Overview of the U.S. RDA Test

Overview of the U.S. RDA Test by Tina Shrader Cataloging Section Head and CONSER Coordinator National Agricultural Library June 28, 2010

Acknowledgments • Some slides adapted from Barbara Tillett • Editing assistance from members of the U.S. RDA Test Coordinating Committee

Presentation Outline • RDA development and background • U.S. national test background • U.S. national test methodology • Informal testing opportunities • Q & A

What is RDA? • The successor to AACR2 • Closely aligned with FRBR, etc. • Designed for the digitalworld • Intended for use as an online product • Description and access of all resources • All types of content and media • Creating records that are usable beyond traditional library systems (e.g. linked data on the web)

U.S. RDA Test • Library of Congress • National Agricultural Library • National Library of Medicine

U.S. RDA test • Participants • U.S. National Libraries • Academic, research, school, public, special, and museum libraries • Archives • Consortia • Book jobbers • LIS educators and students

U.S. RDATest: Goals • “… to assure the operational, technical, and economic feasibility of RDA.” • To ascertain how well RDA meets its own stated goals as a rule set for cataloging

U.S. RDA Test: Goals • RDA’s goals as a rule set include: • Rules should be easy to use and interpret • Be applicable to an online environment • Provide effective bibliographic control for all types of media • Encourage use beyond the library community • Be compatible with other similar standards • Have a logical structure based on internationally agreed principles • Separate content and carrier data • Examples – more of them, more appropriate Based on slide from Ann Chapman, UKOLN

U.S. RDA Test: Timeline • June 2010 RDA Toolkit released • June-Aug.31 Free access to RDA toolkit • June-Sept. 30 Training and practice period for formal testers • Oct. 1-Dec. 31 U.S. test of RDA • Jan-Mar 2011 analysis of test results and decisions by U.S. national libraries

U.S. RDA Test: Methodology • Common Original Set • 10 texts • 5 audio-visuals • 5 serials • 5 integrating resources • Omit subject cataloging • Common Copy Set • 5 items • Omit subject cataloging

U.S. RDA Test: Methodology • Extra Set • Each partner institution will create a minimum of 25 records in addition to the Common Sets • Special formats or types of material • Anticipate several thousand records from test participants

U.S. RDA Test: Data Collection and Analysis • Surveys to solicit • Feedback from institutions • Feedback from individual catalogers • Feedback from users • Feedback from informal testers • Record set analysis

U.S. RDA Test Resources • Background and Demo Webcasts • Training documentation • RDA choices (core elements, alternatives/ options/etc.) • LC documents to identify choices • LC decisions for the test – LC Policy Statements (LCPS) • RDA examples • RDA exercises

Preparing for the Test • Local policy decisions related to rule application • MARC 21 format adjustments in local ILS • Set up templates and macros for standard data

Informal Testing • Create records in local databases during RDA’s open access period • Create records in OCLC after Oct. 1 • U.S. RDA Test Coordinating Committee will provide a survey to solicit information from informal testers

Results of the Test • Analysis of surveys to begin Jan. 2011 • Regardless of decision: • Will help inform future adjustments to RDA for the rest of the world • Will help improve the IFLA models and principles upon which RDA is based

Questions? RDA content: LChelp4rda@loc.gov

Overview of the U.S. RDA Test