Convert an existing record to RDA

After selecting RDA as the district’s preferred cataloging form, you can convert an existing AACR2 record to an RDA record.

important: When you select RDA as the district's preferred cataloging form, you change the records one at a time as described in the following steps.

To convert an existing record to RDA

  1. Select Catalog. The Title Details page appears.
  2. Search for a title.
  3. To open a title record, click Details. The Title Details page appears.
  4. Click Convert. A confirmation pop-up appears.
  5. To convert, click Yes.

Additional Information

Destiny makes the following changes to the MARC record:

  • In the Leader, changes the Cataloging Form, position 18, from a = AACR2 to i = ISBD punctuation included.
  • Adds an 040 subfield _e (Cataloging Source code) containing rda.
  • Deletes the 245 subfield _h (Medium).
  • Adds a 336 tag with content in subfield _a that is the equivalent of the information that was in the 245 subfield _h and, in subfield _2, rdacontent. This tag is required by RDA.
  • Adds one or more 338 tags with content in subfield _a that is the equivalent of the information deleted from the 245 subfield _h and enters, in subfield _2, rdacarrier. This tag is required by RDA.
  • Converts a 260 tag to one or two 264 tags.

note: Whether RDA or AACR2, the subfields _a, _b, and _c basically contain the same information: place of publication, name of publisher, date of publication. For other, less frequently used subfields, please see the Library of Congress website.

  • If a 260_c contains a single date not preceded by a c, the new 264 has a second indicator of 1, which indicates a publication year.

note: Destiny retrieves the date in this 264_c when creating citations in a resource list, generating reports (such as a Bibliography or Collection Age report), and limiting searches by publication year.

AACR2 RDA

260 ##_a New York :

_b Grosset & Dunlap,

_c 2010.

264 #1_a New York :

_b Grosset & Dunlap,

_c 2010.
  • If a 260_c contains a publication date and a copyright date (such as 2010, c2004), Destiny creates two 264 tags: In addition to the 264 described in the first bullet above, a second 264 contains a second indicator of 4, which indicates the copyright notice date, and a subfield _c with copyright <year>.

Destiny retrieves the date in the 264 #4 _c for citations in a resource list.

AACR2 RDA

260 ##_a New York :

_b Grosset & Dunlap,

_c 2010, c2004.

264 #1_a New York :

_b Grosset & Dunlap,

_c 2010.

264 #4_c copyright 2004.
  • If a 260_c contains a single date preceded with a c, indicating a copyright date, Destiny creates two 264 tags: The first 264 with a second indicator of 1 has the date enclosed in brackets. The second 264 contains an indicator of 4, which indicates the copyright notice date, and a subfield _c with copyright <year>.
AACR2 RDA

260 ##_a New York :

_b Grosset & Dunlap,

_c c2010.

264 #1_a New York :

_b Grosset & Dunlap,

_c [2010]

264 #4_c copyright 2010.

These changes above are visible in the MARC Editor.

  • The RDA Types tab in Easy Editor lets you can manage the added 336, 337, and 338 tags. The other changes are not visible in the Easy Editor.
  • To replace the information from the 245_h (General Manager Designator) that appeared in brackets after the title on the Title Details page, Destiny retrieves the material type and, if defined, the subtype and inserts it in the same place.
AACR2 RDA

Tom Swift and his electric runabout [Sound recording] by Victor Appleton.

Tom Swift and his electric runabout [Sound / Audio Cassette]
by Victor Appleton.

The content in the 336 and 338 tags appear in the Publication Info section instead of the Additional Info section of the Title Details page.