RDA, Surpass, and Your Library

You may have heard that the library world is adopting new standards for cataloging known as RDA (Resource Description and Access). RDA is an updated set of rules to replace the AACR2 standards that have long been in place. The Library of Congress is implementing the RDA cataloging standards this month. By updating to Surpass 6.40, your Surpass system will be ready to handle records cataloged according to the new RDA standards, while maintaining backwards-compatibility with older records cataloged according to AACR2 rules. All of the new MARC bibliographic fields established for RDA cataloging, such as the RDA Content, Media, and Carrier fields (fields 336, 337, and 338), are fully configured and readily accessible in Surpass 6.40. The Surpass 6.40 software will not change or update your existing material records to RDA for you, but it will ensure that if you want to update your existing records to comply with RDA or if you add new RDA records, Surpass will interpret and display them correctly.

Don't know what all this means? Don't worry! Just rest assured that Surpass 6.40 and beyond will continue to work with MARC records old and new, whether they're cataloged by you or obtained via Copycat, Quick Cataloging, or other sources, regardless of whether they are cataloged according to AACR2 or RDA rules.

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