Indiana University Libraries
RDA Training
Cataloging Division
IUB Local RDA Policies
Dates in Personal Name Authorized Access Points: LC and PCC will present birth and death dates in
authorized access points like this when only one of the dates is known: 1955- for a birth only date and 2011 for a death only date. NACO catalogers must follow this practice, and it is local policy that all
personal name authorized access points will follow this format when one of these two situations arise.
Transcription: Our local policy is to continue using AACR2 transcription practices in terms of
capitalization.
Non-Latin script fields: Our local policy is to record a transliteration and provide parallel fields in the
non-Latin script for scripts/languages supported by OCLC.
ISBN Qualifiers: Our local policy is to use the terminology provided in the item being cataloged when
describing binding or format, e.g. “(pbk),” “(ebook),” “(paperback : acid-free paper),” when adding a
qualifier to an ISBN. It’s OK to abbreviate words for volume, part, etc.
Titles and honorifics in a 245 statement of responsibility: Our local policy is to include titles,
honorifics, etc. in a statement of responsibility only when the information is deemed significant by the
cataloger.
Providing usages for personal/corporate/Conference names that are traced in authorized access
points: Our local policy is to provide a usage in a descriptive field of the bibliographic record (statement
of responsibility, 264 field, note field, etc.) whenever possible for any personal/corporate/conference
name provided in a 100-111 or 700-711 authorized access point.
ISBD punctuation: It is a local decision to continue to use ISBD punctuation in our RDA cataloging.
Statements of responsibility for multiple authors, editors, etc.: Our local policy is to follow the RDA
Core guidelines and supply only the first named or most prominent in a statement of
responsibility. However, catalogers can add additional names/corporate bodies to a statement of
responsibility if they feel the situation warrants the additional information.
Date of publication not in Latin numerals: Our local policy is to transcribe the date of publication as
Latin numerals, even when presented on the piece in a different form. If the information is considered
helpful, the cataloger may opt to provide both the date as presented on the piece and in Latin numeral
form.
Codes for 336-338 fields: For the 336-338 fields, some libraries are using a $b with a code for the
Content, Media, and Carrier types. Our local policy is to provide a $a with the appropriate term and a $2
with the appropriate source of the term in these fields. However, $b’s should not be deleted if they are on
an existing record.
Series: Local policy is to provide an 8XX field in addition to the 490 field for traced series, using the
authorized form of the access point.
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Recording relationships between expressions for a translation: Local policy is to include a 240 field
for a translation, as appropriate, and a 7XX field noting the relationship of the expression being cataloged
to the expression in the original language. Example:
100 1# $a Brown, Dan, $d 1964240 10 $a Digital fortress. $l French
245 10 $a Forteresse digitale.
700 1# $i Translation of: $a Brown, Dan, $d 1964- $t Digital fortress.
Illustrative Content: Local policy is to provide a 300 $b when illustrations are present for a
title.
Fixed Fields: Local policy is to follow current (AACR2) practices for which fixed field
elements to supply for RDA cataloging.
Variant Titles: Local policy is to normally provide 246 fields for parallel titles, corrected titles,
and titles with numerals (other than years) in the first 5 words
Primary Government Agency for Government Publications: Local policy is to add an
authorized access point for the primary government agency when cataloging government
publications
041 Fields: Local policy is to continue to add 041 fields, as appropriate, for multi-language
titles, titles with summaries and/or table of contents in a language other than that in the fixed
field LANG element, and for translations
336-338 Fields for Titles in Multiple Formats: Local policy is to provide a 336, 337, and 338 field for
the predominant content/media/carrier for the title. When circumstances warrant providing this
information for multiple formats for the same title, cataloger should provide multiple 336, 337, and 338
fields, as appropriate, and not add multiple $a’s to a single 336, 337, or 338 field.
jjb 9/5/2012
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