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To:RDASteeringCommittee
From:RenateBehrens,EuropeanRegionalRepresentative
Subject:ProposalonSourcesofInformation(RDA2.2.2)
Abstract
ThefollowingproposalcoversthreeaspectsofRDA2.2.2(PreferredSourceof
Information),whichcameupintheGerman-speakingcommunityduringthe
implementationofRDA.Accordingly,theproposalissubdividedintothreeparts.
1. ResourcesConsistingofMovingImages
1.1 Background
Formovingimageresources,RDA2.2.2.3stipulatesto“usethetitleframeorframes,or
titlescreenorscreens,asthepreferredsourceofinformation”.However,actually
playingsucharesourceisahighlyunusualpracticeintheGerman-speakingcommunity,
andonlyusedinrarecases.Ontheonehanditisfeltthatroutinelyplayingtheresource
wouldtakeupfartoomuchtime:Trailersandadvertisementsoftencannotbeskipped,
andtheactualtitleframessometimesstretchoveralongersectionofthemovie,sothat
themoviewouldhavetobestoppedseveraltimesinordertotranscribethe
information.Ontheotherhandcatalogerswouldneedthenecessaryequipmenttoplay
variouskindsofresourcesattheirdesks,whichisoftennotthecase.
Fromtheusers’perspective,italsomakessensetobasethedescriptiononthecontainer
inthesecases,especiallywhenwethinkofusersinpubliclibraries.Userssearchingfora
DVD,avideoetc.inmostcaseswon’tbefamiliarwiththewordingonthetitlescreens,
butwillratherrelyoninformationgivenonthecontainer.
ThepracticeofnotnormallyviewingtheresourceisreflectedbytheformerGerman
cataloguingrules(RAK):Whencataloguingmovingimageresourceslikeamovieora
videogameonaDVDoranothertangiblecarrier,RAKcallsforusingthecontainer
issuedwiththeresourceasthefirstchoiceforthepreferredsourceofinformation.ththe
switchtoRDA,itwasobviousthatthebasicruleinRDA2.2.2.3wouldnotbesuitablefor
German-speakingcatalogers.Therefore,itwasdecidedtousethealternativerule:“Usea
labelwithatitlethatispermanentlyprintedonoraffixedtotheresourceinpreference
tothetitleframeorframes,ortitlescreenorscreens.Thisalternativedoesnotapplyto
labelsonaccompanyingtextualmaterialoracontainer.”ThisisdocumentedinaD-A-CH
policystatement.
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1.2 Practicalexperience
Wehavefoundthat,inmanycases,thealternativeruleworksquitewell.Althoughthe
labeloftendoesn’tgivemuchinformationbeyondthetitle,thisisnoproblem,as
informationlikethestatementofresponsibility,theeditionstatement,publication
statementetc.canbesuppliedfromthecontainer.
Afirst,minorproblemconcernsresourceswhichdonotincludealabelwithatitle.RDA
doesnotclearlyspecifyhowusersofthealternativeruleshouldproceedinsuchacase.
InaD-A-CHpolicystatementitwasdeterminedthatGerman-speakingcatalogersshould
followRDA2.2.2.3.1insuchacase,startingwithsubitemb),i.e.,theywouldusethe
containeroraccompanyingmaterialissuedwiththeresourceasthepreferredsourceof
information.
Asecond,moreseriousproblemwasencounteredincaseswherethelabelontheDVD
etc.doescontainonlytheoriginaltitleofthemovie,gameetc.,althoughthe
manifestationisclearlyaimedataGerman-speakingmarket.Anexampleforthisisthe
Fantasymovie“Hansel&Gretelwitchhunters”,whichinGermanywasreleasedunder
thetitle“Hänsel&GretelHexenjäger”andinItalyunderthetitle“Hansel&Gretel–
Cacciatoridistreghe”.InaGermanDVDmanifestationofthismovie,allthetextonthe
containerisinGerman.ThisincludestheGermantitle,whichisshownprominentlyon
thefrontofthecontainer.However,onlytheEnglishversionofthetitlecanbefoundon
thediscitself.
