Tēnā  koutou/Greetings to you all,

The National Library of New Zealand has reached another significant milestone in our RDA journey with another load of Policy Statements to the RDA Toolkit. Following the January 2024 release, these are now visible at https://access.rdatoolkit.org/.

Where are the Policy Statements?

You can explore our Policy Statements in the RDA Toolkit via the link in the Policies tab or by selecting ‘NLNZ PS’ from the menu at the top right of any of the element pages. If the NLNZ Policy Statements don’t appear in the drop-down list, you will need to ensure you have ticked ‘NLNZ PS’ in your Views.

What Policy Statements are included?

The NLNZ have loaded 98% of all the Policy Statements we intend to add to the RDA Toolkit. Our intention is to have Policy Statements at every element in the RDA Toolkit plus at all options on Entity and Guidance pages. If you don’t see any Policy Statements where you expect one, it is likely this is one of the few left to load.

What about supporting documentation?

With the January release we have published draft versions of some of our supporting documentation.

Throughout the NLNZ Policy Statements you’ll see references to the NLNZ Guidance. This is a document to support cataloguers to use the NLNZ Policy Statements in conjunction with the RDA Toolkit. When you follow this link you will find a landing page within the RDA Toolkit, with a draft version of our Guidance that can be downloaded. Please note that the NLNZ guidance is still a Work-In-Progress and is not complete or finalised.

Other documentation we have made available this release are:

• StaticNonAggregateText MAP (Our first format-based Metadata Application Profile (MAP) – this lists just the elements the NLNZ will use for describing a book)
• NLNZ Vocabulary Encoding Schemes (NLNZ VES)
• NLNZ String Encoding Schemes (NLNZ SES)
• NLNZ alternative arrangement of Manifestation: extent of manifestation
• NLNZ language guidance for RDA

What about training?

NLNZ cataloguers have recently completed the first phase of our Official RDA training. This first phase of training covers basic concepts, refreshing what is already known from Original RDA and introducing some new concepts.

A package of our training resources is now available. The package consists of:

• a plan for a seven-week programme of weekly discussions;
• weekly prescribed readings and Niche Academy tutorials;
• a Further Reading List.

This training plan assumes you have a subscription to the RDA Toolkit. Subscriptions are available through EPIC https://natlib.govt.nz/librarians/epic. If your library is a Kōtui library you already have access. Details on subscribing directly are here https://www.rdatoolkit.org/subscribe and a free 30-day trial is available.

NLNZ cataloguers will be starting our second phase of training shortly and the training materials for this phase will also be made available.

Please contact nznb@dia.govt.nz to receive a copy of the training resources or for advice.

This is really exciting, where can I find out more information?

You can check out the December issue of Catapult (the newsletter of the LIANZA Cataloguing Special Interest Group) for a short overview of the work the NLNZ has been doing to prepare to implement the new RDA Toolkit later this year.

You can also email the NLNZ cataloguing teams at nznb@dia.govt.nz if you have any questions about our Policy Statements, documentation, training or anything else!

Ngā mihi nui,

Anoushka

Anoushka McGuire | Team Leader, Cataloguing Team 1,

National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa

Direct Dial: +64 4 470 4524 | www.natlib.govt.nz

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