The April RDA Toolkit release was published on Tuesday, April 11, 2017. The release contains updates to MLA RDA Best Practices, as detailed below. As a reminder, the RDA Best Practices are available in the RDA Toolkit and the Best Practices Supplement documents are available at the CMC website. The April release also included changes to several LC-PCC Policy Statements (LC-PCC PS), summarized in this document available at the LC website. This update cycle was particularly challenging because changes to RDA content, LC-PCC PS and the RDA Best Practices were being developed simultaneously on a very tight time-frame in an effort to get as much as possible into this release before the impending RDA content freeze. As a result, some of the RDA Best Practices merely point to following LC (rather than LC/PCC) practice, as our editing deadline preceded PCC approval of the LC-PCC PS texts. Revisions, where necessary, will be placed in the

The August 9, 2016 release of the RDA Toolkit contains content updates, corrections, revised examples and other Fast Track changes from the RSC. These changes are described in detail in two RSC documents available at the RSC site: RSC/Sec/3, which describes Fast Track and other changes, and RSC/Sec/4, which outlines revisions made to support the development of RDA Reference and the RDA Toolkit Glossary. Background information on these latter changes can be found in the document RSC/Chair/17, also available at the RSC site. The list of changes to LC-PCC Policy Statements can be found at the Library of Congress website. The link to the Best Practices Supplements that are accessible via the MLA CMC website has been changed. The new link text is http://www.musiclibraryassoc.org/resource/resmgr/BCC_RDA/Supp_RDA_Best_Practices.pdf. Music-related Changes in the August Toolkit Release Designation of edition (2.5.2.1, 3rd paragraph, line b): In the scope, the former text “a particular voice range or format of notated

The April 12, 2016 release of the RDA Toolkit included a few revisions to MLA’s Best Practices and the supplements. BP 11.7.1.4 now includes a recommendation to record the type of corporate body in all cases, whether or not the term is used as a qualifier in the authorized access point. Generally the LCSH term “Musical groups” for performing ensembles is used (note the use of the plural for “groups”) and the term’s source is recorded in subfield 2. BP 11.13.1.1 now includes guidance for cases of doubt as to whether the preferred name for a performing group conveys the idea of a corporate body. In such cases, an addition for the type of corporate body is made as instructed at RDA 11.13.1.2 (and also RDA 11.7.1.4). A qualifier such as “Musical group” in not added simply to bring out the musical aspect of the corporate body. Supplement 1 now

The February 9, 2016 release of the RDA Toolkit included a variety of revisions to MLA’s Best Practices and the supplements.  BP 1.7.5 now includes recommendations related to typographical devices used as separators (as in Colchester · Essex · England) and symbols that cannot be reproduced (such as the four symbols that form the title of Led Zeppelin’s otherwise untitled fourth album).  BP 2.3.1.7 now includes guidance applicable to scores bearing a stated voice range.  BP 2.3.2.8.1 now includes guidance for how to treat a phrase that introduces a medium of performance (as in “with an accompaniment for a violin”).  BP 2.4.1.1 now includes an example of an audio recording bearing a statement of responsibility for the performer and a separate statement of responsibility for the composers.  BP 2.8.4 now includes guidance on when to treat a trade name as a series title instead of a label name.  BP 2.15

The October 13, 2015 release of the RDA Toolkit included minimal revisions to MLA’s Best Practices. One revision affects 2.15.3 (Plate Number for Music). When a plate number on a score has an additional number (often after a dash) corresponding to the number of pages or plates, it is to be recorded as part of the plate number instead of ignored. The plate number may optionally also be recorded without this additional number. For example: 028 22 23009-11 $b Carl Fischer 028 20 23009 $b Carl Fischer Further revision was done to 7.13.3 (Form of Musical Notation). The August release included new guidance about MARC encoding for multiple designations of form of musical notation as well as new examples. The October release adds new guidance covering details of form of musical notation as well as new examples. There is now sufficient guidance for cases such as chord symbols, chord diagrams, verbal

The August 11, 2015 update of the RDA Toolkit included some revisions to MLA’s Best Practices to bring it in line with revisions that were made to the RDA instructions in the April update. Some BPs have been deleted; some BPs have been relocated; some BPs have been renumbered and/or relabeled (see especially the 6.14.2 area); some BPs have been revised. A few additional revisions unrelated to the April update of the RDA instructions were also made to the BPs.  Highlights of the August 11 update include improved guidance and examples for 2.4.1.1 (Statement of Responsibility—Scope), 2.11 (Copyright Date), and 7.13.3 (Form of Musical Notation). The new guidance at 2.4.1.1 does broaden the scope a bit, and the new guidance at 2.11 restores historic practice for recording the latest phonogram copyright date that can be determined to apply to a resource as a whole.  Typos and various other errors were

The April 14, 2015 update of the RDA Toolkit brought revisions to several RDA instructions that affect music cataloging. The revisions resulting from the work of ALA and the JSC Music Working Group are listed below. Stay tuned for possible revisions to MLA’s Best Practices (in the August 2015 Toolkit update) as a result of these changes. As a result of numbering changes and other structural changes associated with these revisions in RDA, several areas in MLA’s Best Practices will be out of sync with RDA until the August 2015 Toolkit update. These are also listed below. ALA/32: MLA and OLAC successfully advocated for expanding the scope of the statement of responsibility element in RDA Chapter 2. http://www.rda-jsc.org/docs/6JSC-ALA-32-Sec-final-rev-3.pdf ALA/36: MLA and OLAC successfully advocated for greater clarity in the instructions for recording duration in RDA Chapter 7. http://www.rda-jsc.org/docs/6JSC-ALA-36-rev-Sec-final-rev.pdf ALA/29 (on “not identified” elements in distribution and manufacture statements): Changes were made to