AstheDVDcontainsthemovieinGerman,ItalianandEnglish,thisispresumablydueto
thefactthatthepublisherusesthesamediscforGermanandItalianmanifestations.1
DependingonwhichlanguageisselectedwhenplayingtheDVD,eithertheGermanor
theItalianversionofthetitleissuperimposedovertheEnglishtitleonthemaintitle
frame.Ratherthanproducingtwoversionsofthesamedisc(onewiththeGermantitle
onthelabelandonewiththeItalianone),thepublisheroptedforprintingtheoriginal
titleonthediscandusingthisdiscinbothGermanyandItaly.However,the
manifestationsoldinGermanyhasaclearly“German”character,whichisprovedbythe
languageofthecontainer–justastheItalianmanifestationhasaclearly“Italian”
characterandshowstheItaliantitleonthecontainer.
WhencatalogingtheGermanmanifestationunderthealternativerule,theEnglishtitle
onthedisclabelwouldhavetobeusedastitleproper,whiletheGermantitlecouldonly
berecordedasaparalleltitle.WebelievethatthiswouldgoagainstRDA’scentralaimof
responsivenesstouserneeds(RDA0.4.2.1).Usersmightbeconfusediftheoriginaltitle
waspresentedmostprominently,andwronglyassumethattheywouldgetonlythe
Englishversionofthemovie.RecordingtheEnglishtitleasthetitleproperwouldalso
notadequatelycatchthe“German”characterofthemanifestationinquestionand
thereforeviolateRDA’sprincipleofrepresentation(RDA0.4.3.4).
1
ThisassumptionisconfirmedbythefactthattheItalianDVDmanifestationofthemoviealsoincludes
themovieinGerman,ItalianandEnglish.
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Thefactthatthepublisherdidn’tbothertoproduceaspecifically“German”or“Italian”
discinthiscaseisalsointerestinginitself.ItcanbeseenasevidencethatRDAmaybe
wronginassumingthatthelabelontheresourceisamoreimportantsourcethana
containerissuedwiththeresource.Notethatthesituationisnotcomparabletothatof
printedbooks:Foraprintedbook,itmakessensetotreatthetitlepageasmore
importantthanthecoverofthebook,asitusuallygivesmoreandfullerinformation.
WithaDVDetc.,thesituationisreversed,asthecontainernormallygivesmuchmore
informationthanthediscetc.itself.Ititnotveryprobablethatauserinterestedin
buyingorloaningaDVDwouldlookprimarilyatthediscinordertofindoutmoreabout
itscontent.
Theexampleofthedifferentlanguagetitleversionsisespeciallystriking,butothercases
canalsobeimaginedwheretheuseofthelabelontheresourceasthepreferredsource
ofinformationwouldleadtoasuboptimalresult.Therefore,wewouldliketosuggesta
revisionofthealternativeinstructionatRDA2.2.2.3.Therevisionaimsatleavingitto
cataloger’sjudgementwhetherthelabelontheresourceorthecontainershouldbeused
asthepreferredsourceofinformation.
Asthealternativecanonlybeusedfortangibleresources,thisshouldbestatedinthe
text.Thenewversionofthealternativeshouldalsostatehowtoproceedifneitherthe
labelnorthecontainerissuitableaspreferredsourceofinformation.Wealsosuggestto
movethelastsentenceoftheruleinfrontofthealternative.
RDA2.2.2.3.1wouldalsohavetoberevisedtoreflectthedecisionthatthelabelanda
containerissuedwiththeresourceshouldbeseenasequallysuitableasthepreferred
sourceofinformation.
Afinalpointconcernsthescopeoftheterm“container”.AplasticDVDkeepcase(poly
box)usuallyhasatransparentouterjacketwithaprintedpapersleevebehindit,which
givesthetextualinformation.Althoughthispapersleeveisn’tpermanentlyfixedandcan
beeasilyremoved,itshouldnonethelessbetreatedasapartofthecontainer.Notquite
soobviousisthesituationforjewelcases.Here,quiteoftenthecoverofthebooklet
(whichwewouldnormallyregardasaccompanyingmaterial)alsofunctionsasthefront
ofthecontainer.Therefore,thetextonthecoverofsuchabookletshouldbetreatedas
belongingtothecontaineraswell.Tocoverthis,wesuggestaddingasentencetothe
definitionof“container”intheglossary.
