About AACR2

AACR2 is published under the auspices of the AACR Fund as outlined in the Governance section of this Web site.

As noted in its General Introduction, the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR) are designed for use in the construction of catalogues and other lists in general libraries of all sizes. The rules cover the description of, and the provision of access points for, all library materials commonly collected at the present time.

The second edition of the rules is based on a reconciliation of the British and North American texts of the 1967 edition. This extends to style, which is generally in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style, and to spellings, which are those of Webster’s New International Dictionary.

Part I deals with the provision of information describing the item being catalogued, and Part II deals with the determination and establishment of headings (access points) under which the descriptive information is to be presented to catalogue users, and with the making of references to those headings. In both parts the rules proceed from the general to the specific.

In addition to the Rules, The AACR Fund authorizes other publications. The most prominent of these are The Concise AACR2 and Cartographic Materials.

AACR is published in English and has been translated into other languages, which are listed under Translations section of this site.

Latest News

Marjorie Bloss appointed RDA Project Manager

Marjorie Bloss, visiting instructor at the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Dominican University, has been appointed Project Manager for the development of Resource Description and Access (RDA).

Built on foundations established by the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, RDA is being developed as a new standard designed for use in a digital environment.

RDA will be co-published by the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

Bloss will coordinate a project team that includes the editor, the chairpersons of the Joint Steering Committee, Committee of Principals and Co-Publishers, and an online/web product developer. She will oversee the development schedule, organize and coordinate consultation with a broad range of cataloging and stakeholder communities, and manage a marketing and communications plan designed to address factors affecting these communities.

About the Co-Publishers

Based in Chicago, the American Library Association (ALA) is a nonprofit organization that advocates for America’s libraries and the millions of people who depend on them. ALA’s mission is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

Based in Ottawa, the Canadian Library Association (CLA) is a non-profit, diverse group of individuals and organizations involved or interested in library or information sciences. CLA’s mission is to promote, develop, and support library and information services in Canada and to work in cooperation with all who share its values in order to present a unified voice on issues of mutual concern.

Based in the United Kingdom, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) is a professional body formed from the unification of the Institute of Information Scientists (IIS) and The Library Association (LA). CILIP’s mission is to support library and information workers in all sectors and to set and promote standards of excellence in the creation, management, and delivery of information services.