The launch of RDA: Resource Description and Access has already transformed cataloging standards. Written at a time of transition in international cataloging, this new book offers guidance to help catalogers make a smooth transition to RDA. Offering a step-by-step guide for mapping these new standards onto existing rules for description, this book thoroughly covers FRBR (Functional Requirements of Bibliographic Records) and FRAD (Functional Requirements of Authority Data), on which the new rules are built, and explores how RDA elements can be incorporated into MARC21. Authors Welsh and Batley provide readers with an introduction to current catalogs and standards and examine publication formats, bibliographic elements, access points, and headings. This complete guide to RDA includes coverage of its development, structure, and features, plus a section that addresses its similarities and differences with AACR2. The authors also explain the MARC21 record, studying tags, indicators, and sub-field codes. This book will be essential reading for students of library and information studies and practicing library and information professionals in all sectors.