CC:DA/MLA/2009/1 MLA response to 5JSC/LC/12/LC follow-up

Abstract

From the Bibliographic Control Committee, Music Library Association. The developers of RDA have taken on an immense challenge in moving from the AACR2 notions of main entry and uniform titles to that of “preferred title” and “preferred access point,” and in separating the acts of “choosing” and “recording.” The additional hurdle of doing so in a way that is not specific to a particular display decision or type of structure in which data will be recorded, while still seeking results that are compatible with existing structures, has complicated the review of 5JSC/LC/12/LC follow-up. The instructions for recording medium of performance, numeric designations, and key presume that the data that results will be ready to drop into a preferred access point. In some cases, this places limits on what and how data is to be recorded that might seem odd to users who are looking for guidance on populating what we might call “work records.” MLA reviewers often wondered why these restrictions would be present at the point of recording, and needed frequent reminding of the “access-point-ready” orientation of the instructions. There are also issues with attributes that would not be part of a preferred access point for a work, but would be needed in a variant access point. Includes Appendix, Proposed re-ordering of instructions in 6.16 (5JSC/LC/12/LC follow-up).