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.” [Rule 0.1]

The current text is the Second Edition, 2002 Revision (with 2003, 2004, and 2005 updates) which incorporates all changes approved by the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR (JSC) through February 2005. The rules are published by:

• The American Library Association
• The Canadian Library Association
• CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals

For information on purchasing AACR, see the AACR2 Web site.

AACR is published in English and has been translated into other languages; see “Translations of AACR.”

For information on the history of AACR see “A Brief History of AACR.”

The JSC is working on a new code, “RDA: Resource Description and Access” scheduled to be published in 2008.

The rules are maintained by the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR.

In support of effective cataloguing practice, the Joint Steering Committee develops and maintains the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules according to established principles for bibliographic description and access. To this end, the Committee works in a timely and proactive manner to formulate a cataloguing code that is responsive to user needs and to changes in the information environment, and that results in cost-effective cataloguing.

JSC Mission Statement

The constituent organizations represented on the Joint Steering Committee are:

• The American Library Association
• The Australian Committee on Cataloguing
• The British Library
• The Canadian Committee on Cataloguing
• CILIP: Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals
• The Library of Congress

The current Chair of JSC is Deirdre Kiorgaard, the Australian Committee on Cataloguing representative.

The work of the JSC relies heavily on the members of the constituent organizations. From time to time the JSC issues certificates to express its appreciation to individuals who have made a significant contribution to AACR; see “JSC Certificates.”

Proposals for revisions to AACR may be submitted for consideration by the Joint Steering Committee. For a description of the process, including information on how to submit proposals, see “The Rule Revision Process: Submitting Proposals To Revise AACR.”

For further information, contact:

Deirdre Kiorgaard
Chair, JSC