAME PLAN Resource Description and Access (RDA): An Implementation Game Plan

Getting Your RDA House in Order Determine who is responsible for coordinating overall RDA implementation at your institution Determine who the stakeholders are in your RDA implementation Brainstorm a master list of tasks –Set an implementation date –Set and hold staff to task deadlines

Policy and Procedure Considerations Review your current policy and procedure against LC’s RDA documentation: –RDA Alternatives and Options: LC’s Policy Decisions –LCPS Decide how you plan to communicate local policy and procedure to staff –Staff manual, internal website/wiki, RDA Toolkit Create a plan for updating existing AACR2 documentation and writing RDA documentation

Workflow Considerations How might RDA cataloging impact all your existing cataloging processes: –Will RDA cataloged materials be able to flow through your system the same as AACR2? –Do you have non-cataloging staff performing copy cataloging? –Do you outsource copy cataloging (e.g. shelf ready)?

Determine System Impact Does the absence of GMDs effect your library? Will library staff update ILS to include new RDA MARC fields? –Waiting for your vendor may impact implementation date Are you going to make use of 33X fields in your OPAC? –If so, determine stakeholders and define labels/use Stay tuned for RDA authority control decisions

Training In-house or outsource? Provide all staff with basic training; train only the trainers, then have them train staff as needed Scale –Do all staff need the same training? Different levels or content? –Do you want to begin cataloging all formats in RDA on implementation date or do a phased format implementation?

Additional thoughts on training … FRBR Define a group to begin learning and working with RDA as soon as possible Build in time for practice Examples, examples, examples Determine how staff will get answers to policy, procedure and RDA instruction questions

Documentation & Resources North Carolina State University – Library of Congress – LC’s RDA website – Report and Recommendations of the U.S. RDA Test Coordinating Committee and Executive Summary – Bibliographic Framework Transition Initiative website Joint Steering Committee for the Development of RDA – OCLC Technical Bulletin 258 – /default.htmhttp:// /default.htm RDA-L –