Teaching RDA
Train-the-trainer course for
RDA: Resource Description and Access
Presented by the National Library of Australia
September – November 2012
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0
Australia License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/
Module 4
Key differences from AACR2
Structure
Learning Outcomes
• Understand similarities between RDA and
AACR2
• Understand the structural differences
between RDA and AACR2
Key differences
from AACR2
What’s the same?
Key differences
from AACR2
What’s different?
• Format-neutral
• Content standard
• Terminology (AACR2 
RDA)
• LCRI vs. LC-PCC PS vs.
Anglo-American
decisions
• Online interactive tool
• Core elements
• FRBR/FRAD structure
• User focussed (FRBR user
tasks)
• Greater emphasis on
relationships
• Representation (from ICP)
• GMD change to Content,
Media and Carrier
• MARC changes
• ISBD changes
Key differences
from AACR2
What’s different?
• Format-neutral
• Content standard
Intellectual content
> Physical format
Intellectual content
> Data structure
Key differences
from AACR2
What’s different?
• Terminology (AACR2 
RDA)
• LCRI vs. LC-PCC PS vs.
Anglo-American
decisions
• Online interactive tool
• Core elements
AACR2 level
descriptions
AACR2 1.0D3
For the third level of description, include all elements set out in
the following rules that are applicable to the item being
described.
RDA Core elements
Core elements
Where in RDA?
• Introduction: 0.6 Core elements
• Each Section – “General guidelines”
– Eg. 1.3, 5.3
• Each “Core” instruction marked as core
– Eg. 3.3 Carrier type, 2.4 Statement of
responsibility
Core elements
Conditionally core
• Certain type of resources or entities
• If related core elements are not available
– Eg. Date of copyright, if no date of publication
• If multiple, first one only
– Eg. Multiple statements of responsibility
• If required to distinguish
Eg. Fuller form of name core if it will
distinguish the name from another similar one
Core elements
Institutional policy
• LC-PCC PS – “LC Core”
• NLA – “Core for NLA” elements
• Libraries Australia Required Data Elements
http://www.nla.gov.au/librariesaustralia/services/cataloguing/
Key differences
from AACR2
What’s different?
• Representation (from ICP)
• User focussed (FRBR user
tasks)
• FRBR/FRAD structure
• Greater emphasis on
relationships
FRBR/FRAD Structure
Attributes
Title proper: Whose bottom is this
Statement of responsibility: Wayne Lynch
Place of publication: Milwaukee
Publisher: Gareth Stevens Pub
Date of publication: 2003
Media type: unmediated
Carrier type: volume
Extent of text: 32 pages
Dimensions: 22 x 24 cm
Series: Name that animal
Content type: text; still images
Language of expression: English
Relationships
Work manifested: Lynch, Wayne. Whose
bottom is this
Creator: Lynch, Wayne, author
Screen image from the RDA Toolkit (www.rdatoolkit.org) used by permission of the Co-Publishers for RDA (American Library Association,
Canadian Library Association, and CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals)
Key differences
from AACR2
What’s different?
100 1 $a Lynch, Wayne,$e author
245 10 $a Whose bottom is this? /$c written and photographed
by Wayne Lynch.
250
$a U.S. ed..
264 1 $a Milwaukee, Wis. :$b Gareth Stevens Pub.,$c 2003.
300
$a 32 pages :$b colour illustrations ;$c 22 x 24 cm.
336
$a text $2 rdacontent
• GMD change to Content,
336
$a still images $2 rdacontent
337
$a unmediated $2 rdamedia
Media and Carrier
338
$a volume $2 rdacarrier
• MARC changes
• ISBD changes
Key differences
from AACR2
Summary
• Instructions based on AACR2
• Structure based on FRBR/FRAD
• Compatible MARC21 and ISBD
Exercise