RDA-L

Dear fellow cataloguers,

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) is currently drafting its policy statements in preparation for the transition to the official RDA Toolkit. We are presently developing policy statements for the core elements, including Dimensions, and we would like to seek clarification regarding the application of the RDA instructions in the specific case of postcards.

In the RDA Toolkit, postcard is defined as "a unit of extent that consists of a card on which a message may be written or printed for mailing without an envelope. This term applies to still images." Postcards therefore combine aspects of both cards and still images. However, the instructions for recording dimensions differ depending on which attribute is considered primary.  In the former case, the dimensions of the card itself are recorded, whereas in the latter case, the dimensions of the pictorial area are recorded.

Because the pictorial content of a postcard does not necessarily occupy the full surface of the card, the resulting dimensions may differ depending on whether the instructions for cards or for still images are applied. At BAnQ, for preservation purposes, we have traditionally recorded the dimensions of the card itself. Upon closer examination of the instructions, however, we recognize that this practice may not align with the intended application of RDA.

For this reason, we would like to draw on the collective wisdom of the community to determine which set of instructions should be applied: 23.97.75.07 or 42.34.21.11.

We thank you in advance for your time and for any insights or guidance you may be able to provide on this matter.

Marie-Chantal L'Ecuyer-Coelho

Graphic Materials Cataloguer

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ)

Dear fellow cataloguers,

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) is currently drafting its policy statements in preparation for the transition to the official RDA Toolkit. We are presently developing policy statements for the core elements, including Dimensions, and we would like to seek clarification regarding the application of the RDA instructions in the specific case of postcards.

In the RDA Toolkit, postcard is defined as "a unit of extent that consists of a card on which a message may be written or printed for mailing without an envelope. This term applies to still images." Postcards therefore combine aspects of both cards and still images. However, the instructions for recording dimensions differ depending on which attribute is considered primary.  In the former case, the dimensions of the card itself are recorded, whereas in the latter case, the dimensions of the pictorial area are recorded.

Because the pictorial content of a postcard does not necessarily occupy the full surface of the card, the resulting dimensions may differ depending on whether the instructions for cards or for still images are applied. At BAnQ, for preservation purposes, we have traditionally recorded the dimensions of the card itself. Upon closer examination of the instructions, however, we recognize that this practice may not align with the intended application of RDA.

For this reason, we would like to draw on the collective wisdom of the community to determine which set of instructions should be applied: 23.97.75.07 or 42.34.21.11.

We thank you in advance for your time and for any insights or guidance you may be able to provide on this matter.

Marie-Chantal L'Ecuyer-Coelho

Graphic Materials Cataloguer

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ)

Colleagues

This is covered by current proposals to develop the RDA treatment of extent. This development was planned to occur after the 3R Project; essentially, 3R made amendments to original RDA to fit the instructions into the new Toolkit structure and to comply with the IFLA Library Reference Model, but did not substantially change the instructions or address issues such as requirements for the extent of image and sheet to be clarified.

The proposals can be found on the RSC Extent Working Group's webpage at https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/extent-working-group

The proposals which directly address this issue are:

• RSC/ExtentWG/2025/5 - Proposal for Manifestation: extent of embodied content and its subtype elements (extent of image expression embodied in a manifestation page, etc.)
• RSC/ExtentWG/2025/3 - Proposal for Manifestation: extent of unit and its subtype elements (extent of sheet or card, etc.)

The RSC discussed these proposals a few days ago and we can expect to see outcomes real soon now, and subsequent changes to the Toolkit later in the year.

The proposals take into account the development of ISBD for Manifestation, which has a full worked example of a postcard of the photograph of Truman Capote by Henri Cartier-Bresson: https://www.iflastandards.info/ISBDM/docs/fullex/fx060.html

Dear fellow cataloguers,

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) is currently drafting its policy statements in preparation for the transition to the official RDA Toolkit. We are presently developing policy statements for the core elements, including Dimensions, and we would like to seek clarification regarding the application of the RDA instructions in the specific case of postcards.

In the RDA Toolkit, postcard is defined as "a unit of extent that consists of a card on which a message may be written or printed for mailing without an envelope. This term applies to still images." Postcards therefore combine aspects of both cards and still images. However, the instructions for recording dimensions differ depending on which attribute is considered primary.  In the former case, the dimensions of the card itself are recorded, whereas in the latter case, the dimensions of the pictorial area are recorded.

Because the pictorial content of a postcard does not necessarily occupy the full surface of the card, the resulting dimensions may differ depending on whether the instructions for cards or for still images are applied. At BAnQ, for preservation purposes, we have traditionally recorded the dimensions of the card itself. Upon closer examination of the instructions, however, we recognize that this practice may not align with the intended application of RDA.

For this reason, we would like to draw on the collective wisdom of the community to determine which set of instructions should be applied: 23.97.75.07 or 42.34.21.11.

We thank you in advance for your time and for any insights or guidance you may be able to provide on this matter.

Marie-Chantal L'Ecuyer-Coelho

Graphic Materials Cataloguer

Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ)