Practical Cataloging: AACR2, RDA and MARC21

The impending launch of Resource Description and Access: RDA will undoubtedly transform cataloging standards that have been virtually unchanged for 30 years, and little guidance is available to help catalogers make a smooth transition to RDA. Practical Cataloging: AACR2, RDA and MARC21 fills this gap by offering a step-by-step guide for mapping these new standards onto existing rules for description. The book thoroughly covers FRBR (Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records) and FRAD (Functional Requirements of Authority Data), on which the new rules are built, and explores how RDA elements can be incorporated into MARC21. Authors Anne Welsh and Sue Batley provide readers with an introduction to current catalogs and standards, and examine publication formats, bibliographic elements, access points, and headings. Theirs is a complete guide to RDA, including its development, structure, and features, plus a section that addresses its similarities and differences with AACR2. The authors also explain the MARC21 record, studying tags, indicators, and sub-field codes.

Anne Welsh is a lecturer in Library and Information Studies, University College London. Sue Batley is Course Director for the MA in Information Management, London Metropolitan University.