RDA for Administrators: Managing the Transition in Your Library

An ALCTS Webcast.

Released in June 2010, Resource Description and Access (RDA) is the intended successor to the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR2). At this initial stage, much remains unknown about the impact that RDA will have on library staff, metadata, systems, and services. One thing is clear: adopting RDA will not happen immediately, and will not be uniform across all institutions. Over the coming months and years, libraries will have different timeframes and levels of support for the shift to RDA. Administrators will require accurate information, particularly from early adopters, on what is required to implement the new cataloging code. During this beginning period, while the U.S. cataloging community awaits a formal decision on adoption resulting from the U.S. National Libraries RDA Test process, how do library administrators and cataloging managers begin to think about preparing their staff and their systems for the transition from AACR2 to RDA?

This webcast attempts to address, from the perspective of the manager, some of the major issues related to adopting the new cataloging code, including:

•  allocating staff and financial resources to understanding, planning for, and adopting RDA;
•  managing and organizing training for staff;
•  implications of RDA on policies and procedures for original and copy cataloging;
•  preparing the ILS for RDA metadata;
•  managing the integration of RDA and AACR2 records and their displays in the catalog;
•  managing the impact on vended authority control and cataloging;
•  assessing the overall costs and benefits of RDA, and its impact on users and public services;
•  assessing the consequences and potential of RDA for the development and design of future information systems and data structures;
•  developing mechanisms for sharing implementation experiences across the profession.