1.3 Proposedrevision
Marked-upversion
RDA2.2.2.3ResourcesConsistingofMovingImages
Iftheresourceconsistsofmovingimages(e.g.,afilmreel,avideodisc,avideogame,an
MPEGvideofile),usethetitleframeorframes,ortitlescreenorscreens,asthe
preferredsourceofinformation.Ifthetitleframesortitlescreensonlylistthetitlesof
theindividualcontentsandanothersourceformingpartoftheresourcehasaformally-
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presentedcollectivetitle,useasthepreferredsourceofinformationthefirstapplicable
sourcewithaformally-presentedcollectivetitle.
Iftheresourcedoesnotcontainatitleframeortitlescreen,applytheguidelinesfor
tangibleoronlineresourcestochoosethepreferredsourceofinformationatRDA
2.2.2.3.1or2.2.2.3.2.
Alternative:
UseForatangibleresource,useasthepreferredsourceofinformationin
preferencetothetitleframeorframes,ortitlescreenorscreens
either
a)alabelwithatitlethatispermanentlyprintedonoraffixedtotheresourcein
preferencetothetitleframeorframes,ortitlescreenorscreens.
or
b)acontainerissuedwiththeresource.
Thisalternativedoesnotapplytolabelsonaccompanyingtextualmaterialora
container.Ifthereisnolabelorcontainerissuedwiththeresourcewhichis
suitableaspreferredsourceofinformation,applytheguidelinesatRDA2.2.3.1,
startingwithsubitemb).
Iftheresourcedoesnotcontainatitleframeortitlescreen,applythefollowing
guidelinesfortangibleoronlineresourcestochoosethepreferredsourceof
information.
RDA2.2.2.3.1TangibleResources
Useasthepreferredsourceofinformationthefirstofthefollowingwithatitle:
a) alabelwithatitlethatispermanentlyprintedonoraffixedtotheresource,
excludingaccompanyingtextualmaterialoracontainer(e.g.,alabelona
videodisc)oracontainerissuedwiththeresource
b) foracomprehensivedescription,acontaineroraccompanyingmaterialissued
withtheresource
c) aninternalsourceformingpartofatangibledigitalresource(e.g.,adiscmenu).
Glossary
container
Housingthatisphysicallyseparablefromtheresourcebeinghoused(e.g.,aboxfora
discorvideocassette,asleeveforavideodisc).Acontainermayitselfconsistofseveral
physicallyseparableparts(e.g.,forajewelCDcase:thetwohalvesmakingupthecasing,
thebackcardandthecoverofthebooklet,whichalsofunctionsasthefrontofthe
container).
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Cleanversion
RDA2.2.2.3ResourcesConsistingofMovingImages
Iftheresourceconsistsofmovingimages(e.g.,afilmreel,avideodisc,avideogame,an
MPEGvideofile),usethetitleframeorframes,ortitlescreenorscreens,asthe
preferredsourceofinformation.Ifthetitleframesortitlescreensonlylistthetitlesof
theindividualcontentsandanothersourceformingpartoftheresourcehasaformallypresentedcollectivetitle,useasthepreferredsourceofinformationthefirstapplicable
sourcewithaformally-presentedcollectivetitle.
Iftheresourcedoesnotcontainatitleframeortitlescreen,applytheguidelinesfor
tangibleoronlineresourcestochoosethepreferredsourceofinformationatRDA
2.2.2.3.1or2.2.2.3.2.
Alternative:
Foratangibleresource,useasthepreferredsourceofinformationinpreferenceto
thetitleframeorframes,ortitlescreenorscreens
either
a)alabelwithatitlethatispermanentlyprintedonoraffixedtotheresource
or
b)acontainerissuedwiththeresource.
Ifthereisnolabelorcontainerissuedwiththeresourcewhichissuitableas
preferredsourceofinformation,applytheguidelinesatRDA2.2.3.1,startingwith
subitemb).
RDA2.2.2.3.1TangibleResources
Useasthepreferredsourceofinformationthefirstofthefollowingwithatitle:
d) alabelwithatitlethatispermanentlyprintedonoraffixedtotheresource
(e.g.,alabelonavideodisc)oracontainerissuedwiththeresource
e) foracomprehensivedescription,accompanyingmaterialissuedwiththe
resource
f) aninternalsourceformingpartofatangibledigitalresource(e.g.,adiscmenu).
