by Lizzy Baus
Quick Summary
On October 18, the RDA Steering Committee (RSC) released the latest update to the text of RDA and the RDA Toolkit. As usual, the update reflects some Fast Track changes and updates to the various language translations of RDA. Highlights are included in the full article, along with information about a new project called the 3R Project: the RDA Toolkit Restructure and Redesign Project.
On October 18, the RDA Steering Committee (RSC) released the latest update to the text of RDA and the RDA Toolkit. As usual, the update reflects some Fast Track changes and updates to the various language translations of RDA. Highlights include:
- the separation of "Restrictions on access" and "Restrictions on use" into two separate elements each: "restrictions on access to manifestation" / "restrictions on access to item" and "restrictions on use of manifestation" / "restrictions on use of item". This reflects the RSC's continuing drive for greater granularity and specificity in all sorts of data elements.
- Chapter 17, which deals with recording primary relationships, has undergone some reorganization and clarification, which make the FRBR basis of RDA more explicit and easy to follow.
- RDA Reference, which supplies the information in the Glossary through an automated synchronization platform, now also supplies data to the Toolkit in three more places: definitions and scope notes in the Scope instructions throughout RDA; definitions in the "Conceptual Models Underlying RDA" section near the beginning of the text, as well as the Terminology instructions of each section; and appendices I, J, and K. The automated population of this information is part of the ongoing expansion of RDA as linked data.
These and the rest of the changes made are described in the RSC documentation.
Along with the changes to RDA described above, the RSC has announced a new project they are calling the 3R Project: the RDA Toolkit Restructure and Redesign Project. As the Toolkit interface is now over five years old, it is time for a website redesign. Along with changes to the look and feel, the project will seek to increase flexibility and usability. There are some back-end changes coming that will make it easier and faster to manage changes of discrete pieces of data, tied to the rollout and use of the sychronization platform mentioned in the third bullet point above. On the front end, the project will a responsive and accessible design with improved navigation. Most notably, a "new entity-based view of the instructions will replace the current Element Set view" in the RDA Toolkit.
As the project continues, the co-publishers are asking for "user stories" that describe what members of the community would like to see from RDA.
More information about the project and a link to the user story submission form can be found on the RDA Toolkit blog.
