CIP Records (AACR2/RDA): Guidelines for Upgrading with Examples

For: Technical Services Staff

By: Steven Arakawa

Issue date: 12/01/2005

Revised date: 05/2014


INTRODUCTION

CIP cataloging records are created from publisher's electronic data sheets sent to the Library of Congress prior to publication. The CIP program is restricted to U.S. imprints, so most CIP records are for English-language publications. CIP does not represent cataloging with piece in hand, and the descriptive elements will require editing. The CIP record may deviate significantly from the book you are cataloging.

General scope of the CIP program

Significant exceptions

Note that cd-roms, video, sound recordings, scores, maps, serials, & microforms are excluded from the CIP program. Multipart monographs are included in the program.

NOTE: These guidelines describe standard descriptive cataloging and tagging procedures.

During the RDA test period, some LC catalogers created a number of CIP records in accordance with RDA. The test period was Oct. 2010-Dec. 2010. Although it was a test, LC & other libraries created real bibliographic records following RDA/LC standards. You may have run across a few in your copy cataloging in fall 2010 and after. From January 2011, LC suspended RDA cataloging for an evaluation period. In June 2011, the U.S. national libraries announced that RDA implementation will be held up until certain issues are resolved.

At Midwinter 2012, LC announced an implementation date of March 31, 2013. By this is meant: all LC cataloging will follow RDA rules beginning March 31, 2013, but prior to that date, LC cataloging will gradually become RDA-only as LC catalogers complete training. LC catalogers already trained in RDA/LC Policies for the test period resumed cataloging in RDA November 2011.

During the transitional period (and it could be for some time), we expect to continue to receive a mix of AACR2 & RDA cataloging in the copy cataloging workflow. The assumption is that some of the LC CIP cataloging in RDA will be part of the mix. If RDA CIP records are received, they should be completed following the RDA rules (rather than AACR2).

The CIP documentation has been augmented to identify RDA records by catalogers, and how to complete the records according to RDA instructions. In those situations where RDA differs from AACR2, the RDA practice will be noted next to the AACR2 practice to the extent possible. As time passes, encounters with AACR2 cataloging will be unusual, so it will be helpful to have a record of the superseded rules. It may also be useful as an RDA primer when evaluating cataloging copy in general:  a common error in copy cataloging is the "correction" of elements in the description that are actually the result of changes in rules and policies. At this time, RDA and LC policies have often been changing, so this document needs to be reviewed frequently and updated as needed as the ongoing changes come to our attention.

CONVENTIONS: To emphasize that a space is to be inserted in some of the examples, a  " _  " is used.

Library of Congress - Program for Cooperative Cataloging Policy Statements is abbreviated variously as LC-PS, LC-PCC PS, or PS. Under AACR2, the Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (LCRIs) served a similar practice, to clarify or expand upon some of the rules.