Cataloging: Assignment 2: RDA

For this assignment, I was asked to look at RDA and answer some questions about it. 

RDA Assignment

1. RDA is a content standard. What does this mean about what RDA will and won’t tell you as you create a catalog record? What other standards/models (at least 2) might you have to draw upon in addition to RDA and why? (40 points)

RDA is a content standard, which means that it can only tell you what the information is. It can only tell you about the content itself. RDA can’t tell you about the display or encoding of the information. For that, you need both a display standard and an encoding standard. ISBD is a display standard, which means it tells you how to punctuate the information so that it displays correctly, but not what is it (content standard), nor how to encode it (encoding standard). MARC21 is an encoding standard, which means that it tells you how to encode the information to make it so that a computer can read it, and so that the same computer can spit the information back, in the correct display setting. One needs ISBD and MARC21 in order to catalog in RDA.

2. List and briefly explain 2 ways in which RDA draws upon FRBR. (20 points)

RDA draws upon FRBR in at least two ways. One is that the user tasks are the same for RDA as for FRBF. Another is that RDA has both attributes (how one describes an entity) and relationships (what connects two entities). The attributes connect to the FRBR WEMI classification, as one is describing individual entities. The relationships are very similar to FRBR entity relationships, as you can connect any individual entity to another.

3. Briefly explain the difference between open and controlled vocabularies. (10 points)

A controlled vocabulary is a list of words which are defined a specific way for a specific object in a specific place. An open vocabulary means that a cataloger can use a word which is not on the list of suggestions, if it would better help the patrons find the item. 

4. Identify 1 RDA element that uses a controlled vocabulary. Where in RDA Toolkit can you find information about the element and its controlled vocabulary? (15 points)

The best example of a controlled vocabulary would be the content, media, and carrier types, for which RDA had defined a list of words to best fit the information. Information as to which media type is which can be found under RDA (1) 3.2.1.3, and information as to which carrier type is which can be found under RDA (1) 3.3.1.3.

5. Where in RDA Toolkit can you find information on choosing your Preferred Source of Information for a book? (15 points)

RDA has numerous “preferred sources of information,” which are where RDA wants you to look first which gathering information. RDA (1) 2.2.2 is where you find what a preferred source of information is and RDA (1) 2.2.2.2 is titled “resources consisting of one or more pages, leaves, sheets, or cards.” A book fits this description.

I got full marks on this assignment