Good morning, We are emailing to update you on changes to the MARC format. RDA Resource Description and Access (RDA) is the new cataloguing code that is intended to replace the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR2). AACR2, and its revisions, have been used by libraries since 1978, so the change is a substantial shift in direction for cataloguing. RDA is currently being tested by North American libraries and the results of this testing will not be available until around March/April 2011. OCLC's WorldCat database, http://www.worldcat.org/, has been updated to support RDA records. Worldcat is an online catalogue of the collections of approximately 70,000 libraries from over 100 countries. MARC changes In order to accomodate records created using RDA, there have been changes to the MARC format. These changes are summarised in the document RDA in MARC which is available at: http://www.loc.gov/marc/RDAinMARC29.html The changes include the following: · Three new fields 1. MARC field 337 - Content type - a term and/or code indicating type of content e.g. text, sounds, performed music 2. MARC field 338 - Media type - a term and/or code showing what kind of general device is need to view a resource e.g. computer, projected, unmediated 3. MARC field 339 - Carrier type - a term and/or code giving the specific carrier of the content supplied in field 337 e.g. online resource, audio disc These fields collectively replace the 'h' subfield of the MARC 245 (title) field. The 'h' subfield currently contains the "general material designation" and is used mainly for non-print or non-textual resources. · RDA code MARC field 040 - Cataloguing Source - subfield 'e' "Description conventions" - contains a code 'rda' for records created using the new rules · Relator terms Relator terms show the role or relationship between added entries and the item being described. They are already valid in MARC as subfield 'e' or '4' of various access fields, however more terms have been added and a new subfield 'i' has been added for linking fields (76X-78X) Other new fields are described in the document referred to above. When will these changes affect NZ libraries? These changes were added to MARC in the October 2009 update, but they have not yet been implemented in the National Library of New Zealand's Voyager databases. While some records containing these fields may be loaded to the National Union Catalogue during the test phase, we are not expecting to see many records at this time. The National Library of New Zealand is expecting to implement RDA in mid 2011 and we will update the MARC format in our databases to support this process. What do I need to do as a system vendor? 1. look at the MARC changes 2. Consider how you could implement these changes in your library system, noting that the new fields 337 and 339 provide format information to catalogue users. These changes may seem relatively minor but they signal a significant shift in direction for the recording of bibliographic data and improved service for library users. Who can I contact? If you would like more information on RDA and its potential impact on library systems please contact: Karen Rollitt Email: karen.rollitt@natlib.govt.nz Tel: +64 4 474 3099 Kind regards, Ann Barrie Ann Barrie Customer Support Consultant Digital Solutions National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa Wellington 6140, New Zealand http://www.natlib.govt.nz/librarians Tollfree: 0508 837 862