Non-MARC metadata staffing and expertise at Columbia and Cornell in Technical Services
This summary only documents the non-MARC metadata staffing and tasks located in the technical services divisions of Cornell and/or Columbia. Other metadata-related tasks are being performed outside the technical services departments of both institutions.
Columbia University Libraries’ technical services division has three staff members working with non-MARC metadata: The Metadata Coordinator and the recently added Metadata Assistant perform the bulk of non-MARC metadata work. In addition, the Web Resources Collection Coordinator creates some Dublin Core metadata. On rare occasions, other catalogers may become involved in non-MARC metadata projects on a case-by-case basis when subject expertise (e.g. music) or language expertise (e.g. Russian) is needed.
Cornell University Library Technical Services has a total of seven staff members working with non-MARC metadata. The Discovery Metadata Librarian, Image Cataloger, Metadata Librarian for Humanities & Special Collections, Science Data and Metadata Librarian and a 1/2 time non-MARC term position (4.5 FTE total) do the majority of the non-MARC metadata work. In addition, two primarily MARC catalogers occasionally work with non-MARC metadata (approximately 0.5 FTE total).
Columbia
Columbia’s Metadata Coordinator works with both MARC and non-MARC data. She is one of the reviewers for Columbia’s NACO and SACO proposals and creates MARC catalog records for electronic resources. She is also involved in RDA implementation and training. The MARC work takes currently a minimum of 30% of a given work day, primarily due to RDA.
The non-MARC metadata tasks depend very much on the project at-hand. These tasks include metadata strategizing, consultation, crosswalking, metadata remediation and creation, staff education and training, data modeling, taxonomy development, creation and maintenance of documentation, guidelines, wikis and websites, as well as national and international committee participation. Metadata strategizing can occur on a general level (such as the list of MODS-based core elements and work on a master metadata element registry) or project specific (selection of specific elements, vocabularies, etc.). Consultations can range from analyzing existing legacy metadata to providing metadata creation time estimates for digital project planning. The Metadata Coordinator provides group or one-on-one metadata training, chairs the Metadata Interest Groups, arranges for Webinars, and shares general information on metadata-related developments via an e-mail-alias.
The Metadata Coordinator works very closely with the Digital Projects Librarian in the Digital Libraries Division. Due to the increasing workload a metadata assistant position has been created, which reports directly to the Metadata Coordinator. The tasks of creating and remediating non-MARC metadata records, creation of exhibition-specific Omeka data dictionaries, documentation maintenance, as well as the copy and adaptive MARC cataloging of online resources have recently moved from the Metadata Coordinator to the Metadata Assistant.
Some Dublin Core metadata is being created by the Web Archiving Team for the Archive-It application.
Cornell
Cornell University Library has three full-time academic Metadata Librarian appointments in Library Technical Services (LTS): (1) Discovery Metadata Librarian, (2) Metadata Librarian for Humanities & Special Collections and (3) Science Data and Metadata Librarian; these three positions are detailed below. In addition to the Metadata Librarians, a full-time Image Cataloger (term position) creates VRA Core records for the Cornell imaging for teaching collection, and we have recently hired a .5 FTE term position focused on the creation of non-MARC metadata. Further, the Slavic Languages Original Cataloger has been engaged in VRA Core cataloging for the past three years; however, this work is not included in this position’s job description. Finally, non-MARC metadata remediation occurs in LTS by a .25 FTE Technical Services Assistant in the Database Quality Unit; the allocation of .25 FTE in the Database Quality Unit is fairly recent.
Excluding VRA Core metadata, non-MARC metadata creation occurs infrequently and on a project-level in LTS. As the web archiving program continues to expand, the creation of Dublin Core metadata for crawled sites will expand. Although project logistics are not yet concretized, a .5 FTE Metadata Librarian will be responsible for the web archiving program beginning Fall 2013.
The three Metadata Librarian positions at Cornell focus on metadata strategizing, non-MARC metadata consultation, data modeling, metadata training, metadata remediation and metadata guideline and documentation creation. Although these three positions include occasional non-MARC metadata creation, this is rare aside from VRA Core image cataloging as detailed later. In addition to the main task categories, the three Metadata Librarians work on grant proposals, conduct authority work, create and/or select taxonomies, present to the library and nationally on metadata issues and consult with faculty, Cornell units and non-CUL entities on metadata issues.
The Discovery Metadata Librarian (DML) focuses on the integration of metadata between systems meanwhile building better relationships between resources aligning with the broader context of Cornell’s digital and programmatic needs. Of the three Metadata Librarians, this position most closely interacts with MARC metadata; this work arises from this position’s involvement with the Discovery and Access initiative to build a new discovery environment through the development of an integration layer that ingests metadata from across Cornell’s physical and digital assets. Due to the prior professional experience of the current DML, this position took on the oversight VRA Core cataloging for the Cornell images for teaching collection; prior to this, oversight of VRA Core cataloging was the responsibility of the Metadata Librarian for Humanities and Special Collections. This position currently co-chairs the Visual Resources Working Group and will soon chair the Metadata Working Group.
The Metadata Librarian for Humanities and Special Collections (MLHSC) focuses primarily on work in the Digital Consulting and Production Services (DCAPS) model. In the DCAPS model, the MLHSC works on the metadata-end for discrete, though often long-term, digital library projects as well as project management for select projects; further, the DCAPS model includes fairly extensive metadata consultation with CUL, Cornell and non-Cornell entities. In addition to DCAPS work, the MLHSC is involved with digital humanities projects on which the library collaborates. Further, this position currently serves on the steering group for the Cornell University Library Archival Repository (CULAR) and has been involved with the metadata components of development in CULAR as well as file validation issues. The MLHSC has been heavily involved with ARTstor SharedShelf and Kaltura development strategizing for the past two years; in the SharedShelf development, the MLHSC has focused on both the main SharedShelf development as well as migration planning and mapping for PiCtor, Cornell’s current VRA Core cataloging tool. Finally, the MLHSC currently spearheads web archiving in LTS. This position co-chairs the Library Outside the Library committee and formerly chairs the Metadata Working Group; meanwhile, this position serves on additional committees at Cornell and nationally.
The Science Data and Metadata Librarian (SDML) works extensively as the coordinator of the Research Data Management Service Group (RDMSG). In the RDMSG model, the SDML consults on funding agencies’ data curation requirements and the development of data management plans. This position consults on wide ranging issues related to the data curation lifecycle and works with CUL staff and Cornell faculty, staff and students on science metadata issues. The SDML has focused considerable energy in the past year project managing the implementation of an Electronic Lab Notebook pilot for research labs and evaluates platforms and repositories for effectiveness to support research data. This position currently co-chairs the Data Executive (soon to become the Repository Executive) group and is on the Data Discussion group planning committee.
As stated earlier, Metadata Librarians at Cornell work almost exclusively with non-MARC metadata; however, this has shifted moderately with the addition of the Discovery Metadata Librarian. As described earlier, the DML is involved extensively with the Discovery and Access (D&A) initiative, which includes MARC and non-MARC metadata; however, the D&A initiative does not entail MARC or non-MARC metadata creation.