The Open Rules for Cataloging (ORC) project supports the cataloging community in a pragmatic and freely available manner while adhering to cataloging ethics and established best practices. The ORC Core Committee endeavors to create guidelines and models that are straightforward, comprehensible, and inclusive to all types of library communities. ORC guidelines and models strive to be compatible with shared cataloging environments to allow for broad usage. The guidelines cover general description of library materials for use primarily in (but not limited to) a MARC-based environment.

Cataloging principles are no longer siloed to the library. Due to changing library metadata environments and assets, these practices must be interoperable among wider technology platforms. ORC seeks to be a standard that will bridge data exchange and encourage metadata creation and reuse.

The focus of ORC is on bibliographic resources as commonly encountered in school, public and academic libraries. Currently the project is developing cataloging guidelines for non-rare monographs and will develop guidelines for other formats if needed by the community. Because the main aim of this project is to fill gaps in freely accessible cataloging codes, there are no plans to develop rules for formats that already have freely available guidelines.