Sir, Thanks for a very encouraging response from Mr. Harinrayana. I am hopeful that it will give a much needed fillip to discussions in various library fora regarding the issues involving RDA implementations. Professional Library Associations are requested to be alive about latest changes/modifications and useful improvements in the professional practices to keep everybody abreast. We also need to carry-on discussion about the BIBFRAME to create understanding about this evolving cataloging format. Regards Dr. T. Shahab HMS Central library Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 11:03 PM, N.S. Harinarayana < ns.harinarayana@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Professionals, I do completely agree with Dr. Shahab. RDA is the new content standard in resource description activity. It brings positive changes to the OPACs and they are (changes) likely to be more user friendly. RDA is developed to cater to the description of various kinds of information resources including the digital ones. It removes the Anglo-American bias which was evident in AACR2. RDA is based on the conceptual model FRBR published by IFLA as early as 1998. RDA employs many new terminologies suggested by FRBR and the organization of RDA is completely different than that of AACR2. However, RDA rules are not completely different than AACR2; as such it is to be perceived as the next stage in the evolution of cataloguing rules. RDA was published in 2010 (RDA Toolkit) and in place as an official cataloging standard from 2013 onwards in many leading national libraries including Library of Congress and other libraries across the world.

It is high time that India also participate in this transition at its earliest. I am of the construed opinion that unless we adopt RDA, we can not meet sufficiently the requirements of changing needs of cataloguing description. Hence, I suggest the following for consideration of the concerned: 1) The National Library of India should implement RDA for its cataloguing activity and declare that RDA to be the national standard for all cataloguing activities in government and other public libraries. 2) Library schools should start teaching RDA and AACR2 should be phased out as quickly as possible. 3) Library software vendors should implement RDA in their systems at the earliest. 4) Library associations have to educate and impress upon the libraries under their jurisdiction to implement RDA at the earliest. 5) There should be some national policy to identify the standards to be followed by all types of libraries in India. 6) Series of training programmes should be conducted to train the librarians and teachers in RDA by library schools and libraries. 7) Academic staff colleges can come forward to conduct short term programs to train the teachers and librarians.

At this juncture I would also like to point out that BIBFRAME is another standard in resource description activity which is evolving and likely to replace MARC very soon. Let there be discussion about these standards among Indian librarians and we should come out with plan of action for implementing these with all seriousness. Incidentally it may be noted that I introduced these two standards in the refresher courses held recently at Mysore, Calicut and Goa.

On Wed, Jan 29, 2014 at 11:18 AM, T. Shahab . wrote:

...

Dear Moderator Very lively discussions are going on the OCLC forum regarding the problems associated with the implementation of the RDA (Resource Description & Access) which is the new system of cataloging rules that is replacing the traditional AACR-2 convention. I hope the professional librarians and academicians should take-up the thread of discussion to educate about the changes in cataloging practices in the Indian context. Regards Dr. T. Shahab HMS Central library Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi

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