[VuFind-General] FW: RDA in VuFind

[Ellen R C. <cap...@sf...>]

I am a cataloger who lurks on this list, so my apologies if this is not the correct forum to address this issue or if it has already been addressed.

Aside from bigger issues related to the need for FRBR support and what happens when MARC is replaced, there may be smaller issues which the VuFind community will need to deal with by March 31, 2012. I cannot produce a "grand" list right now, but one particular topic that comes to mind concerns 245 $h and Format. My understanding is that the code that determines what displays in Format for online resources uses the 245 $h when it contains the GMD 'electronic resource'. If that is correct, then I assume at least one change will be needed for RDA. That is to add one or more of the MARC codes for RDA terms from the 336-338 because 245 $h is/will not be present in RDA records. Or, perhaps a change could be made to use values from the 007 for computer files and/or 008/23&29 for Form of material instead of, or in combination with, the 3xx tags.

I am not sure if this is considered an RDA change by developers, but as a cataloger I would consider it a change and am curious about how VuFind will deal with this change or if this is just left up to each institution.

--Ellen

Ellen R. Caplan
Head of Cataloging Services
R. W. Steen Library
Stephen F. Austin State University
PO Box 13055, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Telephone 936-468-1714
Email (work): cap...@sf...<mailto:cap...@sf...>
The views and opinions expressed in this message are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of Stephen F. Austin State University, its Board of Regents, or the State of Texas.

From: Demian Katz [mailto:dem...@vi...]
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 9:20 AM
Subject: Re: [VuFind-General] RDA in VuFind

Every time I've looked at RDA specs related to MARC records, the changes have seemed insignificant and unlikely to affect VuFind in any dramatic way.  Obviously, if RDA causes a shift away from MARC, we'll need a new import tool, but I don't expect that to happen so quickly that we can't handle it - that would obviously affect the whole SolrMarc community, and I'm sure we would have support from that team.

If the shift to RDA means a need for FRBR support, that might be the biggest piece of the work... but I think some combination of the hierarchical functionality currently in the collection branch and/or utilizing Solr field collapsing could solve that problem in a reasonably straightforward way.  It will probably take much more work to update records to be properly FRBRized than it will to make VuFind display them (though the VuFind piece of that puzzle is clearly non-trivial).

Anyway, I'm definitely interested in hearing any specific problems people can identify based on a look at the RDA documentation, but I agree that there is no need for panic over it.  I don't expect RDA to break VuFind.  At worst, there may be some work we need to do in order to allow RDA data to improve the VuFind experience... but I think the baseline functionality should remain largely the same.  (But please correct me if I'm mistaken!)

- Demian