HI, Julie- I think it's great that you're providing the local training, and are also offering the rationales for the RDA rules, not just the rules themselves. I don't have a clear vision of what Bibframe or other post-MARC catalog will look like either, so can't offer you the right answer to your colleagues' questions - though the one you have provided seems completely satisfactory to me. But I can offer a metaphor.
Say, instead of input bibliographic and related data into our systems, we were in the profession of cutting heavy stone blocks, transporting, and putting one next to or on top of another in some kind of symmetrical pattern, after slathering the rocks with mortar. And we did this for years on end. No doubt every so often we would wipe the sweat off our faces, rest our aching backs, take a breather and during that time we might ask a "what is the point?" type of question. Perhaps the fully-realized RDA-based catalog might not happen till after I retire-or perhaps even expire. Buf... when it comes, I think it'll be a cathedral. :) Best, Rick Rick McRae Catalog / Reference Librarian Sibley Music Library Eastman School of Music (585) 274-1370 From: Resource Description and Access / Resource Description and Access [mailto:RDA-L@LISTSERV.LAC-BAC.GC.CA] On Behalf Of Julie Moore Sent: Thursday, May 09, 2013 3:20 PM To: RDA-L@LISTSERV.LAC-BAC.GC.CA Subject: [RDA-L] 336, 337, 338 and the post-MARC environment Please excuse the cross-posting. I am doing local training for my library on RDA. I have often said that the reason why we are moving to RDA is because this is now our national standard. I have also said that part of the reason for moving to RDA is a first step toward moving us into linked data and the post-MARC environment ... which will likely be Bibframe. Yesterday's lesson was on the replacement of the GMD to the 336 (content type), 337 (media type), and 338 (carrier type). One of the participants asked me how exactly this change would better prepare our records for moving into the post-MARC/Bibframe world. I explained that the 336, 337, and 338 is an attempt to parse the various concepts out that have been kind of smooshed together over the years in the GMD. And we hope that in our post-MARC environment, that the programs will be able to make better use of these elements. Since Bibframe is not already built for us to exactly see how this will work, it is difficult to know for sure how the catalogs of the future will make use of these elements. I didn't feel like that was a very satisfactory answer, however. I was wondering if anyone out there had any better answers that I can add to this? Thanks kindly, Julie -- Julie Renee Moore Head of Cataloging California State University, Fresno julie.renee.mo...@gmail.com<mailto:julie.renee.mo...@gmail.com> 559-278-5813 "Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." ... James Matthew Barrie
