Official Announcement: Creation and acceptance of the RDA Latin America and the Caribbean Group (RDA-ALyC)

We are pleased to announce the creation of the RDA Latin America and Caribbean Group, a new regional body established with the aim of strengthening collaboration, knowledge sharing, and capacity building around the implementation of RDA in our region.

This group, established in January 2025, is the result of joint work by the different national RDA groups in Mexico, Costa Rica, Colombia, Peru, and Chile, with the collaboration of Argentina, all committed to the implementation of RDA in libraries in our region. Its creation responds to a long-felt need in Latin America and the Caribbean for a group to coordinate local initiatives, highlight regional experiences, and promote active and sustained participation in the global RDA community.

In this context, and following a process of evaluation and institutional support, we are honored to share that the group has been formally recognized by the RDA Board and the RDA Steering Committee as a Regional Committee. This recognition not only validates the work done so far, but also consolidates its role within the RDA organizational structure and opens up new opportunities for the development of joint activities, collaborative projects, regional policy formulation, and representation in international forums.

The RDA Latin America and Caribbean Group has the following objectives:              

1. Promote cooperation, communication, and the exchange of experiences among national, university, academic, government, specialized, public, and other types of libraries, as well as with library science schools and research institutions in Latin American and Caribbean countries, regarding the use and implementation of RDA (Resource Description and Access).  
2. Disseminate information on the development and updating of the RDA standard among national, university, academic, government, specialized, public, and other types of libraries, as well as library schools and research institutions in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
3. Promote the use and adaptation of RDA, taking into account the regional context, among national, university, academic, government, specialized, public, and other types of libraries, as well as library schools and research institutions in Latin American and Caribbean countries.
4. Establish a regional cooperation forum on the RDA standard in which national, university, academic, government, specialized, public, and other types of libraries, as well as library science schools and research institutions in Latin American and Caribbean countries, can participate and express their views. 
5. Encourage and promote cooperation in the use, application, and updating of the Spanish translation of RDA among national, university, academic, government, specialized, public, and other types of libraries, as well as with library science schools and research institutions in Latin American and Caribbean countries. 

We invite the entire RDA community in Latin America and the Caribbean —researchers, information professionals, and decision-makers— to join this regional group. Your participation is key to building a strong, diverse, and inclusive regional community that actively contributes to addressing the global challenges surrounding the implementation of RDA in our institutions.

Written by Ángela Quiroz Ubierna