Intelligence, artificial and otherwise

governance, standards, and the Joint RDA Board/RSC Working Group on Artificial Intelligence

Authors

Keywords:

RDA, Artificial Intelligence, AI, RDA Board, RSC, RDA Steering Committee, Joint RDA Board / RSC Working Group on Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

This article first examines the rationale behind the establishment of the Joint RDA Board/RSC Working Group on Artificial Intelligence in response to a rapidly emerging technology, positioning it as a governance body for the international metadata standard RDA. It then traces the group’s development from its initial investigative work to the publication of a White Paper and its current ongoing advisory role, underscoring its commitment to metadata quality, conceptual integrity, and professional values within the international metadata community.

Author Biographies

  • Ahava Cohen, RDA Steering Committee

    Ahava Cohen is the RSC Representative for Europe and Chair of the Joint RDA Board / RSC Working Group on Artificial Intelligence. The first person to complete a doctorate on RDA, she is the Head of Cataloguing at the National Library of Israel. 

  • Charlene Chou, RDA Board / RSC Working Group on Artificial Intelligence

    Charlene Chou is Head of the Knowledge Access Department at New York University Libraries, where she oversees cataloguing and metadata services. She served the maximum two terms as Wider Community Engagement Officer for the RDA Steering Committee and remains a valued member of its Religions in RDA Working Group and the Joint RDA Board / RSC Working Group on Artificial Intelligence. She is active in many other cataloguing committees in the USA and is research active with colleagues at home and in China and Taiwan. 

References

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Barbus, C. and Behrens, R. (2024) RSC/Chair/2024/7 - Working Group on Artificial Intelligence. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/11213/22549 [Accessed: 20 June 2026]

Barbus C. and Behrens, R. (2025) RSC/Chair/2025/10 - Working Group on Artificial Intelligence 2025. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/11213/22923 [Accessed: 20 June 2026]

Cohen, A. et al. (2025) RSC/Papers/2025/1 - Considering AI in the growth of RDA. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/11213/22898 [Accessed: 20 June 2026]

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RDA Steering Committee (2026) Joint RDA Board and RSC Working Group on Artificial Intelligence. Available at: https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/rdaboard/AIworkinggroup [Accessed: 20 June 2026]

RDA Steering Committee (2024) RSC/Minutes/444-445 - Minutes [of the] January 2024 RSC Meeting. Available at: http://hdl.handle.net/11213/21002 [Accessed: 20 June 2026]

Riva, P., Le Bœuf, P. and Žumer, M. (2018) IFLA Library Reference Model: A Conceptual Model for Bibliographic Information. International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Available at: https://repository.ifla.org/handle/20.500.14598/40 [Accessed: 18 June 2026]

United Nations General Assembly (2024) Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development: draft resolution. A/78/L.49. Available at: https://documents.un.org/doc/undoc/ltd/n24/065/92/pdf/n2406592.pdf [Accessed: 20 June 2026]

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Published

2026-06-23

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Articles