Dear MIG colleagues,
With apologies for delays, I wanted to note that in general I am very support of all the proposals coming from the RDA Extent Working Group. The current text of the Official RDA element Manifestation:extent of manifestation is quite convoluted, and I feel like these proposals will go a long way towards making this area of the RDA standard easier to use. If you have any comments, please try to get them to me ASAP so that I can share them with the broader CC:DA constituency. Here are some of the specific comments and concerns I have:
Extent Working Group 2025-2
Proposal for Manifestation: Extent of Unitary Structure
recommendation 2.3: In the definition of "exhibit," I would recommend keeping the enumeration of potential accompanying / aggregated materials in an exhibit open-ended. Limiting to "cases, labels, and explanatory text and still images" will create problems down the line. Consider, for example, audio guides and other types of multimedia that already commonly accompany exhibits, as well as videos, three-dimensional objects and models, and other kinds of objects, text, images, and media that often are created for exhibitions.
Extent Working Group 2025-7
Proposal for Container and Storage Subelements of Manifestation: Extent of Manifestation
I raise the question: Why should Manifestation:dimensions of container be a subelement of Manifestation:Manifestation Extent Statement, rather than of Manifestation:dimensions?
For the discussion paper, I have some concerns.
RSC Technical Working Group 2025-1
Discussion paper on soft-deprecated parallel elements
I agree with some of the concerns raised about this discussion paper by others in CC:DA, including Jessica Grzegorski (RBMS liaison). It strikes me that entirely removing parallel elements would perhaps complicate practical implementations of RDA. If we are deprecating "parallel" elements, would it not be logical to deprecate all other qualified elements (e.g. the various "variant" title elements, the various "title proper" elements, etc.) ? I don't feel like the discussion paper sufficiently establishes the rationale for deprecating these parallel elements, although I understand that this was a decision made during the 3R project. I would be more supportive of this paper if it suggested a general mechanism for communities to distinguish between different types of elements (titles, edition statements, etc.). For example, a community could possibly use a Nomen:Category of nomen qualifier to distinguish between different kinds of titles, edition statements, etc. Using Categories of nomen could help solve some of the bloat in the total number of RDA elements while enabling local communities to develop vocabularies for things like types of title, types of edition statement; this approach would be both linked-data friendly AND compatible with the granularity of many current implementations which distinguish between title proper, parallel title, etc. etc. Without providing such a mechanism, the discussion paper jettisons this nuance, and leaves it to local cataloging communities to figure out their own mechanisms for retaining this nuance while remaining compliant with RDA. This could lead to a wide variety of incompatible approaches, which is surely not a desirable outcome.
Proposal to Add the Elements Format of Notated Movement and Details of Format of Notated Movement
I support this proposal, and look forward to the improved description that its implementation will offer to notated movement collections!
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Timothy Ryan Mendenhall (he/him)
Metadata Librarian, Columbia University
CORE Metadata Interest Group Liaison to CC:DA
trm2151@columbia.edu------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: Nov 26, 2025 01:56 PM
From: Timothy Mendenhall
Subject: 10 new RDA proposals: please send comments by Fri. 19 Dec.
Dear Core Metadata Interest Group colleagues,
It's taken a little while, but RDA proposals are once again moving full steam ahead, and there are 9 proposals and 1 discussion paper needing comments before the end-of-year holidays. Please send me your comments by Fri. 19 December. I haven't had time to review these yet myself, but given the volume of papers, I wanted to send them out sooner rather than later. I will respond soon with my comments on the proposals. Most of these proposals come from the RDA Extent Working Group, and stem from a 2024 discussion paper issued by the Working Group.
RSC Technical Working Group 2025-1
Discussion paper on soft-deprecated parallel elements
Background
The RSC has been examining the possibility of fully deprecating the soft-deprecated elements in RDA, including the parallel elements (for prior discussions see RSC/TechnicalWG/2-23/2 ; RSC/Minutes/413-443/datecorrected Items 415 and 417 ; RSC/Minutes/508-520 Item 518 ; and RSC/Minutes/521-537 Item 523). The following discussion paper is an attempt to look at how cataloging might work if the parallel elements in RDA were fully deprecated and no longer available for use.
Extent Working Group 2025-1
Proposal for Manifestation: Extent of Manifestation and Manifestation: Manifestation Extent Statement
Abstract
This proposal introduces two of the main elements for the redevelopment of recording extent in RDA. With this proposal, the element Manifestation: extent of manifestation is recast as a superelement. The values of Manifestation: extent of manifestation may be developed from its subelements and constructed according to string encoding schemes. With this proposal a new manifestation statement element, Manifestation: manifestation extent statement, is an option available for all extent elements for recording a value as found on a manifestation.
Extent Working Group 2025-2
Proposal for Manifestation: Extent of Unitary Structure
Abstract
As a subelement of Manifestation: extent of manifestation, the proposed element Manifestation: extent of unitary structure is used to record the number of subunits of the same kind in a multiple unit manifestation or the kind of unit in a single unit manifestation. The subunit terms may come from the RDA Carrier Type vocabulary encoding scheme, or more granular terms from the new RDA Unitary Structure vocabulary encoding scheme, developed from terms from the RDA Carrier Extent Unit vocabulary encoding scheme.
Extent Working Group 2025-3
Proposal for Manifestation: Extent of Unit and its Subtype Elements
Abstract
As a subelement of Manifestation: extent of manifestation, the proposed element Manifestation: extent of unit and its subtypes are used to record quantifications and measurements of aspects of a manifestation that are available to hold content. These measurements include components or characteristics that do not embody content.
