PCC TACTICAL OBJECTIVES, 2004-2006

as of December 21, 2004

Introduction

At its November 2004 meeting, the PCC Policy Committee (PoCo) resolved to create a short, well-focused tactical plan for the Fall 2004-Summer, 2006 period. Working from a long list of suggestions from a recent survey of PCC policy-level representatives and interviews with key leaders of the organization, the PoCo selected seven highest priority ideas for guiding the work of the PCC for the next two years. The seven priorities had to do with 1) training, 2) automation support, 3) and 4) partnerships with information providers, 5) metadata standards, 6) raising community awareness, and 7) developing policy-level leadership.

Members of the PCC Steering Committee were charged with suggesting specific tactical objectives, complete with implementation plans, that correspond with these seven priority ideas. They were asked to compile objectives that could be accomplished in 2 years, that are appropriate for the PCC (as opposed to some other group), that can be pursued along side initiatives already in progress and the ongoing work of the CONSER, BIBCO, NACO, and SACO programs, and that will help the organization as a whole prepare for the challenges likely to be articulated in a new strategic plan for 2006-20012.

Here are the tactical objectives presented by members of the Steering Committee for review and comment by the entire PCC organization. Pending approval and/or adjustment by the PoCo, they will form the substance of the PCC's tactical plan for 2004-2006.

Objective 1.2.5: Assess with the publishing community possibilities for the flow of bibliographic data among library and publisher databases.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 1.2.5:

ACTION: Set up an advisory board of publisher and system vendor representatives. Vendors would be represented by companies that provide ILS, Publication Access Management Services (PAMS), and electronic resource management systems. The group will be responsible for proposing cooperative data sharing projects related to the CONSER program. The group will be able to decide on the most appropriate projects considering its membership, but an example that could result in projects during 2005-2006 is:

1) Set up a mechanism to use ONIX for serials format to transmit information between publishers, PAMS, ILS vendors, and libraries. Information to be shared could include:

a. serials holdings information to populate vendor knowledge bases

b. bibliographic data originally stored in publisher databases that could be used as the basis for catalog records for both monographs and serials

Advisory board membership: Sources of publisher and vendor representatives include those who attended the CONSER Summit and recent LC management forums on publisher LC cooperation. Other members might include representatives working on the ONIX format committees; PCC Operations Committee representatives. The board will be chaired by the CONSER Coordinator. The advisory board will conduct its work mainly through email, conference calls and meetings at ALA if needed. Board members are volunteers, covering their own expenses.

WHO: The CONSER Coordinator will set up the advisory board. The PCC Steering Committee will be responsible for considering and accepting projects recommended by the advisory board. The PCC Steering Committee will assist the board in implementing accepted projects by setting time frames, appointing PCC members to help carry out projects, and providing other help that is needed.

WHEN: The CONSER Coordinator will set up the advisory board by February 2005 with a one-year term to be renewed in February 2006. The advisory board would be expected to provide an annual report for the PCC Policy Committee and updates for the PCC Steering Committee meetings twice a year in January and in June.

Objective 1.2.6: Emphasize the development of automated means for record creation, enhancement, maintenance, and sharing--especially for digital resources. (Ballot number 1.2.E; new tactical plan number: 1.2.6)

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 1.2.6:

[Send your ideas for tactical objectives to Sellberg@northwestern.edu]

Objective 1.3.2: Publish a reference guide for machine-derived and machine-generated monographic records.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 1.3.2:

ACTION: Building on the work of a previous task force on serial aggregations, the Standing Committee on Automation has charged a monographic aggregator task force to develop a reference guide that lists required data elements and includes practical and detailed guidelines for application.

WHO: The Monographic Aggregator Task Force of the Standing Committee on Automation

WHEN: Summer 2005. Upon approval of the report, LC staff will mount the guide on the PCC web site by November 1, 2005.

Objective 1.3.3: Create and distribute a brochure encouraging and offering assistance to information providers who offer useable cataloging records that correspond to the information resources they sell.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 1.3.3:

ACTION: The PCC Steering Committee will charge a task group to organize and draft content for a brochure that explains why the provision of useable cataloging copy enhances information packages; gives examples of successful partnerships between information providers and libraries to create record sets (including at least one international example); includes references to relevant information resources on the PCC Web site such as the reports produced by the monographic and journal aggregator task forces; and suggests that information providers seek the partnership of PCC participating libraries to create appropriate record sets in the future. The task group will also project approximate costs of options for design, printing, and distribution, and will compile a list of potential initial recipients. Pending approval of funding by the PCC Steering Committee, the brochure will be designed and produced, and its distribution will be launched at a PCC-sponsored meeting at ALA.

WHO: The task group so charged

WHEN: January 1, 2006 for completion of the work by the task group; June 2006 ALA for the launch of the distribution of the brochures.

Objective 2.1.2: Collaborate with the Library of Congress to test the viability of different levels of bibliographic control for web resources.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 2.1.2:

The PCC Steering Committee will charge the Standing Committee on Standards to review the proposed new MARC/AACR access level record, developed in consultation with LC by an expert consultant. The Standing Committee on Standards will provide any feedback to LC, by March 31, 2005.

