Book Review: RDA and Cartographic Resources

Abstract

tions, 2015. 152 p. $62.00 softcover (ISBN: 978-0-8389-1131-0).The implementation of Resource Description and Access (RDA) has inspired much recent cataloging literature, which has been largely focused on understanding and employing RDA in general.1 Now that the initial shock has worn off, and catalogers have become more or less familiar with the basics of RDA, the need for more specific how-to manuals such as this one can begin to be met. Devoted entirely to cartographic resources, this book offers a focused look at how RDA will affect the cataloging of cartographic resources, complete with useful examples and explanations. All three authors are experienced and distinguished catalogers of cartographic resources, and as a result, this book is practical in nature, using theory only to explain the reasoning behind the changes introduced by RDA.The book focuses on examining the similarities and differences between cataloging cartographic resources using the Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, Second Edition (AACR2) and using RDA.2 It is not written for complete beginners, as it assumes knowledge of AACR2 and some experience cataloging cartographic resources. The authors also recommend familiarity with previously published manuals such as Cartographic Materials: A Manual of Interpretation for AACR2 and the Library of Congress's Map Cataloging Manual. 3The book is short and to the point, and chapter 1 sets the tone with a brief introduction to RDA and an even briefer history of cartographic resources cataloging. Chapter 2 provides the requisite discussion of Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) work, expression, manifestation, and item (WEMI) entities, which one would expect to find in a book about RDA. Fortunately, the authors forgo a general overview and concentrate on how the WEMI model applies to cartographic resources. To help catalogers determine where to draw the line between work and expression, a list of attributes unique to cartographic resources are provided, such as coordinates and equinox (which are attributes of a work) and scale and projection (which are attributes of an expression). Furthermore, specific examples are given to illustrate which attributes of a cartographic resource can differentiate expressions and manifestations of the work.Chapters 3 and 4 are the heart of the manual and are where catalogers would turn with specific questions about how to apply RDA rather than AACR2. Chapter 3 is an overview of similarities and differences between cataloging cartographic resources in AACR2 and RDA. It begins with a field-by-field outline of what remains the same in RDA, a reassuring strategy for those who may be feeling overwhelmed. While continuing to emphasize that the difference in applying AACR2 rules and RDA instructions is minimal, it then offers an overview of concept-level differences between the two standards, such as sources of information, the "take what you see" principle, and core elements, some points of which are clarified using cartographic cataloging examples. Changes...