, PLEASE USE THIS DOCUMENT AS A GUIDE ONLY
QUESTION 1
1.1. In this module we use RDA and MARC 21 to record information resources for ease of
retrieval. As a student, it is vital that you understand the meaning and the evolution of RDA as
instructions used in recording information resources. Provide the definition of RDA and briefly
highlight the three frameworks that were used in the development of RDA.
Definition of RDA
According to Joudrey et al. (2015), RDA: Resource Description & Access is a content standard. It is
a set of rules or instructions designed to guide catalogers, indexers, and other information
professionals in the creation of metadata for bibliographic records, authority records, and other forms
of resource description. RDA is the intended replacement for the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules,
2nd edition (AACR2), and is built to be more inclusive, flexible, and adaptable to digital
environments and a wider range of resource types beyond traditional library materials (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 130-131).
Three Frameworks Used in the Development of RDA
The development of RDA was heavily influenced by three foundational international standards
created by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). These
frameworks provide the conceptual underpinning for RDA’s structure and principles (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 130):
The Statement of International Cataloguing Principles (ICP): This document, which updated
and expanded the earlier Paris Principles, outlines the general principles that should guide
cataloging codes. Key principles include the "Convenience of the User" as the highest priority,
"Representation" (recording data as it appears on the resource), and "Accuracy." The ICP
ensures that RDA is aligned with international goals for consistency and user-focused access
(Joudrey et al., 2015, p. 52-55).
Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR): FRBR is an abstract conceptual
model that provides a framework for understanding the components of the bibliographic
universe. It organizes entities into three groups, most notably Group 1: Work (the intellectual
creation), Expression (the intellectual or artistic realization of a work), Manifestation (the
physical embodiment of an expression), and Item (a single exemplar of a manifestation).
FRBR’s entity-relationship structure forms the backbone of RDA’s organization (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 61-66).
Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD): FRAD is a conceptual model designed
as a companion to FRBR, focusing specifically on authority data. It provides a framework for
the data needed to control access points for entities such as persons, families, and corporate
bodies. FRAD helps catalogers understand the relationships between entities and their names
(e.g., pseudonyms, name changes), which is essential for building the authoritative access
points used in RDA (Joudrey et al., 2015, p. 101-102).
, 1.2. There are three areas key to the description of carriers brought by the RDA toolkit. These
areas consist of tags such as 336, 337 and 338. Provide a discussion of these three areas and
provide examples.
The RDA toolkit introduced three specific metadata elements—content type, media type, and carrier
type—to replace the single "General Material Designation" (GMD) used in previous cataloging rules
like AACR2. These three elements are encoded in MARC 21 bibliographic records using tags 336,
337, and 338 respectively. Their purpose is to provide a more precise and granular description of the
resource by separating the intellectual content from the physical or logical container (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 135).
The move away from the GMD was driven by several issues. As noted in a discussion paper on
GMDs, the terms were an "unfortunate mix of physical format, class of material, form of carrier, and
notation" (Anglo-American cataloguing rules, 2001, p. 4). Furthermore, the Library of Congress felt
that GMDs were "less satisfactory than the specific designations that are found in the physical
description area," as a term like "sound recording" gives no clue about the specific carrier (e.g.,
cassette vs. CD) (Anglo-American cataloguing rules, 2001, p. 4).
Below is a discussion of each of the three areas with examples.
1. Tag 336: Content Type (RDA 6.9)
Purpose: This field reflects the "fundamental form of communication in which the content is
expressed and the human sense through which it is intended to be perceived" (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 300). It answers the question: "What is it?" in terms of the work's expression.
Examples: Typical terms from the RDA controlled vocabulary include text, performed music,
still image, two-dimensional moving image, cartographic image, and spoken word.
2. Tag 337: Media Type (RDA 3.2)
Purpose: This field reflects the "general type of intermediation device required to view, play,
run, etc., the content of a resource" (Joudrey et al., 2015, p. 250). It answers the question:
"What equipment is needed?" This element replaces the concept of "intermediation device"
implied but not clearly stated in the GMD.
Examples: The controlled vocabulary for media type includes unmediated (for resources like
books that require no special device), audio (for resources requiring a sound player), computer
(for resources requiring a computer), microform, projected, and video (Joudrey et al., 2015, p.
250-251).
3. Tag 338: Carrier Type (RDA 3.3)
Purpose: This field reflects the "format of the storage medium and housing of a carrier in
combination with the type of intermediation device required" (Joudrey et al., 2015, p. 251). It
answers the question: "What is the physical or logical container?"
Examples: The controlled vocabulary for carrier type includes volume (for a book), audio disc
(for a CD), videodisc (for a DVD), computer disc (for a CD-ROM), online resource (for a
website or PDF), and audiocassette.