Glossary
container
Housingthatisphysicallyseparablefromtheresourcebeinghoused(e.g.,aboxfora
discorvideocassette,asleeveforavideodisc).Acontainermayitselfconsistofseveral
physicallyseparableparts(e.g.,forajewelCDcase:thetwohalvesmakingupthecasing,
thebackcardandthecoverofthebooklet,whichalsofunctionsasthefrontofthe
container).
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2. TangibleOtherResources
2.1 Background
Aswasarguedbefore,forcertaintangibleresourcesacontainerissuedwiththe
resourceseemstobeatleastequallysuitableasthepreferredsourceofinformationasa
permanentlyaffixedlabel.Itstandstoreasonthatthisisalsotruefortangibleresources
whichfallunder“otherresources”(RDA2.2.2.4).
WethereforesuggesttoreviseRDA2.2.2.4.1inordertogivethecontainermore
prominenceinthepriorityorderandputitonanequallevelwithapermanentlyaffixed
labelundersubitema).Notethat,again,itshouldbeamatterofcataloger’sjudgement
whetherthecontainershouldbepreferredtoapermanentlyaffixedlabelornot.
2.2 Proposedrevision
Marked-upversion
RDA2.2.2.4.1TangibleResources
Useasthepreferredsourceofinformationthefirstofthefollowingwithatitle:
a)atextualsourceontheresourceitself(e.g.,aslide),oralabelthatispermanently
printedonoraffixedtotheresource,excludingaccompanyingtextualmaterialora
container(e.g.,alabelonanaudioCDoramodel),oracontainerissuedwiththe
resource
b)aninternalsource,suchasatitlescreen,whosetextualcontentformallypresentsthe
title
c) foracomprehensivedescription,acontaineroraccompanyingmaterialissuedwith
theresource.
Ifnoneofthesesourceshasatitle,useasthepreferredsourceofinformationanother
sourceformingpartoftheresourceitself,givingpreferencetosourcesinwhichthe
informationisformallypresented.
Cleanversion
RDA2.2.2.4.1TangibleResources
Useasthepreferredsourceofinformationthefirstofthefollowingwithatitle:
a)atextualsourceontheresourceitself(e.g.,aslide),alabelthatispermanently
printedonoraffixedtotheresource(e.g.,alabelonanaudioCDoramodel),ora
containerissuedwiththeresource
b)aninternalsource,suchasatitlescreen,whosetextualcontentformallypresentsthe
title
c) foracomprehensivedescription,accompanyingmaterialissuedwiththeresource.
Ifnoneofthesesourceshasatitle,useasthepreferredsourceofinformationanother
sourceformingpartoftheresourceitself,givingpreferencetosourcesinwhichthe
informationisformallypresented.
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3. OnlineInformationPresentedtogetherwithDigitalDocuments
3.1 Background
AnotherimportantpointofdiscussionfortheGerman-speakingcommunityconcerned
digitaldocuments,e.g.electronicdocumentsinrepositories,digitizedbooksonlibray
websitesore-booksfromcommercialvendors.Inthesecases,itisnoproblemto
determinethepreferredsourceofinformationaccordingtoRDA2.2.2.2,asthe
documentsconsistof“imagesofoneormorepages,leaves,sheets,orcards(e.g.,a
microformreproductionofamusicalscore,aPDFfileofatext,microformreproductions
ofasetofsheetmaps,aJPEGimageofaphotograph)”.So,normally,theimageofthetitle
page(e.g.,thetitlepageofthePDFdocument)isusedasthepreferredsourceof
information.
However,itisnotquiteclearwhichothersourcesofinformationcanbeusedfor
transcribinginformationwithouthavingtoindicatethatthisinformationistakenfrom
outsidetheresource(e.g.,byusingsquarebrackets),accordingtoRDA2.2.4.In
particular,thisquestionariseswithregardtoonlineinformationwhichispresented
togetherwiththeactualresource.
Atypicalexampleforthiswouldbeinformationgivenonthelandingpageforthe
documentinarepository.ThisisusuallyaHTMLpagewhichgivesbibliographicand
perhapsothermetadataandalsoincludesalinktotheresourceitself.Inothercases,the
imageoftheactualresource(e.g.,adigitizedbook)canbeseenononehalfofthescreen,
whileadditionalinformationabouttheresourceispresentedontheother.
