CC:DA Report from 2011 ALA Midwinter Conference

Report from the Library of Congress Representative, Barbara Tillett

• Many upcoming retirements will have an impact on policy review capabilities and response times to questions.
• The University of Pennsylvania, Queens Public Library and the Frick Art Reference Library joined the Electronic Cataloging In Publication (ECIP) Cataloging Partners Program.
• The Dept. vs. Department issue will be revisited once there's been a decision on RDA.
• The open comment period for the Thai romanization table will run through the end of March.
• There will be a soft launch of the new LC OPAC in February: TOMCAT, with faceting.
• RDA test stuff:
  • The gathering stage of the test was completed at the end of December.
  • All RDA Test records are available on the LC site for download: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/RDAtest/rdatestrecords.html
  • There will be changes to LC policies and LCPS published to reflect decisions, in order to make US policies more consistent

• Working through RDA error reports.
• The JSC has not scheduled its next meeting. Trying for July 2011, but it's looking unlikely.
• They expect to receive proposals from other constituencies by June; the suggested RDA rule revision proposal process for CC:DA is:
  • Proposals from JSC posted and announced.
  • When new proposal is announced, CC:DA chair will post on the CC:DA wiki, leaving room for comments.
  • Comments should be posted within 2 weeks (but maybe longer).
  • At the end of the comment period, it comes to the committee for action -- a small group will assess the comments and decide on priority timing and sequence.
  • Following a vote, the JSC Rep will draft the ALA response and send it to the JSC; it will be posted on the JSC website and announced.
  • The "process will be relatively informal" -- and figured out as proposals float in.
• Upcoming work will include: how to structure RDA chapters on subject attributes [not a CC:DA charge, but no other group appears to be able to address] -- trying to figure out how it's going to be worked through because it's a split jurisdiction
• Three different approaches need to be reconciled for FRBR group 3 entities (concepts, objects, events, places) -- may be reviewed at Annual in a joint meeting with SAC.

• Revision of RDA 16.2.2.9: Places in certain federations
  • Discussion about rule clarity and philosophy for headings of states within federations, places in "overseas territories," and islands/island groups -- but no resolution.
  • The discussion will be continued online and if a consensus is reached the proposal will be amended and revisited.
• Revision of RDA 6.29.1.21: Reports of one court.
  • Endorsed as amended based on the discussion; will be forwarded to the JSC for approval (this marks the first RDA proposal submitted to the JSC).

• The TF wants to see if they can provide consistent instructions for both of these groups.
• Tentative proposal for constructing headings: jurisdiction -- title of office -- dates -- name; the TF will work on it and get back to the group.

• The goal is to create one unified list of instructions for bodies and there are two major issues to work through: (1) types of corporate bodies entered subordinately and (2) hierarchical questions.
• Have identified issues and in the next couple of months they'll come back to CC:DA with a proposal to consider.

• Encouraged by number of subscribers. Solo user = 20% of subscribers; double user offer valid through August 2011. RDA print edition is available and now being reprinted.
• Next: user survey is underway, open for another month; another webinar planned; more help videos; RDA toolkit blog in the works; links to encoding standards from the element set view.
• Working on: would like to get an RDA button in vendor software so the element set for a particular field would come up through that link; RDA print index integrated into the toolkit itself; how to visually communicate an update; attributions and organizing of workflows

• Another series of webinars to begin in February: changes from AACR2 to RDA; serials; linked data; preparing copy-catalogers among the topics.

• At the ALA Annual, planning a 2-day "RDA 201" preconference (folks may attend either or both days) and a non-MARC forum for RDA.

• Potential joint meeting with SAC at ALA Annual, maybe Friday.