The most recent annual report of the Canadian Cataloguing Committee
(CCC) makes note of the fact that the reorganization of RDA by FRBR
function removes RDA from specifying any particular record structure.
It would seem to me that a particular record structure is required if
there is to be standardization or harmonization among
bibliographic records. What is to be the standard for such a
structure? The implementation standards of the Anglo national
libraries? MARC21 and/or ISBD by default?
At least renumbering of the MARC21 5XX note fields would be required if
MARC21 tag order were to be used as accepted record structure. Such
renumbering would save a lot of work on the part of cataloguing
ordering notes, that work lost immediately when the record is imported
into a system which uses tag order as opposed to input or import order
(a majority of the OPACs we support).
This is the 5XX numbering I suggest. Many seldom used ones are left
as they are. No tag numbers are reused; notes are shifted to unused
numbers. Vacated numbers could be reassigned in the future if wished.
This MARC tag numbering more closely approximates AACR2 note order
than the present numbering, which is some cases is the reverse of the
suggested order. Presumably there will be no suggested note order in
RDA, if no record structure is to be mandated.
500 General notes
501 Obsolete [see 568]
502 Thesis
503 Bibliographic History [restore in order to assist display after
general notes]
504 Bibliography and index
505 Contents
506 Obsolete [see 539]
507 Scale
508 Credits
509 System Details [formerly 538; in order to display nearer 300 smd.]
510 Obsolete [see 529]
511 Performers
512 Language Note [formerly 546]
513 Type of report
515 Numbering peculiarities
516 Type of computer file
518 Date/time of event
520 Summary
521 Target audience
522 Geographic coverage
524 Citation
525 Supplement
529 Citation reference [Formerly 510; in order to have only one note
between Creation/Production Credits 508, and Participants and
Performers 511.]
530 Additional physical formats
533 Reproduction
534 Original
535 Location of original
536 Funding
538 Obsolete. See 509.
539 Restrictions on Access Note [formerly 506; in order to allow entry
and display with 540 Terms Governing Use and Reproduction Note.]
540 Use and reproduction
544 Location of associated archival material
545 Biographical or historical
546 Language
550 Issuing body
555 Indexing
556 Documentation
561 Provenance
562 Copy and version
565 Case file
567 Methodology
568 With Note [formerly 501; in order to allow entry and display with
580 Linking Entry Complexity Note.]
580 Linking
581 Publications about described materials
583 Action
584 Accumulation
585 Exhibitions
586 Awards
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