My opinion/suggestion: It would be ideal to allow open access to the RDA rules via rdatoolkit.org throughout the entirety of all three of the U.S. Libraries testing phases.
Testers will be creating records in the second phase of the test period, which is about to begin, and that is when I think most people would really benefit from RDA open access-they could look at RDA records side-by-side with the rules. This would allow for more transparency and more input from libraries outside of the testing group. Asking people to pay for access to a code of rules that has not been formally (nor even informally) adopted by the library community is, in my opinion, outrageous. Keep RDA access open until we decide we will implement it. ******************************************* Robert Bothmann Electronic Access/Catalog Librarian Associate Professor, Library Services From: Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access [mailto:rd...@listserv.lac-bac.gc.ca] On Behalf Of Troy Linker Sent: Thursday, 26 August, 2010 11:35 AM To: RDA-L@listserv.lac-bac.gc.ca Subject: [RDA-L] Keep your access to RDA after August 31st The complimentary open-access period to the RDA Toolkit ends August 31, 2010. Thanks to the thousands of people who have tried out the RDA Toolkit during the 10-week open-access period. We'll be sending a brief survey in the near future seeking your input, to help us improve the product and develop the most useful training. Here's how you can retain or obtain access to the RDA Toolkit after August 31: * Subscribe now visit http://www.rdatoolkit.org/subscribe for information. While your subscription is in process, we'll work with you on retaining seamless access. Don't forget-Special Double-User Introductory Offer! Subscribe at any site license level to the RDA Toolkit before August 31, 2011-a year from now-and get double the purchased number of concurrent users of the RDA Toolkit at no additional charge. (For example, buy a 2-user site license and get a 4-user license for the same price.) * Check what kind of subscription or access your consortium plans to offer. * Order through your subscription agency. Resource Description and Access (RDA) and the RDA Toolkit are published by the Co-Publishers for RDA (the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, and Facet Publishing, the publishing arm of CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information
