Library resource categories and their possible groupings

The resource typologies proposed in the new standard, Resource Description and Access (RDA), are evaluated in the context of a particular university library catalogue through two card-sort exercises. Although it was found that end-users recognised the content and carrier aspects of the resource types as listed in RDA, they did not categorise them as RDA has done. Instead, content and carrier aspects were used to construct more complex classifications, which were also heavily influenced by other aspects, such as seriality. There was also much variation in these classifications, particularly at lower levels, suggesting that polyhierarchical systems may be advantageous.