-------- Original Message -------- Subject: status of RDA; Cartographic Materials manual of interpretation Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:17:46 -0700 From: Mary Larsgaard <[log in to unmask]> To: [log in to unmask] CC: Mary Larsgaard <[log in to unmask]> At the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Anaheim in late June, it was announced that there will be a delay in the schedule of final draft and publication for Resource Description and Access (RDA): a. final draft (which will be digital): October 2008, instead of the previously announced August 2008 b. review of complete draft of RDA: October 2008-January 2009 c. final publication: sometime in 2009 For details, please see: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/jsc/rda.html This schedule implies that 2009 will be testing, planning, and training, and 2010 will be implementation. It is possible that some libraries may decide, after testing, not to implement RDA. ALA's representative to the Joint Steering Committee - John Attig - has issued a report on RDA status, which includes comments relating to the cataloging of cartographic materials. Please see http://www.libraries.psu.edu/tas/jca/ccda/docs/jsc0806.pdf, or for a Word version go to http://www.libraries.psu.edu/tas/jca/ccda/index.html and click on the "DOC" link under the first item listed under the "Reports" area, specifically related to the scale statement and to coordinates: a. scale: "Square brackets will not be specified for scale statements that are calculated rather than transcribed, because Scale is not a transcribed element; as the information can be taken from any source, use of square brackets is not appropriate; if catalogers of cartographic materials wish to continue the practice, they will need to base that on a community application profile or cataloging manual, not RDA." (See the first check-marked item under the heading: Chapter 7 of RDA (formerly chapter 4).) b. coordinates: "Coordinates, Equinox and Epoch are to be made optional (i.e., they will not be core elements). If catalogers of cartographic resources want to make any requirements, they can do so in community application profiles." (See the eighth check-marked item under the heading: Chapter 7 of RDA (formerly chapter 4).) It is important to emphasize that RDA is considered to be composed of guidelines rather than rules, which is why in both cases, it is noted that catalogers of cartographic materials may decide not to follow RDA's guidelines on these points but rather to use "a community application profile or cataloging manual" - that is, to use established specialist manuals such as "Cartographic Materials: A Manual of Interpretation for AACR2", or other map-cataloging community group practices, such as PCC core for cartographic materials; please see http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/bibco/coremaps.html After the final version of RDA is out, we in the map-cataloging community will need to study it closely and decide what the implications for CM cataloging are. At that point, the Anglo-American Cataloguing Committee for Cartographic Materials (AACCCM; the author of the Manual) will proceed to update the manual. The Manual is available from ALA Editions: Price: $125.00 ALA Member Price: $112.50 400 pages 8.5" x 11" Loose leaf pages with binder and tabs (includes 2004 Update) ISBN-13: 978-0-8389-3539-2 ISBN-10: 0-8389-3539-7 The 2005 update is available free of charge at http://www.alastore.ala.org/catalog2/downloads/Cartographic%20Materials%202005%20UPDATE.pdf Questions? please email Mary Larsgaard at: [log in to unmask] Mary -- Mary Lynette Larsgaard Director, Map Library Assistant Head, Map and Imagery Laboratory Davidson Library University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara CA 93106-9010 USA [log in to unmask] http://www.sdc.ucsb.edu voice: 805/893-4049; 2779, reference desk fax: 805/893-8799