RDA Implementation and Your Library

The Library of Congress implementation date of March 31, 2013, for the new Resource Description and Access (RDA) cataloging standards has come and gone.  Also effective on this date was OCLC’s new policy statement regarding RDA (https://www.oclc.org/en-US/rda/new-policy.html).

So what does this mean for you? First, rest assured that no library will be required to do original cataloging in RDA. Each library will have to determine an RDA implementation timeline, along with how to incorporate this new type of record into the current catalog database. Some libraries may want to keep the old AACR2 format for existing records entirely, while others may choose to add select RDA elements, thus creating hybrid records.

RDA records are out there and more are on the way. These records may affect search paths and item display in the OPAC, so waiting too long to decide on a plan of action may have far-reaching effects. Here are a few proactive suggestions:

• Contact your ILS provider to see if they will offer upgrades regarding RDA records.
• If your library purchases MARC records from outside agencies (including Midwest Tape), reach out to them to make your plans and needs known.

In order for us to best serve you, we need to know your implementation plans. Some of the things we will need to know are:

• Your ILS vendor
• If you plan on implementing RDA gradually, all at once, or not at all
• What accommodations do you require for RDA implementation?
• What adjustments have you had to make (if any) for the increase of RDA records for books?

Let us know your general plans in the comments section below. As the implementation date approaches and your plans solidify, keep us informed, provide feedback, and ask questions by posting to our blog.

RDA Implementation and Your Library

The U.S. Library of Congress has announced an implementation date of March 31, 2013 for the new Resource Description and Access (RDA) cataloging standards.¹ This long lead time is meant to ensure all appropriate library staff have time to properly and completely train for the new standards. OCLC has published a discussion paper outlining their intentions for incorporating RDA into their WorldCat database (http://www.oclc.org/us/en/rda/discussion.htm). At the ALA Conference in June, Glenn Patton, Director of WorldCat Quality Management, announced that OCLC’s plan to globally remove GMDs has been put on indefinite hold in response to feedback gathered after the release of the discussion paper.

The new rules will allow for better access to materials by patrons and eliminate the print bias of the current standards. So what does this mean for you? First, rest assured that no library will be required to do original cataloging in RDA. Each library will have to determine an RDA implementation timeline, along with how to incorporate this new type of record into the current catalog database. Some libraries may want to keep the old AACR2 format for existing records entirely, while others may choose to add select RDA elements, thus creating hybrid records.

RDA records are out there, and with the Library of Congress starting to catalog using RDA this summer, more are on the way. These records will affect search paths and item display in the OPAC, so waiting too long to decide on a plan of action may have far-reaching effects. Here are a few proactive suggestions:

• Contact your ILS provider to see if they will offer upgrades regarding RDA records.
• If your library purchases MARC records from outside agencies (including Midwest Tape), reach out to them to make your plans and needs known.

In order for us to best serve you, we need to know your implementation plans. Some of the things we will need to know are:

• Your ILS vendor
• If you plan on implementing RDA gradually, all at once, or not at all
• What accommodations do you require for RDA implementation?
• What adjustments have you had to make (if any) for the increase of RDA records for books?

Let us know your general plans in the comments section below. As the implementation date approaches and your plans solidify, keep us informed, provide feedback, and ask questions by posting to our blog.

¹ http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/news_rda_implementation_date.html

OCLC’s Public Awareness Campaign Aims to Increase Library Funding

Thanks to a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, OCLC is now able to help libraries across the nation raise awareness about public library funding and the need for local support.

Get Geeked
With the backing, OCLC was able to gage the perceptions and attitudes of public library funding at 100 select libraries. The aid also allowed OCLC to test their Geek the Library campaign, a large-scale marketing and advocacy campaign intended to increase local library support and highlight the crucial role of public libraries in today’s demanding economic environment. From this, they discovered that “targeting marketing messages to the right segments of the voting public is key to driving increased support for U.S. public libraries.”¹

Now available to every library nationwide, Geek the Library provides professional guidance and the materials and resources needed to engage the public in discussions about the faltering state of local public libraries. The word “geek” acts as a verb to exemplify the fact that everyone is passionate about something – and that the public library endorses it all. Ultimately, OCLC said, “the campaign aims to reach influential members of the community, as well as key library supporters, who can help educate others regarding the future of library funding.”²

Why Now?
Diminishing funds have caused substantial budget cuts for libraries across the nation. According to The State of America’s Libraries, seven states and the District of Columbia do not provide state funding.³

Additionally, the report indicated that twenty‐four states cut funding for public libraries between fiscal years 2009 and 2010, where nearly half of the cuts were more than 11 percent.³ In some cases, these slashes came along with local level cuts.

Without libraries and proper funding, communities would be at a drastic loss. A January 2010 Harris Interactive Poll indicated that, “some 219 million Americans feel the public library improves the quality of life in their community, an increase from 209.8 million reported in 2006.”³ Traditionally, libraries were just a place for loaned materials. Now, they serve as a lifeline, providing access to government documents, technology training, and career workshops covering a wide range of topics.

Through pilot tests, Geek the Library has proven its ability to create proactive dialogue about the importance of public libraries and has successfully raised awareness regarding the lack of funding. “Combined results from field surveys, one-on-one library meetings, and qualitative and quantitative research indicate awareness and positive shifts in community perceptions," said Cathy De Rosa, global vice president of marketing for OCLC.¹

For more information about implementing the Geek the Library campaign at your library, click here.

¹http://www.oclc.org/reports/funding/default.htm
² http://get.geekthelibrary.org/what-is-geek-the-library/
³http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/americaslibraries/ALA_Report_2010-ATI001-NEW1.pdf

OCLC Report Details the Economic Impact of Libraries

In a report originally released in 2003, OCLC, the world’s largest library cooperative¹, researched stacks of sources to develop “a snapshot of the economic impact of libraries worldwide,” and this report, entitled “Libraries: How They Stack Up,” remains as timely as ever.²

In this report, OCLC compiles data to highlight several enlightening economical comparisons between libraries and other major business sectors, professions, and destinations worldwide. This report discusses libraries as:

• Economic engines
• U.S. libraries purchase an estimated $14 billion ($31 billion for libraries worldwide) in goods and services annually
• Logistics experts
• U.S. libraries circulate 1,947,600,000 items a year
• U.S. public library cardholders outnumber Amazon customers by almost 5 to 1 and circulates nearly 4 times more items daily than Amazon handles
• Valued destinations
• Five times more people visit U.S. public libraries each year than attend U.S. professional and college football, basketball, baseball, and hockey games combined
• Global information suppliers
• The estimated value of collections for the world’s one million libraries is $720 billion
• Home to a vibrant and sizable profession
• There are 690,000 librarians employed worldwide with 203,000 of them working in the U.S. ³

Check out the report in its entirety here. What do you think of this report? How do you feel the data has shifted since 2003? How does your library stack up in relation to the items presented?
Share your feedback here as comments.

¹http://www.oclc.org/about/default.htm
²http://www.oclc.org/reports/2003libsstackup.htm
³All bulleted items summarized from OCLC’s “Libraries: How They Stack Up” (2003).