Suchinformationpresentedtogetherwithoralongsidetheactualresourceisoften
necessaryforidentification.Agoodexamplearedigitizedbooksormanuscripts:Inthese
cases,thenameofthelibrarywhichdidthedigitizingandputitonitswebsite(i.e.,the
publisherofthereproduction)canoftenonlybefoundinthisadditionalinformation.
Anotherexamplearecommerciale-books,whichareidenticalincontent,butareoffered
ondifferentplatformsbydifferentproviders.Ifweviewtheseasdifferent
manifestationsandwanttodescribethemassuch,2wecanonlydosobyrelyingonthe
additionalinformationpresentedtogetherwiththecoredocument(theactuale-book).
Sothequestionis:Shouldthiskindofinformationbeseenasapartoftheresourceor
not?
Unfortunately,RDA2.2.2.1doesnotexplicitlycoverthiscase.Theclosestfitisthe
sentence“Whendescribingtheresourceasawholeusingacomprehensivedescription,
treataccompanyingmaterialaspartoftheresourceitself.”Althoughwetendtothinkof
accompanyingmaterialonlyintermsoftangibleresources,onlineinformation
2
Cf.FRBR3.2.3Manifestation:“Wheretheproductionprocessinvolvesapublisher,producer,
distributor,etc.,andtherearechangessignaledintheproductthatarerelatedtopublication,
marketing,etc.(e.g.,achangeinpublisher,repackaging,etc.),theresultingproductmaybeconsidered
anewmanifestation.”Itwould,ofcourse,alsopossibletooptforaproviderneutraldescriptionand
notbringoutthedifferentmanifestations.
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presentedtogetherwithoralongsidetheactualresourcecanbeseenashavingthesame
character.
Consequently,theGerman-speakingcommunityhasestablishedaD-A-CHpolicy
statementtotreatsuchinformationaspartoftheresource.Wesuggesttoaddsentences
tothiseffecttoRDA2.2.2.1.Thedifferencebetweentangibleresourcesandonline
resourcesshouldalsobebroughtoutclearlyintherevisedtextoftheinstruction.
3.2 Proposedrevision
Marked-upversion
RDA2.2.2.1GeneralGuidelines
(beginningofinstructionunchanged)
Whendescribingtheatangibleresourceasawholeusingacomprehensivedescription,
treataccompanyingmaterialaspartoftheresourceitself.Whendescribinganonline
resourceasawholeusingacomprehensivedescription,treatonlineinformationwhich
ispresentedtogetherwithoralongsidetheactualresource(e.g.,landingpages,jump-off
pages,metadatapages)aspartoftheresourceitself.
Whenpreparingananalyticaldescriptionofoneormorecomponentsofatangible
resource,treataccompanyingmaterialasasourceoutsidetheresourceitself(i.e.,asa
relatedresource).Whenpreparingananalyticaldescriptionofoneormorecomponents
ofanonlineresource,treatonlineinformationwhichispresentedtogetherwithor
alongsidetheactualresource(e.g.,landingpages,jump-offpages,metadatapages)asa
sourceoutsidetheresourceitself(i.e.,asarelatedresource).
(restofinstructionunchanged)
Cleanversion
RDA2.2.2.1GeneralGuidelines
(beginningofinstructionunchanged)
Whendescribingatangibleresourceasawholeusingacomprehensivedescription,
treataccompanyingmaterialaspartoftheresourceitself.Whendescribinganonline
resourceasawholeusingacomprehensivedescription,treatonlineinformationwhich
ispresentedtogetherwithoralongsidetheactualresource(e.g.,landingpages,jump-off
pages,metadatapages)aspartoftheresourceitself.
Whenpreparingananalyticaldescriptionofoneormorecomponentsofatangible
resource,treataccompanyingmaterialasasourceoutsidetheresourceitself(i.e.,asa
relatedresource).Whenpreparingananalyticaldescriptionofoneormorecomponents
ofanonlineresource,treatonlineinformationwhichispresentedtogetherwithor
alongsidetheactualresource(e.g.,landingpages,jump-offpages,metadatapages)asa
sourceoutsidetheresourceitself(i.e.,asarelatedresource).
(restofinstructionunchanged)