AACR2 vs. RDA

The Anglo-American Cataloging Rules (AACR) were an international library cataloging standard first published  in 1967 and later updated in 1978 as AACR2. AACR2 has been replaced with Resource Description and Access  (RDA), a modern standard of descriptive cataloging. RDA is the preferred content standard, however AACR2  records are still prevalent and acceptable.

Major differences between AACR2 and RDA records include these fields:

AACR2 

    • Use of abbreviations
    • 45 p. : col. ill. ; 28 cm.
    • Publication, distribution, copyright, etc., information all in one, non-repeatable field Copyright date can be used as publication date
    • Copyright indicated with “c”

RDA 

    • Fewer abbreviations
      • 10 pages : color illustrations ; 20 cm
    • Publication, distribution, copyright, etc., information in separate fields
      • Multiple 264 fields allowed
      • Copyright indicated with “©”
    • Content, carrier, and media types in new 336, 337, 338 fields
      • =336 \\text $b txt $2 rdacontent
      • =337 \\unmediated $b n $2 rdamedia
      • =338 \\Volume $b nc $2 rdacarrier
    • Use of relationship designators in 1XX and 7XX fields
      • =100 1\$aMoffett, Mark W $e author.
    • Cataloging language designation in 040
      • $e rda