Standing Committee on Training Task Group on the PCC Role in Metadata Training

Background

The PCC Strategic and Tactical Plan calls for the PCC to collaborate with ALCTS and other groups in providing continuing education to library professionals.  The plan also charges the Standing Committee on Training to identify additional opportunities to educate the library community.  Opportunities to receive training in metadata already exist, although they vary in focus, intended audience, cost and frequency.  In order to maximize the effective use of collective training resources, the PCC needs to investigate how, whether and where it should get involved with metadata training initiatives.  The formation of this task group is a first step in that investigation.

To keep the scope of the work more narrowly focused; the Task Group should consider only efforts surrounding descriptive metadata, and read "metadata" below to include only descriptive metadata.

Charge

The SCT Task Group on the PCC Role in Metadata Training is charged to:

• Identify existing and planned descriptive metadata training opportunities (via ALCTS, OCLC, LITA, or other organizations)
• Assess the need in libraries for descriptive metadata training over the near-to-medium term (3-6 yrs.)
• Assess the appropriateness of PCC's involvement in descriptive metadata training.  The assessment should articulate how any PCC role would contribute to the Program's mission and goals.  It should also weigh the kind of role PCC might play (direct provider of training, advisor to other groups involved in training, etc.)
• If deemed appropriate, recommend a strategy for the PCC to enter the field of descriptive metadata training.  The strategy should include:
  • Identification of a target audience (or audiences): front-line professionals, support staff, administrators, or others.
  • Identification of training program subject parameters (i.e., general overviews of descriptive metadata, training in working with one or more specific descriptive metadata schema,) etc.
• Recommend a model for the provision of descriptive metadata training.  The recommendation should consider existing models (SCCTP "train-the-trainer" style, ACLTS Metadata Institute, etc.) and/or propose new ones as appropriate. 
• Assess and recommend the most effective means of delivering training (in-person, via the Web, teleconferences, etc.)

Timeline:

Final report due to the Standing Committee on Training by October 15, 2003.