Aacr2 Vs Rda Final
Aacr2 Vs Rda Final
Aacr2 Vs Rda Final
2
Abstract
organization of libraries. They developed a set of principles and rules that would be the
foundation to our own cataloging standards today.
Just like the creation of the printing press changed the way libraries would gather
and organized materials, the Internet has created a similar problem. The Anglo-American
Cataloging Rules were developed in 1967 as a cataloging standard for English nations to
carry on the new age of Internet services. Before this new program was introduced, a card
catalog system was commonly used to find the different materials housed within the
library. The rules cover the same ideas as the card catalog, but focused on the description
of, and provision of access points for, all library materials commonly collected at that
time.
In 1978, the second addition was introduced. It was published by: the American
Library Association, the Canadian Library Association and the Chartered Institute of
Library and Information Professionals in the UK. The updated version provided
additional guidance for names of persons, families, corporate bodies, and places
providing a consistency in both structure and application.
During this time an online computer library center, known as OCLC, was also
developed. In 1967, it was created with the intention of being a nonprofit computer
library service dedicated to furthering access to the worlds information and reducing
information costs. With these two tools working sided by side, a library system could
copy cataloged materials in the same way and have it similar to library systems
continents away.
Only 50 years ago libraries consisted of books and periodicals, the card catalog,
and only a few had archival services. By the end of the 20th century, digital formats and
the Internet began to be treated as published works. With multiple formats, the way we
catalog needed to change. The Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules and Resource
Description and Access were designed to answer that need.
Even though the OCLC database and AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloguing
Rules, Second Edition) are still successfully used today, a new set of rules and guidelines
have been written and published for our growing needs. It was introduced to libraries as a
Resource Description and Access (RDA) standard and is intended not only for libraries,
but also museums, and archives as well.
RDA is considered to be the successor to the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules
Second edition. However, it was not well received in the US. It was published during a
depressed economy and thought to abandon a lot of the established practices.
Karen Coyle and Diane Hillmann discuss RDA in an article titled, Cataloging
Rules for the 20th Century. Coyle believes that the library is can no longer to be
considered as a primary information provider. Its competitors, such as Amazon and
Google, provide digital information that can only be accessed with an Internet
connection. With out the use of Resource Description and Access (RDA), we will not be
able to avoid further marginalization. Libraries need to make this change in their
approach to user services. Coyle and Hillmann believe that the only way to survive these
new competitors is to embrace RDAs modifications to the rules.
Most of the differences between the two standards are minor changes and are
meant to provide more fluidity to the cataloging process. Where AACR2 was designed
for all English based libraries worldwide; RDA is designed for every library worldwide.
whole new world of cataloging and organizing of information, and it allows for many
possibilities not only in libraries, but also museums, archives, businesses, other
information organizations.
Even though RDA, Resource Description and Access, is being adopted by most
US Libraries, this standard is quite different from AACR2 and there will be many
changes made to bibliographic records both prospectively and retrospectively in the
OCLC database. However, even though the goals of RDA and its use within the new
interconnected libraries are changing for the better, they need to be achieved in short
order if libraries are to retain their users' loyalty.
Organizing knowledge is not just about the document description, indexing and
classification performed in libraries, databases, and archives, but it is now a guide for
users to follow and search library catalogs. It is an ongoing process, and will continue to
progress as we do. The evolution from the card catalog to the Internet database changed
the way libraries organized their collections. RDA offers that same solution and will
serve for now, but who knows what the future will bring.
References
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