RESULTS

RDA Best Practices Updates

Updates to two MLA RDA Best Practice supplement documents are now available via the CMC Best Practices page. Supplement 1: Guidelines for Describing and Encoding Attributes of Audio Recording Carriers has been updated to version 1.82, which corrects an issue with the mapping for encoding format (347 $b) for electronic audio resources and updates examples for provider-neutral cataloging of electronic audio resources. MLA RDA Metadata Guidance, a document for use with Official RDA, has been updated to version 0.93, which corrects some MARC examples and makes some improvements to example labeling. A more significant update is the addition of format-specific guidance covering certain aspects of sound recording cataloging. At the moment, topics addressed include choices for recording publication, distribution, and manufacture statements for audio recordings and recording contributor agent information. Although written for Official RDA, information in this section is also compliant with Original RDA. Beginning with version 0.93, the

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RDA Best Practices Training and Updates

Presentation slides for the ALA eLearning webinar Using the New RDA Toolkit to Catalog Music, presented August 9-11, 2022, have been deposited in the Humanities Commons here: https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:48851/. Full presenter notes are included. Some of the pending issues mentioned in the slides have been addressed in the most recent Best Practices update in September. A summary of changes is below. Changes to the MLA Best Practices in the September Toolkit update are minimal, but highlights include the following: The MLA RDA Metadata Guidance document has been updated to version 0.92, with the following additions: Note: Although the electronic resource guidelines were written with reference to Official RDA, there should not be anything in them—other than directions to refer to the LC-PCC MGD—that conflicts with Original RDA. Error reports, comments, or feedback on the Best Practices in the new Toolkit may be submitted here: https://bit.ly/MLA-BP-feedback Error reports, comments, or feedback on

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Content Standards Subcommittee 2022 Business Meeting Agenda

The annual business meeting of the Content Standards Subcommittee will be held virtually on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, 10:00-11:25 MT (12:00-1:25 ET). All registered attendees of the 2022 MLA conference are welcome to attend. Please see the CSS meeting agenda for topics and links to documents of interest. Zoom links will become available 10 minutes prior to the start of the meeting in Sched (conference registration required). The meeting will be recorded.

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MLA Best Practices for Using LCMPT version 1.41 now available

A slightly revised version (v. 1.41) of the MLA Best Practices for Using LCMPT (March 31, 2020) is now available, and should be used in place of the previous version.  The main change is the deletion in its entirety of footnote 10 in version 1.4. Deleted:  As of this writing, 382 subfields $e, $r and $t are defined in the MARC Authorities Format, but are not yet approved for use in LC/NACO authority records; see the Descriptive Cataloging Manual, Section Z1 for more information (via Cataloger’s Desktop or https://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/dcmz1.pdf). Aside from that restriction and the second indicator difference mentioned above, these best practices guidelines apply equally to 382 fields in bibliographic and authority records. This brings the document in line with the change by LC, announced in March ahead of the April, 2020 update to DCM Z1, that subfields in the 382 field (Medium of Performance) are available for use in authority records (by NACO-Music

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RDA Toolkit Beta Version Coming Soon!

The beta version of the new RDA Toolkit will be released Wednesday evening, June 13, 2018. This release is an outcome of the RDA Toolkit Restructure and Redesign Project, also known as the 3R Project. After release, the beta version will be accessible through a linked button in the top banner of the current RDA Toolkit. The beta version will be available to current subscribers and to others via a trial period (see link to the Toolkit News below for more information). Please keep in mind that the beta version is to be considered *draft* content that is not yet finalized. It is not approved for use by the RDA Steering Committee and should not be used for current cataloging. For current cataloging work, please continue to use the old version of the Toolkit, which contains the official text of RDA, LC-PCC PSs, and the MLA RDA Best Practices; there

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RDA Best Practices Changes in the April RDA Toolkit Release

The April RDA Toolkit release was published on Tuesday, April 11, 2017. The release contains updates to MLA RDA Best Practices, as detailed below. As a reminder, the RDA Best Practices are available in the RDA Toolkit and the Best Practices Supplement documents are available at the CMC website. The April release also included changes to several LC-PCC Policy Statements (LC-PCC PS), summarized in this document available at the LC website. This update cycle was particularly challenging because changes to RDA content, LC-PCC PS and the RDA Best Practices were being developed simultaneously on a very tight time-frame in an effort to get as much as possible into this release before the impending RDA content freeze. As a result, some of the RDA Best Practices merely point to following LC (rather than LC/PCC) practice, as our editing deadline preceded PCC approval of the LC-PCC PS texts. Revisions, where necessary, will be placed in the

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Best Practices for Using LCMPT–new version now available

Colleagues, The MLA Vocabularies Subcommittee is pleased to offer a new version of the document Best Practices for Using LCMPT. In addition to a number of minor formatting and stylistic updates, the following new content is incorporated: Guidance for use of the new 382 subfields $r and $t Expanded guidance on “bi-level” medium statements Expanded guidance on partial medium statements Clarification on polychoral situations As always, feedback and questions can be directed to me (casey@mullingroup.com). Additionally, the new revision will be briefly discussed at the VS business meeting and at the CMC Town Hall at MLA Orlando. I wish to thank the VS task group who prepared this revision, amidst a shifting landscape of MARC format updates and evolving practices with faceted vocabularies. Cheers, Casey Mullin

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RDA Toolkit and MLA Best Practices Update

