RDA as a “first language”:
teaching beginner cataloguers in
RDA
Deborah Lee
CILIP CIG conference, 10/9/14
Obligatory
cat
However …
the majority – not all – of this literature
focusses on “conversion training”
Canine
revenge
(That is, training existing cataloguers how to
catalogue in RDA)
What about those new to
cataloguing?
 Going to use Courtauld’s cataloguing
training to help answer this question
Schedule
1. Outline of cataloguing training in RDA
2. Impact of local policies
3. Relationships
1. Outline of cataloguing training
1. Workshops
•
•
•
•
6-8 sessions of 3 hours
In seminar room, not library
Teaching methods: “Lectures” and “exercises”
Reading between some sessions
1. Outline of cataloguing training
2. Practical cataloguing
•
•
•
•
Produce “real” catalogue records on LMS
Under review
Written and verbal feedback provided
“Assessment” is to produce enough perfect
records for “independent status”
Having fun practicing
cataloguing!
1. Outline of cataloguing training
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
2013-14 cataloguing training
Introduction to cataloguing, FRBR
and RDA
Titles
Publication and exhibition notes
Contents, carriers and media
Relationships
Authority control
Other elements and putting
everything together
Practice and practical matters
1. Outline of cataloguing training
Structure: Any notable differences
from AACR2 training?
• Slightly longer
• More introductory material, e.g. FRBR
• More time on relationships
More details, see my article about
teaching RDA
1. Outline of cataloguing training
To look at question, consider two aspects:
1. Impact of local policies in designing and
delivering cataloguing “in” RDA
2. Teaching the complex topic of
relationships “in” RDA
2. Impact of local policies
• Need local policies to work with RDA
• More local policies in RDA than in AACR2
• Local policies significant part of RDA
implementation
• What is the impact of local policies on
training new cataloguers in RDA?
Remember, local policies are not about going against
RDA, just about making consistent decisions about
what is in RDA
2. Impact of local policies
Produce excellent
general cataloguers
Need to do job in
hand
2. Impact of local policies
Ways of articulating local policies within
training:
Highlight verbally in training sessions
Local policies indicated in guidelines
In future, guidelines part of RDA Toolkit
and will also be indicated
2. Impact of local policies
Example of local
policy: Courtauld
RDA training 201314, week 2, slide 27.
2. Impact of local policies
Issues with local policies
• Complexity of explaining sometimes
contradictory instructions
• Sending staff to external training
• Using online, existing training
3. Teaching relationships
Structure of relationship training
Relationships
Week 5 of
Courtauld training
Week 6 of
Courtauld training
3. Teaching relationships
Week 5 structure [Relationships]
1. Relationships in RDA
2. Identifying Group 2 entities
3. MARC21 fields for group 2 entities
4. Relationship designators
5. Exhibition catalogue relationships
Plus pictures of
cute animals
3. Teaching relationships
What did we learn about teaching RDA
relationships?
Concept of relationship designators very
natural
Difficult to split relationship designators from
the group 2 entities when creating training
Biggest structural change from AACR2, so
longest session to write
3. Teaching relationships
Working out basic “type”, e.g. artist
creator, compilation, etc.
Comprehension of consequences
Choice of group 2 term
Authority control, MARC21, punctuation
Choice of relationship designator
Relationship process in RDA
3. Teaching relationships
Working out basic “type”, e.g. artist
creator, compilation, etc.
Comprehension of consequences
Choice of group 2 term
Authority control, MARC21, punctuation
Relationship process in AACR2
3. Teaching relationships
Error analysis
• 78 records by one group of RDA “natives”
 31 relationship errors to analyse
3. Teaching relationships
Common errors
• Decisions about artists as single creators
• Not adhering to local practice on number of
contributors
• Dealing with multiple relationship designators
for same Group 2 entity
Lessons learnt: think carefully about how we
teach these topics
3. Teaching relationships
Categorise errors according to model …
• Few errors: MARC21/punctuation
• Most errors: relationship designators
• 2nd highest no. of errors: “consequences”
But … Errors in relationship designators actually
mask misunderstanding of concepts, i.e. in
consequences stage
3. Teaching relationships
Working out basic “type”, e.g. artist
creator, compilation, etc.
Comprehension of consequences
Choice of group 2 term
Authority control, MARC21, punctuation
Choice of relationship designator
3. Teaching relationships
Changes and knowledge gained:
1. Some rules and guidelines need teaching more
carefully, e.g. artists as single creators
2. Teach relationship designators alongside group 2
entities (as suggested by error analysis and
creating training)
3. Radical (!) idea: explore teaching relationships
before resource description?
3. Teaching relationships
Proposed structure of week 5
relationships training:
1. Relationships in RDA
2. Identifying Group 2 entities
3. Relationship designators
4. MARC21 fields for group 2 entities
5. Exhibition catalogue relationships
Concluding thoughts
• Teaching cataloguing in RDA presents
new challenges
• RDA as “first language” has not been a
hindrance
In fact … teaching to those with RDA as a
“first language”, could help teachers move
closer to RDA becoming their first
cataloguing language!