10 Highlights of RDA

10 HIGHLIGHTS
OF RDA
Highlight 1: How to Spot an RDA
Record
 When searching for an RDA record

prepared by an English-language
cataloging agency, look for the following
data in subfields $b and $e of MARC field
040:
040 _ _ $a ### $b eng $e rda $c ###
• Field 040 documents the cataloging
source(s) of a record.
Highlight 2: Elements—Core, Core-if, and Core-for-you
 In RDA, an element is “a word, character, or group of words and/or

characters representing a distinct unit of bibliographic information” (RDA
Glossary). These small precise pieces of data become the building blocks to
construct a record. Some elements are required in RDA, while others are
required for certain situations.
 The RDA instructions declare some elements as core (RDA 0.6.1). These
elements provide the nucleus of a bibliographic record, becoming the
required, essential bits of information that allow users to find, identify, and
select resources. For instance, users need to know the title proper—a core
element of manifestations—to identify a particular book or DVD.
 RDA designates other elements as core-if. These elements are considered
core in RDA only if a particular situation applies. For example, the place of
distribution becomes core only if a bibliographic record lacks a place of
publication (RDA 2.9). The core-if elements provide a second tier of data,
supporting user tasks in situations where the first, core tier of information is
not available.
 Individual institutions may decide that certain elements not considered core in
RDA are in fact essential to help their own users identify and select materials.
For example, title proper is an RDA core element, while other title information
(such as a subtitle) remains optional. Your library may decide to follow LC-PCC
practice for recording other title information, or you could create your own local
policy.
Highlight 3: Take What You See: The Principle of Representation
 RDA adopts the principle of representation as a main tenet—a take what

you see and accept what you get approach (RDA 0.4.3.4).
 How a resource or entity describes or names itself becomes an important

factor when cataloging. What data is included on a title page, title page
verso, or title screen? How is that data stated, presented, or formatted?
What name does a person or corporate body prefer?
Highlight 4: Transcribe versus Record
 Some RDA elements are transcribed from the source in hand, while others
are recorded.
 Title, edition statement, place of publication, and publisher’s name are

examples of transcribed elements in RDA.
 Consider a book whose title page verso shows a publisher’s name and
location as The Backwaters Press, Omaha, Nebraska. When recording this
information, AACR2 instructed catalogers to disregard the article the and to
use an abbreviation for Nebraska. Under RDA, a cataloger instead
transcribes these two elements as shown on the source.
Highlight 5: Abbreviations (or lack thereof)
 In comparison to AACR2, RDA instructs catalogers to use fewer abbreviations

in bibliographic records. RDA also eliminates Latin abbreviations used in
AACR2 such as S.l. (sine loco) and s.n. (sine nomine) for an unknown place of
publication and name of publisher. As users may be unfamiliar with these
abbreviations, RDA instead prefers unabbreviated phrases in the language
of the cataloging agency such as Place of publication not identified (RDA
2.8.2.6).
 Even when RDA elements are recorded rather than transcribed,
abbreviations are used much less frequently in RDA than in AACR2. For
instance, words such as pages or volumes are spelled out when recording
the extent of a manifestation, rather than abbreviated as p. and v.,
respectively (RDA 3.4.5).
Highlight 6: Terminology—AACR2 versus RDA
 For catalogers used to AACR2, part of the RDA learning curve includes
changes in terminology
Highlight 7: Production, Publication, Distribution, Manufacture, and Copyright
Date—MARC Field 264
 In RDA, place of publication is a transcribed, core element. Sometimes a
source of information lists more than one place associated with a particular
publisher. RDA requires the first recorded place to be included in a
bibliographic record, but a cataloger may choose to include the additional
places as well (RDA 2.8.2).
 In contrast, AACR2 rules required catalogers to record the first named
place, plus “any place given prominence” on the source, plus a place in the
home country of the cataloging agency if the other places recorded were
not. The record omitted any additional places. In RDA, catalogers may
transcribe the first place of publication—regardless of whether that place
lies in the United States or Canada or England or China—and stop there.
Highlight 8: Expanding Access within Bibliographic Records
 Within bibliographic records, RDA offers possibilities to provide more access

to and more information about the entities associated with a resource,
especially through the statement of responsibility, additional added access
points, and relationship designators.
 The statement of responsibility is a transcribed, core element of

manifestations (RDA 2.4). Under RDA, if 14 people authored a resource, a
cataloger may transcribe all 14 names in the statement of responsibility. The
rule of three from AACR2, limiting the number of names to three (AACR2
1.1F5), no longer applies.
Highlight 9: Content Type, Media Type, and Carrier Type—The 33x Fields
 These three RDA elements—content type, media type, and carrier type—
replace the general material designation (GMD), a term used in AACR2 to
indicate “the broad class of material to which an item belongs”. Some of
these broad classes were too general.
Highlight 10: RDA for Content but not Display
 The chapters of RDA focus on content, providing catalogers with instructions
on recording attributes and relationships—kernels of data that combine to
form bibliographic descriptions.
 RDA does not dictate how these kernels of data are presented within a
record or displayed within an online catalog.
 For instance, your library may choose to display bibliographic data using
ISBD punctuation (and many likely will), but RDA does not require this.
 By separating content from display, RDA recognizes that we no longer live in
a catalog-card world and opens up current and future possibilities for
digital display of bibliographic data.

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10 HIGHLIGHTS

 When searching for an RDA record

 In RDA, an element is “a word, character, or group of words and/or

 RDA adopts the principle of representation as a main tenet—a take what

 How a resource or entity describes or names itself becomes an important

 Title, edition statement, place of publication, and publisher’s name are

 In comparison to AACR2, RDA instructs catalogers to use fewer abbreviations

 Within bibliographic records, RDA offers possibilities to provide more access

 The statement of responsibility is a transcribed, core element of

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