Translating RDA into French

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Cataloging & Classification quarterly on August 21, 2104, available online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01639374.2014.889059. This article reports on a joint translation project (France and Canada) of the RDA (Resource Description and Access) standard into French. We describe how the translation committee was functioning, explain the methodology, and present the measures taken to ensure that all contributing parties be satisfied with the end result. The paper discusses problems that arose when dealing with translating specific instructions and examples that needed to be adapted (or changed) to the French context. Other sections report on technical and managerial challenges encountered. We conclude with “lessons learned” that will hopefully help others embarking on such a project