----- Original Message -----
From: Future of Bibliographic Control Discussion List
<BIBFUTURE loc.gov>
To: BIBFUTURELISTSERV.LOC.GOV <BIBFUTURELISTSERV.LOC.GOV>
Sent: Thu May 01 16:08:57 2008
Subject: Letter from Deanna Marcum and Joint Statement on
RDA
Re-sending: please use this version.
Please forward the letter and statement below to appropriate
listservs.
May 1, 2008
Dear Colleagues,
The Working Group on the Future of Bibliographic Control
submitted its
final report, On the Record, to me on January 9, 2008. I
have
distributed the document to three groups within the Library
of Congress
for analysis and comment. I expect to respond formally to
the report in
early June.
On the Record contains more than one hundred recommendations
aimed at
the Library of Congress, other specific organizations and
entities, and
to the broader library community. In the words of the
members of the
Working Group, they envision "a future for
bibliographic control that
will be collaborative, decentralized, international in
scope, and
Web-basedchange will happen quickly, and bibliographic
control will be
dynamic, not static." The group urged the readers of
the report to view
it as a " 'call to action' that informs and broadens
participation in
discussion and debate, conveys a sense of urgency,
stimulates
collaboration, and catalyzes thoughtful and deliberative
action." The
many recommendations suggest ways in which the necessary
systemic change
can take place.
When the Library of Congress issues its response, we will be
focusing
on how it will position itself to work in this new,
networked, and
collaborative environment, not simply on single
recommendations. We
recognize that any cataloging code (AACR2 or the proposed
Resource
Description and Access--RDA) is but a part of this
environment.
It may seem counterintuitive that we issue a joint statement
with our
colleagues from the National Agricultural Library and the
National
Library of Medicine on RDA before we issue a full response
to On the
Record, but we do so because the international Joint
Steering Committee
and the Committee of Principals continue their work, and
because so many
librarians are asking about the national libraries' plans to
implement
the proposed code.
We are pleased to report that we three libraries have worked
together
to establish an approach to the consideration of RDA in the
attached
joint statement.
We ask that you bear in mind that it is the entire
bibliographic system
that needs to be considered and reworked, and the cataloging
code is
only one small piece of the work that lies ahead.
Sincerely,
Deanna B. Marcum
Associate Librarian for Library Services
The Library of Congress
Joint Statement of the Library of Congress, the National
Library of
Medicine, and the National Agricultural Library on Resource
Description
and Access
May 1, 2008
Leaders of the Library of Congress (LC), the National
Library of
Medicine (NLM), and the National Agricultural Library (NAL)
met on March
10, 2008 to discuss the recommendation from On the Record:
the Report of
the Library of Congress Working Group on the Future of
Bibliographic
Control to suspend work on RDA.
The group agreed that the Joint Steering Committee for
Development of
RDA's work on Resource Description and Access (RDA) is an
important
international initiative that has been underway for several
years and is
one that requires continued collaboration with our
international
partners who have joined with the United States in a global
initiative
to update bibliographic practices to make the library
resources more
accessible and useful to users. The participants also agreed
that their
decisions whether or not to implement this new standard must
be made
jointly. Further, participants agreed that LC, NLM, and NAL
have
collective leadership responsibilities to assist the U.S.
library and
information community to remain relevant and vital in an
increasingly
digital future. Key to this role is providing a broad
assessment and
commitment to RDA if they believe this standard will further
national
strategic goals for improved bibliographic control and
access.
Colleagues from NLM and NAL are most concerned that a
systematic review
of RDA has not yet been possible and, given the potential
magnitude and
broad impact of the changes, such a review is essential.
While draft
chapters of RDA have been available, a clear, concise, and
cohesive
understanding of the overall impact of the entire standard
is needed.
Until the completion of the rules and the availability of
the RDA online
tool, reviewers will not be able fully to assess their
impact on:
--Description, access, and navigation practices for a broad
array of
users and types of materials
--Current and future electronic carriers and information
management
systems to support RDA goals
--Estimated costs for implementation and maintenance during
a time of
flat, even reduced, budgets
The three national libraries agreed on the following
approach: First,
we jointly commit to further development and completion of
RDA. Second,
following its completion, a decision to implement the rules
will be
based upon the positive evaluation of RDA's utility within
the library
and information environment, and criteria reflecting the
technical,
operational, and financial implications of the new code.
This will
include an articulation of the business case for RDA,
including benefits
to libraries and end users and cost analyses for retraining
staff and
re-engineering cataloging processes.
Together, we will:
--Jointly develop milestones for evaluating how we will
implement RDA
--Conduct tests of RDA that determine if each milestone has
been
reached; paying particular attention to the benefits and
costs of
implementation
--Widely distribute analyses of benefits and costs for
review by the
U.S. library community
--Consult with the vendor and bibliographic utility
communities to
address their concerns about RDA
Included among the tests that will be developed to assist
in
formulating implementation decisions:
--Usability testing with cataloging staff, i.e. librarians
and
technicians, experienced and newer staff from the three
national
libraries in consultation with representatives from the U.S.
library
community (including OCLC and library vendors) about its
participation
in the process
--Testing of records for a broad array of materials created
during
usability studies to determine compatibility with existing
record sets
and ensuring records are usable and understandable for our
end users
--Testing the feasibility of integrating this new cataloging
standard
into all relevant technology systems
The three institutions agreed that these steps will be
followed and, if
there is a decision to implement RDA, that the
implementation would not
occur before the end of 2009.
The collective resolve is to complete the development of
RDA, to
conduct appropriate tests that will inform and involve the
broader U.S.
library community as to the utility of the code, and to
ensure a product
that is useful, usable, and cost effective. The Library of
Congress
will continue to work with its international colleagues on
the Joint
Steering Committee for Development of RDA and the Committee
of
Principals and keep them apprised of the evaluation progress
and
outcomes as the three national libraries, representing
their
constituents, undertake the tests outlined above.
------ End of Forwarded Message
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