The August 9, 2016 release of the RDA Toolkit contains content updates, corrections, revised examples and other Fast Track changes from the RSC. These changes are described in detail in two RSC documents available at the RSC site: RSC/Sec/3, which describes Fast Track and other changes, and RSC/Sec/4, which outlines revisions made to support the development of RDA Reference and the RDA Toolkit Glossary. Background information on these latter changes can be found in the document RSC/Chair/17, also available at the RSC site. The list of changes to LC-PCC Policy Statements can be found at the Library of Congress website. The link to the Best Practices Supplements that are accessible via the MLA CMC website has been changed. The new link text is http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/resource/resmgr/BCC_RDA/Supp_RDA_Best_Practices.pdf. Music-related Changes in the August Toolkit Release Designation of edition (2.5.2.1, 3rd paragraph, line b): In the scope, the former text “a particular voice range or format of notated

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RDA Toolkit and MLA Best Practices update

The April 12, 2016 release of the RDA Toolkit included a few revisions to MLA’s Best Practices and the supplements. BP 11.7.1.4 now includes a recommendation to record the type of corporate body in all cases, whether or not the term is used as a qualifier in the authorized access point. Generally the LCSH term “Musical groups” for performing ensembles is used (note the use of the plural for “groups”) and the term’s source is recorded in subfield 2. BP 11.13.1.1 now includes guidance for cases of doubt as to whether the preferred name for a performing group conveys the idea of a corporate body. In such cases, an addition for the type of corporate body is made as instructed at RDA 11.13.1.2 (and also RDA 11.7.1.4). A qualifier such as “Musical group” in not added simply to bring out the musical aspect of the corporate body. Supplement 1 now

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RDA Toolkit and MLA Best Practices update

The February 9, 2016 release of the RDA Toolkit included a variety of revisions to MLA’s Best Practices and the supplements.  BP 1.7.5 now includes recommendations related to typographical devices used as separators (as in Colchester · Essex · England) and symbols that cannot be reproduced (such as the four symbols that form the title of Led Zeppelin’s otherwise untitled fourth album).  BP 2.3.1.7 now includes guidance applicable to scores bearing a stated voice range.  BP 2.3.2.8.1 now includes guidance for how to treat a phrase that introduces a medium of performance (as in “with an accompaniment for a violin”).  BP 2.4.1.1 now includes an example of an audio recording bearing a statement of responsibility for the performer and a separate statement of responsibility for the composers.  BP 2.8.4 now includes guidance on when to treat a trade name as a series title instead of a label name.  BP 2.15

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RDA Toolkit and MLA Best Practices update

The October 13, 2015 release of the RDA Toolkit included minimal revisions to MLA’s Best Practices. One revision affects 2.15.3 (Plate Number for Music). When a plate number on a score has an additional number (often after a dash) corresponding to the number of pages or plates, it is to be recorded as part of the plate number instead of ignored. The plate number may optionally also be recorded without this additional number. For example: 028 22 23009-11 $b Carl Fischer 028 20 23009 $b Carl Fischer Further revision was done to 7.13.3 (Form of Musical Notation). The August release included new guidance about MARC encoding for multiple designations of form of musical notation as well as new examples. The October release adds new guidance covering details of form of musical notation as well as new examples. There is now sufficient guidance for cases such as chord symbols, chord diagrams, verbal

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RDA Toolkit and MLA Best Practices update

The August 11, 2015 update of the RDA Toolkit included some revisions to MLA’s Best Practices to bring it in line with revisions that were made to the RDA instructions in the April update. Some BPs have been deleted; some BPs have been relocated; some BPs have been renumbered and/or relabeled (see especially the 6.14.2 area); some BPs have been revised. A few additional revisions unrelated to the April update of the RDA instructions were also made to the BPs.  Highlights of the August 11 update include improved guidance and examples for 2.4.1.1 (Statement of Responsibility—Scope), 2.11 (Copyright Date), and 7.13.3 (Form of Musical Notation). The new guidance at 2.4.1.1 does broaden the scope a bit, and the new guidance at 2.11 restores historic practice for recording the latest phonogram copyright date that can be determined to apply to a resource as a whole.  Typos and various other errors were

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Two new MLA LCGFT resources available

The MLA Cataloging and Metadata Committee is pleased to announce the availability of two new resources for users of the new terms for music resources in the Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms for Library and Archival Materials (LCGFT): 1) MLA Best Practices for Using LCGFT for Music Resources (version 1.0). This resource is intended to help catalogers apply LCGFT music terms in the interim period between the release of the terms and the publication of best practices for LCGFT in the forthcoming Library of Congress genre/form terms manual. It will be updated on an ongoing basis until the aforementioned manual is available. Suggested additions or questions may be directed to the Chair of the MLA-CMC, Vocabularies Subcommittee (Casey Mullin, casey@mullingroup.com) or the Chair of MLA-CMC (Beth Iseminger, beth.iseminger@gmail.com). 2) A hierarchical view of music terms in LCGFT. By popular request, this document shows all of the currently-available LCGFT music terms in one

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April 2015 RDA Toolkit update and MLA Best Practices

The April 14, 2015 update of the RDA Toolkit brought revisions to several RDA instructions that affect music cataloging. The revisions resulting from the work of ALA and the JSC Music Working Group are listed below. Stay tuned for possible revisions to MLA’s Best Practices (in the August 2015 Toolkit update) as a result of these changes. As a result of numbering changes and other structural changes associated with these revisions in RDA, several areas in MLA’s Best Practices will be out of sync with RDA until the August 2015 Toolkit update. These are also listed below. ALA/32: MLA and OLAC successfully advocated for expanding the scope of the statement of responsibility element in RDA Chapter 2. http://www.rda-jsc.org/docs/6JSC-ALA-32-Sec-final-rev-3.pdf ALA/36: MLA and OLAC successfully advocated for greater clarity in the instructions for recording duration in RDA Chapter 7. http://www.rda-jsc.org/docs/6JSC-ALA-36-rev-Sec-final-rev.pdf ALA/29 (on “not identified” elements in distribution and manufacture statements): Changes were made to

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