CILIP Executive Briefings 2014
RDA: Resource
Description and
Access
Thursday 12 June 2014
Organised by
Prime Sponsor
#CILIPRDA14
CILIP Executive Briefings 2014
Implementing RDA at the Courtauld
Institute of Art: the experiences of a
small, specialised academic library
Deborah Lee, Senior Cataloguer, Courtauld Institute of Art
Organised by
Prime Sponsor
#CILIPRDA14
Deborah Lee, Senior cataloguer
The Courtauld Institute of Art
CILIP Executive Briefing, Thursday 12th June 2014
RDA is …
1.
2.
3.
4.
Background and context
RDA training for a small team
Negotiating specialist formats
Strategic impact of RDA implementation
The Courtauld Institute of Art
 Specialist university for history of art (etc.)
 … plus a gallery
 Book library: 8.6 FTE staff
 Staff who catalogue:
◦ 4 librarians as major part of role
◦ 2 graduate trainees
◦ Serials, special collections, etc.
RDA implementation at the Courtauld
 When?
◦ Original cataloguing from April 2013

Why?
◦ Ebb and flow of year meant had to be Spring time!

How?
◦ Planning and “pre-implementation” from 2012

How much?
◦ Currently, books, e-books and exhibition
catalogues; serials in summer 2014
Two categories of training
1. “Conversion training”
2. Cataloguing training for “new cataloguers”
in an RDA library
Turn back the clocks to early 2013 …
Phase 1. Training sessions
◦ January-March
◦ 6 workshops, ½ day each
Phase 2. Guided RDA practice
◦ April-May
◦ Everyone catalogued same 20 books and exhibition
catalogues  practice + testing local policies
Phase 3. Reviewed cataloguing in RDA
◦ June
◦ Cataloguing “normally”, but records under review

Some of the options for training sessions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Attend external training
Buy in tailor-made external training
Use someone else’s RDA training materials
Create our own training

Some of the options for training sessions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Attend external training
Buy in tailor-made external training
Use someone else’s RDA training materials
Create our own training
Cost,
availability,
etc.
Reflecting on our 2013 conversion
training …




It worked!
Some elements needed less training time, e.g.
manufacturers/distributors, Toolkit
Utilising LC training materials was not always
effective, as difference in needs
Changes to RDA and to our local practices
since 2013 training
Changes to 2014 training





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Toolkit incorporated into “getting-to-knowRDA” activity
Fewer external training slides
More emphasis on local policies
More contemplation about sources
Less training on manufacturers/distributors
Shortened version of “conversion training” for
those already in RDA mind-set
Art (history) library
=
special formats
RDA+exhibition catalogues = complex issue …
1. Primary source. No specific rules in RDA;
conventional collective titles; general
compilation issues
2. Secondary sources. Lacking! No guidelines
on RDA for exhibition catalogues; confusion
in LC guidelines for “Art catalogs”
3. Realisation of “1” and “2” as seen in
catalogue records. Large variety of
“solutions” in RDA downloaded records
How did we work through this?
 Extra (Courtauld) guidelines for dealing with
exhibition catalogues
 Produced local examples
 Discussions with other art libraries and legal
deposit libraries, working towards a common
solution for U.K.
 Also monitoring international art cataloguing
discussions
What was the strategic impact of RDA
implementation?



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Speed of cataloguing
Size of backlog and turnaround times
Workflows
Impact on readers
Speed of cataloguing
Does cataloguing in RDA take any longer than
AACR2?

Answer: After training period, mostly “no”
Size of backlog and turnaround times
What impact did RDA implementation make on
cataloguing backlogs and turnaround times?


Answer: During and immediately after
implementation = big increase in backlog +
small increase in turnaround times;
Now back to “normal”
Workflows
Has adopting RDA affected workflows?

Answer: During implementation: a bit; a year
on: no. E.g. everyone now catalogues in
AACR2 *and * RDA
Impact on readers
Has adopting RDA and/or implementation RDA
had an impact on service offered to readers?

Answer: Slightly slower cataloguing times
during 1st year, but normal now. No reader
feedback so far on changes to catalogue …



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“Year 1” was mostly smooth
After initial training, little impact on library
Time passing makes some things easier, as
“issues” in RDA resolved
However ... still instability/inconsistency, so
need flexibility and expect changes
1 year later …
CILIP Executive Briefings 2014
RDA: Resource
Description and
Access
Thursday 12 June 2014
Organised by
Prime Sponsor
#CILIPRDA14