Dragging old data forward: finding yourself an RDA Helper

Dragging old data forward: finding yourself an RDA HelperTerry Reese, Gray Family Chair for Innovative Library Services

Email: terry.reese@oregonstate.edu

April 12, 20232

Vehicle for Research -- MarcEdit

• MarcEdit• http://people.oregonstate.edu/~reeset/marcedit

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http://tardthegrumpycat.tumblr.com/page/2

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Common Questions I hear

• What about the GMD?• We code all our data in RDA, how do we deal with other

peoples?• What do we do with bulk data loads? Vendor data?• Do we care about Legacy Data?• My library has been encoding records with RDA fields for over

a year and now they are incomplete. I have thousands – what can I do?• WHAT ABOUT THE GMD?

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So what is the RDA Helper?

• It’s a proof of concept to demonstrate that:

1. Most current RDA fields can be derived from existing data2. Migration paths for legacy/bulk data can and should exist3. Abbreviation expansion maybe isn’t as straightforward as we would

like4. GMD data can be automatically generating from existing RDA data5. Vehicle for experimentation

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Scope of the project

• RDA helper has been limited to looking at practical implementation of RDA elements into MARC• Looking specifically at:• 336/337/338 field groups• 344/345/346/347 field groups• 380/381 field groups• Evaluating the 260• Processing Abbreviation Expansion• GMD processing

• Determine how easy 3rd-party development/engagement with the RDA standard/metadata community will be going forward.

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http://talkingleadership.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/building-a-feedback-relationship/

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Hitting a brick wall

http://www.flickr.com/photos/camknows/8374910613/

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Mining the Data

• Does the data already exist in MARC records?• Yes and no – while much of the data can be extrapolated, the generation of many

new RDA specific fields requires evaluation of multiple data points.

• The most important data points?• LDR/007/008 – with these three data points, you can generate most RDA specific

field data.• GMD• 856• 300• 130• 240• 730• 740

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Mining the Data

• Abbreviation Expansion is challenging• Real-world data is simply real-world crazy

• Simple Example:=300 \\$a1 v.=300 \\$a1 vol.=300 \\$aOne v.=300 \\$a1 vols.=300 \\$aV.=300 \\$av.=300 \\$a12 v.

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So how does this thing work?

• RDA Helper• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqLMPp9vZVM&feature=player_embedded

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So why create something like this at all?

• Admittedly, most of the promise behind RDA isn’t going to be found in these first baby steps in MARC, but…• To demonstrate that much of this initial work can be done automagically

and that much of the data in our existing hybrid environments can be moved forward.

• To provide a testable implementation for catalogers who are still uncomfortable with what these changes mean.

• To support public libraries, many of which utilizing ILS systems that rely on data that that is going away like the GMD to create more user-friendly interfaces.

• To support vendors that provide MARC records and offer a simplified path for moving their data forward.

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Going forward

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jannem/2079422115/sizes/z/in/photostream/

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Thank you

Contact Information:Terry ReeseEmail: terry.reese@oregonstate.eduWork: 541.737.6384

Getting MarcEdit:http://people.oregonstate.edu/~reeset/marcedit