Bibliographic Control and Resource Description Access Standard in Malaysia

Technological advances and emergence of digital information present a significantly different challenge than libraries had before. With abundance of digital formats of information available in libraries, a new standard of cataloging has been introduced. The standard for cataloging that emphasized on the content of metadata which can support the discovery, identification and employment of information resources in library or known as Resource Description and Access (RDA) is designed for the digital environment. It is expected to have full implementation in all libraries in Malaysia by 2017. This announcement has been made by the former director of National Library of Malaysia. To accomplish this mission, training is considered a basic requirement for every librarian before the introduction of RDA. However, it is found to be great challenges in conducting training and implementation of RDA in many libraries. With regards to this matter this study focuses on literatures on RDA pertaining to; training, costs, cataloging procedures and integrated library system. The framework may become foundation for libraries in supporting RDA in bibliographic control. The insight will inspire and inform a wide array of new research agenda in the cataloging and metadata literature.