QUESTION 1
1.1. In this module we use RDA and MARC 21 to record information resources for ease of
retrieval. As a student, it is vital that you understand the meaning and the evolution of RDA as
instructions used in recording information resources. Provide the definition of RDA and briefly
highlight the three frameworks that were used in the development of RDA.
Definition of RDA
According to Joudrey et al. (2015), RDA: Resource Description & Access is a content standard. It is
a set of rules or instructions designed to guide catalogers, indexers, and other information
professionals in the creation of metadata for bibliographic records, authority records, and other forms
of resource description. RDA is the intended replacement for the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules,
2nd edition (AACR2), and is built to be more inclusive, flexible, and adaptable to digital
environments and a wider range of resource types beyond traditional library materials (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 130-131).
Three Frameworks Used in the Development of RDA
The development of RDA was heavily influenced by three foundational international standards
created by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). These
frameworks provide the conceptual underpinning for RDA’s structure and principles (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 130):
The Statement of International Cataloguing Principles (ICP): This document, which updated
and expanded the earlier Paris Principles, outlines the general principles that should guide
cataloging codes. Key principles include the "Convenience of the User" as the highest priority,
"Representation" (recording data as it appears on the resource), and "Accuracy." The ICP
ensures that RDA is aligned with international goals for consistency and user-focused access
(Joudrey et al., 2015, p. 52-55).
Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR): FRBR is an abstract conceptual
model that provides a framework for understanding the components of the bibliographic
universe. It organizes entities into three groups, most notably Group 1: Work (the intellectual
creation), Expression (the intellectual or artistic realization of a work), Manifestation (the
physical embodiment of an expression), and Item (a single exemplar of a manifestation).
FRBR’s entity-relationship structure forms the backbone of RDA’s organization (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 61-66).
Functional Requirements for Authority Data (FRAD): FRAD is a conceptual model designed
as a companion to FRBR, focusing specifically on authority data. It provides a framework for
the data needed to control access points for entities such as persons, families, and corporate
bodies. FRAD helps catalogers understand the relationships between entities and their names
(e.g., pseudonyms, name changes), which is essential for building the authoritative access
points used in RDA (Joudrey et al., 2015, p. 101-102).
, 1.2. There are three areas key to the description of carriers brought by the RDA toolkit. These
areas consist of tags such as 336, 337 and 338. Provide a discussion of these three areas and
provide examples.
The RDA toolkit introduced three specific metadata elements—content type, media type, and carrier
type—to replace the single "General Material Designation" (GMD) used in previous cataloging rules
like AACR2. These three elements are encoded in MARC 21 bibliographic records using tags 336,
337, and 338 respectively. Their purpose is to provide a more precise and granular description of the
resource by separating the intellectual content from the physical or logical container (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 135).
The move away from the GMD was driven by several issues. As noted in a discussion paper on
GMDs, the terms were an "unfortunate mix of physical format, class of material, form of carrier, and
notation" (Anglo-American cataloguing rules, 2001, p. 4). Furthermore, the Library of Congress felt
that GMDs were "less satisfactory than the specific designations that are found in the physical
description area," as a term like "sound recording" gives no clue about the specific carrier (e.g.,
cassette vs. CD) (Anglo-American cataloguing rules, 2001, p. 4).
Below is a discussion of each of the three areas with examples.
1. Tag 336: Content Type (RDA 6.9)
Purpose: This field reflects the "fundamental form of communication in which the content is
expressed and the human sense through which it is intended to be perceived" (Joudrey et al.,
2015, p. 300). It answers the question: "What is it?" in terms of the work's expression.
Examples: Typical terms from the RDA controlled vocabulary include text, performed music,
still image, two-dimensional moving image, cartographic image, and spoken word.
2. Tag 337: Media Type (RDA 3.2)
Purpose: This field reflects the "general type of intermediation device required to view, play,
run, etc., the content of a resource" (Joudrey et al., 2015, p. 250). It answers the question:
"What equipment is needed?" This element replaces the concept of "intermediation device"
implied but not clearly stated in the GMD.
Examples: The controlled vocabulary for media type includes unmediated (for resources like
books that require no special device), audio (for resources requiring a sound player), computer
(for resources requiring a computer), microform, projected, and video (Joudrey et al., 2015, p.
250-251).
3. Tag 338: Carrier Type (RDA 3.3)
Purpose: This field reflects the "format of the storage medium and housing of a carrier in
combination with the type of intermediation device required" (Joudrey et al., 2015, p. 251). It
answers the question: "What is the physical or logical container?"
Examples: The controlled vocabulary for carrier type includes volume (for a book), audio disc
(for a CD), videodisc (for a DVD), computer disc (for a CD-ROM), online resource (for a
website or PDF), and audiocassette.
