BCC2009/MD/2

MUSIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
Bibliographic Control Committee
Report from the ALCTS Metadata Interest Group

and other metadata-related meetings

Jenn Riley, Chair, Metadata Subcommittee, MLA BCC

ALCTS Metadata Interest Group (Formerly Networked Resources and Metadata Interest Group) Annual Meeting, July 12, 2009, 8:00-10:00 AM

The ALCTS Networked Resources and Metadata Interest Group has become the Metadata Interest Group, effective at ALA Annual 2009. A new Chair is taking office following the 2009 Annual meeting: Brad Eden, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara.

The Metadata Interest Group business meeting began with a brief presentation by Myung-Ja Han, Assistant Professor and Metadata Librarian, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Patricia Hswe, Project Manager for NDIIPP Partner Projects, Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Their presentation was entitled “Metadata librarians today: roles and competencies,” and slides can be seen at http://presentations.ala.org/images/5/5e/ALA2009Annua_MetadataLib.ppt. Han and Hswe’s study focused on an analysis of job descriptions metadata librarians as compared to those for catalogers from 2000 to 2008. Discussion by the Interest Group following the session focused on the need to supplement these findings with data providing institutional contexts for the quantitative data arising from this study and the need to distinguish managerial-style metadata positions from production-oriented metadata positions.

Steven Miller, Senior Lecturer, School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, then led a discussion on appropriate education for metadata librarians. While the discussion identified some areas that can be covered in library school (such as specific metadata formats, systems analysis, and user-centered design), it became clear that many in the room felt that additional qualities and experience were needed to truly be successful as a metadata librarian. Certain personal traits were identified as being present in most individuals successful in this area, such as native curiosity and the ability to work collaboratively. Prior cataloging experience was common, though not absolutely required. Continuing education (often driven by the librarian him or herself rather than guided by the institution), especially for technology skills, was also identified as a critical success factor.

Among the business discussed of interest to the MLA community was the success of an XSLT Preconference and a desire to repeat it in some form, the perceived usefulness of the MIG’s blog but difficulty in obtaining volunteers to write for it, and welcoming Jenn Riley as a new liaison to the group from MLA.

Minutes from the Metadata Interest Group meeting are currently in draft form, and will be posted in the near future to http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alcts/mgrps/ig/meta/2009ac.cfm.

The Metadata Interest Group maintains a blog at which summaries and links to presentation slides from other ALA Annual 2009 meetings and presentations relevant to metadata issues are listed. This blog may be found at http://blogs.ala.org/nrmig.php.

ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS), Audio Metadata Task Force, July 11, 2009, 3:30-5:30 PM

An informal task force that has existed within PARS for some time is now beginning to investigate best practices for audio preservation metadata. The group operated at the beginning without a specific charge, but at their meeting at ALA Annual 2009 developed a specific plan for moving forward, involving creating a resource to assist those embarking upon audio preservation projects to understand and select appropriate metadata formats to support the preservation process. This resource would list potential metadata standards to use for this purpose, and for each outline its scope and factors that would affect its adoption or rejection for a certain type of institution or project. I was in attendance at this meeting and expressed the potential for the MLA BCC Metadata Subcommittee to assist with the development of this resource.

With this new goal in mind, following the ALA 2009 Annual conference, the task force was slightly restructured, given a more descriptive name, and given a new formal charge, as follows:

PARS Audio Preservation Metadata Task Force

Members:           Preston Cabe, Janet Gertz (chair), Tyra Grant, Stephanie Lamson, Jenn Riley, Bob Strauss, Jonathan Thorn

Charge:               To assist librarians and archivists in understanding the array of metadata involved in digital conversion and preservation of recorded sound.

Assignment:        Produce a chart of the available standards and best practices for audio metadata, arranged by type (e.g. descriptive, technical, administrative) with explanations of their scope and interrelations, as an aid in deciding which are most appropriate                     under different circumstances.

Timeline:             Preliminary draft by Mid-winter 2010.

Partner:              The Metadata Committee within the Music Library Association may be interested in cooperating in this effort.  Jenn Riley is a member and she will contact them on our behalf.

(Note the charge contains a slightly incorrect name for the MLA BCC Metadata Subcommittee.) Based on this approved charge to the Task Force and consultation with MLA BCC Metadata Subcommittee members, I am recommending that the MLA BCC Metadata Subcommittee partner with the ALA PARS Task Force on this project.