The topic came up at the RBMS meeting at ALA in Boston. Currently, the Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials suite is AACR2 based, but if/when the DCRM modules are RDA based or at least RDA compliant, it would be desirable to indicate that a record used the revised rules. That is, the record would be following one convention (dcrmb, for example) as revised, not dcrmb in some fields and rda in others. If, as we understand it, RDA will be coded in the 040 and not in the leader, as AACR2 is now, making the 040 field repeatable will allow the same level of information currently appearing in dcrmb/dcrms records.

Seanna Tsung
Senior cataloging specialist
Cataloging Team
Geography & Map Division
Library of Congress

(202) 707-5631
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>>> John Hostage <[log in to unmask]> 2/2/2010 8:02 AM >>>
How useful would that information be in either case?  If you have a record that uses more than one convention, wouldn't you have to know which elements follow which convention?  Otherwise, the information that more than one convention was used is not very helpful.  Shouldn't a cataloger choose a convention to follow and more or less stick to it?  There will always be extensions and variations, as there always have been.
 
But if we must use multiple codes, it seems better to make the subfield repeatable than to create an endless series of combination codes.
 
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John Hostage                  Authorities Librarian
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Harvard Law School Library    (617) 495-3974 (voice)
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________________________________

From: MARC on behalf of Culbertson, Rebecca
Sent: Mon 2010-02-01 18:54
To: [log in to unmask] 
Subject: 040 subfield e



Colleagues--

At the present time the 040 subfield "e" is not repeatable.  Therefore
what is likely to happen when more than one description convention needs
to be used--e.g., both "rda" and "dcrmb" are applicable?

Is it more likely that the subfield will become repeatable?  Or that
there will need to be another convention, such as "dcrmbrda"


Rebecca Culbertson

Shared Cataloging Program
California Digital Library
Metadata Services Department
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, California 92093-0175
(858) 822-6415 (Phone)
(858) 822-0349 (Fax)
"If at first you don't succeed, change the rules"