Helen - the print edition of RDA is here on the Facet Publishing website:
http://www.facetpublishing.co.uk/title.php?id=7494&category_code=910

£105 (£84 for CILIP members) so considerably cheaper but obviously without
the updates that might be happening to the Toolkit version.

Celine

On Apr 19 2011, Helen Mason wrote:

> Hello, Thank you for summarising the yesterday's discussion - very
> helpful. I would just like to reiterate the problem which small
> institutions face - I can't believe we are alone in this - regarding
> access to RDA 'rules'. This seems to be via the Toolkit only (someone
> mentioned a printed version?). For our organisation the subscription is
> just too high - especially just now when we are having to cut budgets. We
> don't (as yet) exchange records, but have for quite a few years used
> AACR2/MARC to create records which could be exchanged should that ever be
> possible (i.e should the money ever be forthcoming!). Unless the price of
> a printed version is considerably less (maybe someone could tell me?)
> if/when RDA become the accepted standard then we are going to be at a
> disadvantage being unable to consult the 'rules'. I guess we'll simply
> carry on with AACR2!
>
> Our ILs is aware of RDA/FRBR and has spoken in general terms to its
> clients - so we await developments there!
>
>Helen
>(Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance)
>
>
> -----Original Message----- From: CIG E-Forum
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of C.J. Carty Sent: 19
> April 2011 09:00 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Summary of
> discussion from day 1
>
>Good morning and thank you to everyone for making yesterday's discussions
>so wide-ranging and lively. We're hoping to have another day of RDA talk
>today but first please find below a summary of what was covered yesterday.
>Following this email, we will post the topics for discussion this morning.
>
>Celine
>
>CIG E-forum summary of day 1
>
>The e-forum today looked at the topics of participants' general
>understanding of/acceptance of RDA before moving on to discuss issues
>around training and workflows in the afternoon. This is just a brief
>summary of the discussions during the first day.
>
> The CIG e-forum kicked off with initial introductions and a summary of
> the presentations that took place on April 12th at the CILIP Executive
> Briefing on RDA. This led into a general discussion of ways in which
> people had been keeping up to date with developments in RDA, with
> suggestions of useful websites and other resources. The co-moderators are
> also keeping a list of all recommended resources and documentation which
> will be circulated after the end of the e-forum and will be made
> available on the CIG website.
>
>The reports from the Executive Briefing included lists of things the
>cataloguers participating in the US Test and reported concerns about the
>focus of RDA on cataloguer's judgement was brought up by a number of
>contributors. There is concern about consistency in cataloguing and about
>the need to develop guidelines or local policies, as well as the effect on
>imported RDA records. There was a general interest in FRBR concepts and
>terminology as well as the potential of RDA in a non-MARC environment,
>though several participants felt that it was important to focus on the
>day-to-day practicalities of RDA in MARC for the foreseeable future. There
>was some discussion of previous changes in cataloguing practice over the
>years, from card catalogues to the present day, learning from the
>experiences of previous bibliographic changes. Many participants were
>waiting to see the outcome of the US RDA Test and the implementation
>decisions by the national libraries before exploring RDA in more detail,
>often through a lack of time and resources to do more at this stage.
>
> The discussion moved onto issues around training and workflows. There
> were concerns about the RDA Toolkit, particularly the cost of the annual
> subscription and the level of access (number of concurrent users). There
> was some worry about access to the Toolkit creating a situation of
> library haves and have-nots. Some participants had purchased the paper
> copy of RDA, which apparently requires two binders. Several people argued
> in favour of the benefits of the linking and workflow options offered by
> the Toolkit, which could be used for training and documentation. Very few
> participants had current subscriptions and most reported that they would
> wait until after making a decision about implementation.
>
>While waiting to hear implementation announcements from LC and BL, many
>contributors mentioned the need to time any training and the need to
>maintain a balance between raising awareness generally among cataloguing
>staff without spending too much time on training in something that was not
>yet definitely required. The lack of time was a repeated concern, as well
>as the need to maintain productivity levels through any training and
>eventual implementation. Cost was another large area of concern, cost of
>the Toolkit but also the cost of training and lost productivity itself.
>
>A number of participants reported finding RDA records arriving from
>external sources (OCLC, LC, vendors, etc) and recognised that we were
>already in a hybrid environment. It was felt there was a need for
>guidelines to deal with the co-existence of RDA records alongside AACR2
>(and pre-AACR2) records in our databases and OPACs. There were some
>libraries leaving imported RDA records untouched but more who had drawn up
>instructions on how to convert them to AACR2.
>
>When asked what kind of training they would like from CIG, participants
>made the following suggestions: « Basic training on RDA and FRBR « Lots of
>examples, especially comparing AACR2 to RDA « A lot of enthusiasm for some
>kind of practical hands-on element, with a suggestion of using something
>like the e-forum format to look at practice records together « To reduce
>travel costs, it was suggested that regional CIG groups could offer local
>training, with online materials made available so that people who attended
>training could easily and cost-effectively cascade training to their
>colleagues « Similarly, it was suggested that CIG could create training
>materials which could be sold to institutions to deliver themselves
>in-house « Possibly seminars to allow cataloguers to share their
>experience, problems encountered, changes to workflow, etc. « CIG Scotland
>has already offered to repeat any CIG events in Scotland
>
>Towards the end of day 1, there were questions about how libraries still
>using UKMARC will fare if RDA is implemented as well as some questions
>about authority control. Hopefully, some of this will be addressed in the
>topics for day 2.
>
>

--
Céline Carty
English Cataloguing
Cambridge University Library
Cambridge CB3 9DR