Dear colleagues, The following announcement has been posted to Describe NZ, the wiki for New Zealand cataloguers and metadata professionals at http://nznuc-cataloguing.pbworks.com/w/page/32141727/RDA-Authorities-page We are now seeing RDA test authority records on our databases. These are being created as part of the RDA test for headings which are used in bibliographic records created following RDA guidelines and Library of Congress policy statements. The RDA test is being undertaken by a relatively small number of agencies (less than 30) and it was decided that the test would not be a proper one if it was not conducted in a live database and the set of records were not fully RDA. The RDA authority records have RDA in the 040 field to show that they are part of the test. They may also contain some of the new MARC fields but they do not otherwise indicate that they are RDA test authority records. You may notice that some AACR2 authority records have a 7XX field with 4 in the second indicator showing the RDA form of the name heading. Some RDA headings are the same as the AACR2 one but others are not. For an example of an RDA heading which is different, see the AACR2 authority record for King, M.G. (National Union Catalogue authority number 1065571), which includes a 700 1 4 for King, M.G. (Michael G.). This RDA heading has been created following RDA and the LC policy statement 9.19.1.4. which states that the LC practice for the optional addition is to add a fuller form of name even if it is not needed to distinguish between access points. You may also find that a new RDA authority record for a name/title heading will use the RDA form of the name heading in that authority record. For example, there is now an RDA name/title authority record for Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, approximately 4 B.C.-65 A.D. Correspondence (National Union Catalogue authority number 8463612). The existing AACR2 form of name heading is Seneca, Lucius Annaeus, ca. 4 B.C.-65 A.D. ((National Union Catalogue authority number 286941). In the case of corporate body name headings, there may be a new RDA authority for a subordinate body and the RDA form of the parent body name heading is different from the AACR2 form of heading. For example, an RDA authority record has been created for North Dakota. Department of Human Services. Rehabilitation Consulting & Services (National Union Catalogue authority number 8457632). The AACR2 form of heading for the parent body is North Dakota. Dept. of Human Services (National Union Catalogue authority number 989962). The National Library of New Zealand is not part of the RDA test and has not as yet used any of these new RDA authorised headings in bibliographic records. However we have decided that we will follow all NACO authority records whether they have been created following AACR2 or RDA on the grounds that this seems to be the option that creates the least confusion for library users. By taking this decision, we are remaining consistent in our use of authority records for headings in bibliographic records. Kind regards, Judy Judy Keats Authority Record Co-ordinator National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa PO Box 1467 Wellington New Zealand Telephone: 04-470-4518 E-mail: judith.keats@natlib.govt.nz Search Nga Upoko Tukutuku / Maori Subject Headings at: http://mshupoko.natlib.govt.nz/mshupoko/