RDA Communications Bulletin, July 2023

Colleagues,

Please read below for updates from the PCC RDA Communications Committee and the PCC Task Group to Test the Official RDA Toolkit.

CONTENTS OF THIS BULLETIN

Update on PCC Implementation Timeline for Official RDA

Update on PCC Test of the Official RDA Toolkit

Update on Training for Official RDA

RDA Feedback Form Updates

Summary of Recent Submissions Received

Noteworthy Recent Submissions and Their Status

Soft-deprecated elements

Update on PCC Implementation Timeline for Official RDA

The PCC Policy Committee has decided that the PCC will have a rolling implementation from May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2027. This 3-year rolling implementation will allow institutions to transition to the official RDA Toolkit when they are ready before the removal of the original RDA Toolkit.

Our previous policy was that we would not implement the Official RDA Toolkit before June 2023. We apologize for the delay. On the other hand, we appreciate that the PCC Task Group to Test the Official RDA Toolkit completed a very thorough test and is working on analyzing the results of the test such as identifying and recommending specific changes to LC-PCC PS and MGDs. The task group will share recommendations with PCC and LC by July and LC will update LC-PCC PSs and MGDs from July to November. The task group will submit their final report to PoCo by September, and the report will be available for public view shortly thereafter.

Meanwhile, PoCo continues working on essential issues for implementation such as developing metadata application profiles and training sessions. If PCC members are interested in Official RDA and want updated information, please see the PCC RDA Communications Committee page on the PCC website. The Metadata Guidance Documentation (MGDs) are posted, and folks can use the PCC RDA Communications Committee Feedback Form to submit questions, or other feedback to the committee regarding the MGDs.

The PCC will continue to catalog using the Original RDA Toolkit until instructed otherwise.

Update on PCC Test of the Official RDA Toolkit

The PCC Task Group to Test the Official RDA Toolkit was charged to conduct a thorough test of the Official RDA Toolkit to ensure that PCC catalogers can use the toolkit, related LC/PCC Policy Statements (LC-PCC PSs), and Metadata Guidance Documents (MGDs) to accurately catalog materials in various formats in both MARC and BIBFRAME. In particular, the test focused on ensuring that the PCC policy statements and metadata guidance documents work well in the new toolkit before it is implemented.

Testing took place from October 17 through November 4, 2022. For the test, testers were asked to create 6-8 bibliographic records in MARC or BIBFRAME and at least 1 authority record (if NACO trained) using the Official RDA Toolkit, LC-PCC PSs, and MGDs. Testers documented the steps taken to describe items in their assigned format(s), as well as any difficulties encountered, in order to identify where policies and guidance may need revision.

The evaluation took place from November 14, 2022 through January 30, 2023. Evaluators, who had a good working knowledge of Official RDA, reviewed the bibliographic and authority records created by testers, analyzed tester templates, and compiled comments and observations where policies or guidance should be updated. Evaluators also identified areas that may require extra attention during training.

The task group began analyzing the results in February 2023. They have completed analyzing the posttest surveys from testers and evaluators and are nearly finished analyzing data from the evaluator templates. Recommendations for updating LC-PCC PSs and MGDs will be shared with the PCC Policy Committee and the Library of Congress this month and the final report along with recommendations is expected to be released in September/October.

Preliminary results were presented at the PCC Joint Operations Committee Meeting on May 5, 2023. The recording of the presentation is available here (Passcode: A!UqAC80 – begins at 2:11:30) and the slides are available here.

For additional information about the test, consult the PCC RDA Test Documentation & Training Google Drive folder.

Questions about the PCC RDA test can be directed to the task group at pccrdatest@lists.berkeley.edu.

Update on Training for Official RDA

The PCC Standing Committee on Training RDA Training Task Group: Monographs has been working on 17 modules of introductory training to help catalogers gain familiarity with the official RDA Toolkit and the new terms and concepts it introduces. A sampling of the introductory training modules were presented in a joint pre-conference workshop at ALA Annual in Chicago on June 23 by members of the RDA Training Task Group and the North American RDA Committee (NARDAC). The task group is finalizing all 17 modules of the introductory training and will make them available on the Catalogers Learning Workshop in the coming months. An announcement will be sent to various listservs when the training is available.

An update on RDA training plans will be part of the PCC Participants' Meeting (Virtual) on Thursday, July 27 at 1:00-2:30 PM (Eastern).

RDA Feedback Form Updates

Summary of Recent Submissions Received

The public tracking spreadsheet is the best method for determining the latest status of proposed changes to LC-PCC Policy Statements and Metadata Guidance Documents. It is also where responses to questions are documented for future reference. Whether or not you have made any of your own form submissions in the past, perusing this spreadsheet from time to time will allow you to stay up to date on pending changes to PCC RDA policies and guidance.

Noteworthy Recent Submissions and Their Status

Soft-deprecated elements

A soft-deprecated element is an element in the official toolkit that is redundant with a recording method of another element or is considered to be an unnecessary refinement of another element. These elements may eventually be retired through deprecation.

For 20 soft-deprecated elements, it has been decided not to maintain or update their associated LC-PCC Policy Statements. Instead a policy statement at the Prerecording section of the element will say: LC/PCC practice: Do not record the element. Other existing policy statements associated with the element will be deleted. Furthermore, if there is an option that directs users to another element instead, a new policy statement will say: LC/PCC practice: Apply the option.

Soft-deprecated elements that will not be used by LC/PCC:

• Expression: expression critiqued by

• Expression: expression reviewed by

• Item: filmed with item

• Item: on disc with item

• Manifestation: filmed with manifestation

• Manifestation: manifestation critiqued by

• Manifestation: manifestation reviewed by

• Manifestation: on disc with manifestation

• RDA Entity: RDA entity critiqued by

• RDA Entity: RDA entity reviewed by

• Work: critique of expression

• Work: critique of manifestation

• Work: critique of RDA entity

• Work: critique of work

• Work: review of expression

• Work: review of manifestation

• Work: review of RDA entity

• Work: review of work

• Work: work critiqued by

• Work: work reviewed by