Category: Information science

The acronym RDA has several distinct meanings, with one of the most prominent being the Recommended Dietary Allowance, first published in 1943 during WWII to set goals for good nutrition. However, its role can vary dramatically, encompassing everything from international data sharing initiatives to modern library cataloging standards, requiring context to understand its function.

A Gartner report predicted that by 2025, 75% of enterprise data would be processed outside a traditional data center. This shift highlights the profound impact of automation, including how RDA is linked to AI in two distinct contexts: as the Resource Description and Access standard used in library science, and as Robotic Data Automation for enterprise data management.

RDA, or Resource Description and Access, is a major international cataloguing standard and the preferred descriptive standard for contributions to numerous library databases worldwide. The official RDA is the current iteration of this standard, designed for the digital world and incorporating a modernized framework for resource description. It replaces the earlier Original RDA standard to better align with 21st-century technology and linked data principles.