For the following existing elements, the proposal is to establish them as subtypes of Manifestation: extent of unit. Any existing subtype hierarchy for these elements will remain in place when they become subtypes of Manifestation: extent of unit. This creates the flexibility for these elements to be used to contribute values to Manifestation: extent of manifestation when using a string encoding scheme to construct a new value for extent of manifestation.
Manifestation: bibliographic format
Manifestation: dimensions
Manifestation: number of recording tracks [current label: tape configuration]
The term leaf and related and derivative terms will need to have definitions clarified to indicate that these terms are for units that are available to hold content and include units that do not embody content. The related terms are: panel, folded leaf, and updating loose-leaf.
Extent Working Group 2025-4
Proposal for Manifestation: Extent of Aggregated Content
Abstract
As a subelement of Manifestation: extent of manifestation, the proposed element Manifestation: extent of aggregated content is used to record a number of the same category of expression embodied in a manifestation. The unit terms may come from a new vocabulary encoding scheme RDA Aggregated Content (with many terms derived from the current RDA Carrier Extent Unit).
Refer the issue of using terms from the vocabulary encoding scheme RDA Format of Notated Music for a possible source of values for Manifestation: extent of unitary structure to the RSC Music Working Group.
The recommendation is to move all the vocabulary from RDA Illustrative Content, except illustration to RDA Aggregated Content and modify the element Manifestation: illustrative content to be able to use applicable illustrative terms from RDA Aggregated Content.
Extent Working Group 2025-5
Proposal for Manifestation: Extent of Embodied Content and its Subtype Elements
Abstract
As a subelement of Manifestation: extent of manifestation, the proposed element Manifestation: extent of embodied content and its subtypes are used to record measurements of the layout of content that is embodied in a manifestation.
Extent Working Group 2025-6
Proposal for Manifestation: Duration of Embodied Content
Abstract
This proposal paper recommends changing the current condition options for Expression: duration to exclude the option to record the total duration of aggregating expressions. It also includes a proposal to remove a condition and options for Work: duration of representative expression element, and a proposal for a new element for Manifestation: duration of embodied content that would record the duration of embodied content for manifestations with embodied content in temporal form (including performed music, sounds, spoken word, two-dimensional and three-dimensional moving images, and performed movement) or embodied content with an envisioned temporal duration (including notated music and notated movement).
Extent Working Group 2025-7
Proposal for Container and Storage Subelements of Manifestation: Extent of Manifestation
Abstract
As subelements of Manifestation: extent of manifestation, the proposed elements Manifestation: number of containers and Manifestation: dimensions of container are used to record quantifications and measurements of containers in a manifestation. An RDA vocabulary encoding scheme for Containers is established, with some terms pulled from the RDA Carrier Extent Unit vocabulary encoding scheme. The proposed subelement Manifestation: extent of storage space is used for a measurement of the storage space occupied by a collection manifestation. The term container appears twice in the RDA Glossary appears twice and the definitions can be consolidated into the term in RDA Recording Source.
Extent Working Group 2025-8
Proposal for Manifestation: Sequence of Units of Extent
Abstract
As a subelement of Manifestation: extent of manifestation the proposed element Manifestation: sequence of units of extent is used to record identified sequences of any kind of unit of extent within a manifestation through designations of numbering and appropriate terms for a unit of extent. The designation is often taken from the last numbered unit of a sequence as found in a manifestation. Many of the current instructions refer to sequences recorded using a last numbered unit, and only minor editing is required to make this explicit in the remaining relevant instructions.
Background and justification
This element supports the practice of recording a quantity of units of extent through designations of the last numbered and sometimes the first numbered unit of a sequence of extent units. While the resulting value may sometimes mirror an exact quantity as would be found in Manifestation: extent of unit and Manifestation: extent of embodied content, this element is more freeform. The freeform nature of this element means that terms from any applicable vocabulary can be used, as the focus is on recording the designations associated with sequences of those units. This means, for example, that the element can be used to record numbering for pages (a term for Extent of Embodied Content) and for leaves (a term for Extent of Unit). This element can be used to contribute values to the superelement Manifestation: extent of manifestation to construct more complex values through a string encoding scheme. This proposed element updates the element Manifestation: manifestation numbering of extent statement as presented in the Discussion Paper RSC/ExtentWG/2024/1/rev2 (https://www.rdatoolkit.org/sites/default/files/uploads/RSC_ExtentWG_2024_1-rev2updated2.pdf) in that it is no longer a manifestation statement element dependent on a new transcription guideline. Rather, only community-driven string encoding schemes are needed, with most of the current instructions under Extent of Manifestations of Text (https://access.rdatoolkit.org/en-US_ala-8754c7a9-c38c-3735-9cf9865df717f81b/p_vrj_ydz_xdb) requiring only light editing. The feedback from RSC members, particularly as found in RSC/ExtentWG/2024/1/rev2/ORDAC response (https://www.rdatoolkit.org/sites/default/files/uploads/RSC-ExtentWG-2024-1-rev2ORDAC%20response.pdf), was helpful in raising concerns with using a manifestation statement. The approach in this proposal for Manifestation: sequences of units of extent addresses those concerns.
Proposal to Add the Elements Format of Notated Movement and Details of Format of Notated Movement (Word Doc attached to this post)
We are seeking the addition of two new elements to RDA to better describe notated movement. The new elements are modeled after the RDA elements format of notated music and details of format of notated music. The proposal does not require the creation of a new RDA Vocabulary Encoding Scheme (VES).
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Timothy Ryan Mendenhall (he/him)
Metadata Librarian, Columbia University
CORE Metadata Interest Group Liaison to CC:DA
trm2151@columbia.edu
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