The PCC Standing Committee on Standards/Steering Committee will seek up to five BIBCO libraries willing to test the access level record for providing bibliographic control to web resources that those institutions choose to catalog. The PCC Standing Committee on Standards/Steering Committee will identify volunteer PCC institutions, by the May 2005 BIBCO meeting.

The records created by the libraries will be contributed to PCC. LC will work to resolve record identification issues , e.g., implications for encoding level and/or 042 authentication code, by September 30, 2005.

The status of the PCC's participation, including feedback from the volunteer libraries in using the access level record, will be reported at the November 2005 PCC Policy Committee meeting.

LC will share its software/template for creating MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema) records for Web resources for the volunteer libraries. LC will work to have this ready to share by summer 2005.

LC will share its TrackER software with the volunteer libraries. This software allows the tracking of e-resources from point of identification/selection to cataloging. LC will work to have this ready to share by summer 2005.

LC will mount documentation related to the above approaches on its website, for consultation by PCC libraries. LC will mount the documentation by the various target dates above.

Objective 3.1.5: Develop two new training courses in partnership with ALCTS for the benefit of the entire cataloging community.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 3.1.5:

ACTION: Building on the success of its initial efforts related to name and title authorities and subject analysis, the Standing Committee on Training will initiate and shepherd the development of two additional courses on series authorities and LC classification.

WHO: A series authorities training course task force has been formed and charged. An LC classification task force will get a later start.

WHEN: Series authorities effort: Preliminary report by June 2005; prepare pilot program for June 2006; and offer the course as a pre-conference in June 2007. LC classification effort: Preliminary report by January 2006.

Objective 3.1.6: Strengthen training and documentation support for the efforts of libraries to maintain NACO and BIBCO participation.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 3.1.6:

ACTION: A task force will compile and prioritize a list of suggestions for specific training and/or documentation tasks, policies, or projects (with annotations about feasibility and implementation strategies for the top five).

WHO: An appointed task force made up of the NACO/BIBCO coordinator (chair), a representative from the Standing Committee on Training , a representative from the BIBCO Operations Committee, a representative from the PCC Policy Comittee, and a representative from a non-U.S. library

WHEN: By June 2005. The Steering Committee will then choose at least two to follow up on by September 2005, with implementation expected in the Spring of 2006.

Objective 3.2.1: Explore Web-based training (Note: this tactical objective is already in the existing tactical plan; we thought we should include a re-commitment of this objective, because it seems to contribute nicely to the theme of re-training support for existing PCC participants that was strong in the group of suggestions that got lumped together under the training rubric and was voted for by so many at PoCo.)

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 3.2.1:

ACTION: The Standing Committee on Training will charge a task force to explore the Web delivery of training.

WHO: The appointed task force

WHEN: The time line for Phase I of completion of the charge (analysis and strategy recommendations) is expected in September 2005; Phase II (prototype online course) will be determined at that time in consultation with the Standing Committee on Training, the PoCo, and the task force members.

Objective 3.3.2: Commission the research and writing of an article to be published in a prominent library journal that would provide readers with the history of the PCC, its ongoing evolution, and its plans to remain a vital organization in the information community.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time line for Objective 3.3.2:

ACTION: The PCC Steering Committee will undertake to identify an author with appropriate credentials who will be able to articulate a strong case for the relevance of the PCC through the exploration of its past and its plans for the future.

WHO: The author so identified

WHEN: A contract will be issued not later than November 1, 2005, with the expectation that the article will be published during 2006.

Objective 3.3.3: Undertake a redesign of the Program's web presence with a view toward making the website the Program's primary vehicle for communication, marketing, and access to all PCC related information.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time line for Objective 3.3.3:

ACTION: The PCC Steering Committee will charge a task group to review the site, solicit usability feedback from users, draft recommendations for changes in content as well as "look and feel" and propose a mechanism for ongoing development and maintenance of the site. Membership of the task group will include LC staff as well as individuals representing the various constituencies that make use of the site.

WHO: The task group so charged

WHEN: The task group will report to the PCC Policy Committee at its meeting in the fall of 2005 with a view to implementing approved changes by November, 2006.

Objective 4.5.5: Design and implement a plan to develop participation and leadership among policy-level representatives of PCC participating institutions by November 1, 2005.

Tasks, responsibilities, and time frames for Objective 4.5.5:

ACTION: The Chair of the PCC Policy Committee will charge a task force by February 1, 2005, to recommend and prioritize potential initiatives, suggest specific actions and assignments, and discuss appropriate measures of success.

WHO: The task force so charged

WHEN: The task force will submit its recommendations for approval by the PCC Steering Committee by July 1, 2005. The Steering Committee will make assignments for initiatives suggested by the task force and approved by the PCC Steering Committee by September 1, 2005, with implementation to commence immediately thereafter as appropriate.