The utility
of access points for making connections
by James Nauenburg
So, as per my last post, titles will no longer be
abbreviated, nor will they carry a General Material Description. The same is
true for the group of editors or authors who are presenting the material. In
AACR2, the first editor credited would be included in the record, but with RDA
a full listing of all editors or authors will be available and each name will
provide a potentially linkable RDA catalog access point. It was the case under
AACR2 that works of shared responsibility with more than three authors were
identified only by the title of the work, but in RDA these same work will be
named after the principal or first-listed creator. An excellent example can be
found in the popular “dummies” series of books:
AACR2 catalog display
Title: German for dummies/by Paulina
Christensen…[et al.].
RDA catalog display
Author: Christensen, Paulina
Title: German for dummies/by Paulina Christensen,
Ph.D., Anne Fox.
This same method is applicable to subjects such as
biblical studies where traditional references included abbreviated “testament”
locators like:
AACR2 catalog display
Bible. O.T. Genesis
Bible. N.T. Mark
RDA catalog display
Bible. Genesis.
Bible. Mark.
Similarly, if a book was substantially written in
more than one language it was labeled “polyglot” in the AACR2 record, now each
language expression will receive its own access point in RDA. Also, in AACR2,
only human beings were considered “persons” in the record, but in RDA there
will be access points not only for authors, but also for actors in media such
as Lassie, or even Mickey Mouse. This same guiding principle will apply to
access points for families, where the patron might be a fan of Danny Huston. An
access point will be included for the Huston family, of which Danny is member,
which will then refer the patron to Anjelica, John, and Walter who will all
have access points under the Huston family umbrella.
After reading this information about the changes that RDA will bring to libraries, I reviewed another article and found it to be very informative. One thing that I read was the concerns with the cost of using RDAs in libraries.
ReplyDeleteIn the article, "Resource Description and Access (RDA): An Introduction for Reference Librarians," Miller (2011) argued:
RDA Toolkit is offered as an annual subscription with a base price for two or more users of $380. A single user subscriptionis offered at $195 annually, and a print edition is available for $150. Currently most catalogers access AACR2 through a print version that costs $95 or as part of Catalogerb Desktop, an online resource that includes dozens of cataloging standards and tools, with multi-user subscriptions starting at $525 to $685 annually. Unlike AACR2, RDA Toolkit is not included in a subscription to Cataloger Desktop but must be subscribed to separately. (p. 220)
Based upon this information, this makes me question will RDA be affordable for smaller libraries or will this mainly be seen in larger libraries with higher budget allowances?
-Lindsay Fricke
References:
Miller, L. (2011). Reference description and access (RDA): an introduction for reference librarians. Reference and user services quarterly, 50(3), 216-222.