[yul-naco] YUL Local Workflow in the RDA Toolkit -- Please try it out

[Arakawa, Steven]

Some of you may be aware of this, but to make sure, in the RDA Toolkit, if you first click on the Tools tab, you will see a list of resources related to RDA. One of the items is Workflows.  If you open Workflows (click on the + icon  next to the title),  you will see a list of specific workflows. Open Local Workflows. Right now there is only one item listed under Local Workflows: Simple Book Workflow (YUL policies).  The workflow was originally drafted by LC during the testing period for the staff cataloging in RDA and was organized in MARC field order. I have adapted it to our "local workflow" for use by YUL catalogers creating original cataloging. The focus is primarily on description, but reference is also made to access points. For now, it will be our repository for current LC and PCC policies on RDA cataloging, post Day One.  The advantage of using the RDA workflow software is  that statements about the rules or their interpretation can be hot-linked to the specific RDA rule, LC PCC Policy Statements, the Bibco RDA webinars,  AACR2 (not to the LCRIs unfortunately) , and externally to web resources or to other resources in the Toolkit.  The links are also used to jump to different areas in the guidebook itself . The plan is to update continuously; it seems like this is the best way to handle the mass of RDA-related guidelines issued by LC and PCC, in some cases OCLC,  and any of our local decisions, as well as updates to RDA itself.  CCC has reviewed the guidelines roughly up to RDA chapter 3 (MARC 300).  Hopefully we will  be done after our meeting next month. In the meantime, CCC has suggested that anyone doing original and variant edition cataloging try it out, and send me whatever specific feedback you have regarding rules, interpretations, policies, navigation, corrections, clarifications, etc. (or better, "and so on"). It can be used as a review for your RDA training, learning things overlooked or altered by later decisions, and as a reference source in a more familiar organization than RDA itself. At some point, I hope to create more specific workflows for AV material  and NACO (possibly). Specialists in other areas (scores?  music recordings?) could also contribute workflows once the editor has a profile and a password. Right now I would hold off on serials until CONSER makes its training materials available. Any other suggestions for RDA workflows are welcomed. If you notice something in the Global Workflows section in Tools that looks useful, most of them can be copied into MyWorkflows and be updated, revised, reorganized and so on.; I've already called attention to the British Library RDA Guide to Name Authority Records which can be found in Global Workflows. I believe workflows have been created for most formats by various early adopters, so they vary in fullness, and are not up to date (the British Library workflow is an exception), but they could be the basis for a customized local workflow.

PS: if you know of other original catalogers who aren't on the yul-naco list, please pass this information on.

Steven Arakawa
Catalog Librarian for Training & Documentation  
Catalog & Metada Services   
Sterling Memorial Library. Yale University  
P.O. Box 208240 New Haven, CT 06520-8240     
(203) 432-8286 steven.arakawa at yale.edu