The MLA RDA Application Profile

An application profile is, broadly speaking, a list of metadata elements that must, should, can, or must not be recorded in the context of a particular application (for example, creating a MARC Bibliographic record for a score). The BIBCO Standard Record is one example of an application profile, in this case for libraries contributing to the PCC Bibliographic Cooperative program.

An application profile conforming to the recommendations in the MLA Best Practices is available as a draft spreadsheet in Excel format (Google Drive link; final format potentially subject to change). The profile spreadsheet is divided into multiple worksheets: one for elements common to all musical resources and four additional sheets for elements (or treatments of elements) specific to scores and recordings (in physical or electronic formats).

Interpreting the Application Profile

The MLA application profile includes the following columns, though not every column will be populated for each element:

  • Element: The name of the element the row pertains to. The same element may appear more than once if there are recommendations for more than one recording method.
  • Domain: The RDA entity type the element describes.
  • Range: The RDA entity type to which the element relates the entity that is being described. Elements that don't express a relationship between entities, such as those that take their values from a controlled vocabulary, do not have a Range.
  • Recording Method: The recording method (unstructured description, structured description, identifier, IRI) the row pertains to. The same element may have different recommendations for different recording methods.
  • Min: Cardinality specification for technical applications, such as record validation; the minimum number of instances of an element that must be recorded. Always either 0 (may be absent) or 1 (at least one must be present).
  • Max: Cardinality specification for technical applications, such as record validation; the maximum number of instances of an element that may be recorded. May be 0 (must not be present), 1 (must be unique), or any (no limit).
  • First Instance: A summary of the MLA Best Practices recommendation for recording the first instance of an element. One of:
    • Mandatory: The element must always be recorded using the specified recording method, even if a value must be supplied by a cataloger.
    • Mandatory if applicable: The element must be recorded using the specified recording method, providing that there is anything to record.
    • Recommended if applicable/feasible: Recording the element is recommended, but optional.
    • Cataloger's judgment: Recording the element is optional.
    • Prefer narrower element: Data appropriate for this element may be recorded, but a more specific element exists and should generally be used instead if the encoding standard being used supports it.
    • Do not record: The element must not be recorded using the specified recording method.
  • Additional Instances: The MLA Best Practices recommendation for recording the second, third, or further instance of an element, using the same list of values as First Instance.
  • Notes: Notes for context or clarification.
  • VES: The vocabulary encoding scheme(s) (such as LCMPT), if any, from which the value of the element should be taken. May apply to structured descriptions, identifiers, or IRIs.
  • SES: The string encoding scheme(s) (such as ISBD punctuation), if any, to be used in formatting the value of the element. Applies to structured descriptions only.
  • IRI: The IRI of the RDA element in the RDA Registry. In current practice these are unlikely to be used in MARC, but they may be recorded in $4 for fields that support it.

Elements and element/recording method pairs not specified in the profile may be considered cataloger's judgment or use recommendations from another application profile.