Annual Report of the Standing Committee on Training

September 07, 2004

The Standing Committee on Training (SCT) continues to identify the need for training programs, workshops, and institutes aimed at developing cataloging skills that support the Program goals. The training efforts undertaken are intended to serve both new program participants and to reach those currently participating in one or more PCC component programs or those who may need to refresh or further their knowledge of contemporary bibliographic control.

Outgoing members of the Standing Committee on Training are: Frieda Rosenberg and Adam Schiff. Continuing members include: David Banush (Chair), Greta de Groat, Heather Rosie, Becky Uhl, and Rachel Wadham. Liaisons include: Ed Glazier, RLG Liaison, Glenn Patton, OCLC Liaison, and Carolyn Sturtevant, BIBCO Liaison. Ana Cristán continues on the Committee as LC liaison for one year as she hands over the BIBCO reins to Carolyn Sturtevant; her term will end on September 30, 2005. Caroline Miller of UCLA and Steven Arakawa of Yale join the committee on Oct. 1 for three-year terms.

Joint PCC/ALCTS Training Efforts

The joint SCT/SAC effort to develop training materials on the use of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) continued to make great progress. The group did a test run of the content at ALA in San Diego for UCSD staff. Lori Robare took the materials to Scotland and Ireland in March 2004. In June, the program made its official debut as a pre-conference at ALA Orlando. It was a tremendous success by all accounts. A number of groups have already expressed interest in sponsoring the training in their areas.

In March, the SCT chair worked with Lori Robare, Carol Hixson and Bruce Trumble to select trainers for the subject analysis course. 28 volunteers came forward, forming a very strong applicant pool. Since it was not possible to accommodate all who wished to become trainers, those not selected in the first round have been notified that they may be considered in a second call, depending on demand.

The Joint ALCTS/PCC Task Force to Develop Name and Title Authority Training continues its work. The group expects to conduct a "dry run" of some of its content at the ALA Annual Meeting in Orlando; the full workshop should be complete by summer 2005. The group includes SCT members Ana Cristán and Rachel Wadham and is following the model of the SCT/SAC subject course. The group expects to have content in place in the next year, with a course ready for deployment by 2005.

Discussions are currently underway between the SCT Chair, the chair of the ALCTS CCS Executive Committee and the PCC Policy Committee on further collaborative efforts. A draft charge for a group on series authorities that would build on the work of the name and title group is circulating among the PoCo and CCS Exec membership as of this writing. A second draft charge for a course on LC classification is under development.

BIBCO Training Manual

Previous efforts to update the BIBCO training materials were not progressing as planned. The SCT chair requested and received funding to pay a team of three experienced BIBCO librarians and trainers to update the BIBCO Training Manual. That team-- Rebecca Malek-Wiley, Becky Uhl and Iris Wolley --has been working since January on a revised version of the manual. Feedback has been solicited at various meetings and over several emails lists. The group has delivered the materials to the BIBCO coordinator; pending a final review of the documents by LC staff, the new manual will be available shortly.

Task Groups

The SCT received the PCC Steering Committee's reaction to the final report of the Joint SCT/SCS Task Group on International Participation in the PCC. The report was submitted in September 2003. SCT has discussed and is prepared to address further concerns raised by the Steering Committee.

The long-delayed report of the Task Group on the PCC Role in Metadata Training issued its final report in June. The report is available online at: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/tgmetadata_rpt.pdf. The SCT response to the report is also available at: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/tgmetadata-rpt_sctresponse.pdf.

The PoCo is currently discussing a proposed new task group on Web-based training. The SCT chair has offered to form the group in part to address some of the issues raised by the report of the International Participation TG. The chair is aware that a previous task group failed to complete a final report. However, the issue remains important. Rachel Wadham as volunteered to serve as chair of the TG.

Integrating Resources Manual Revision

The SCT formed an ad-hoc group to review the integrating resources cataloging documentation. Judy Kuhagen of LC serves as chair. The group is incorporating changes to AACR2 and the LCRIs that may have an impact on the treatment of these resources as well as incorporating suggestions from users of the documentation for its improvement. The review and updated documents should be complete by November 2004. It will remain an appendix to the BIBCO Participants' Manual, available at: http://www.loc.gov/catdir/pcc/bibco/irman.pdf
The document will also be included in the CONSER documentation.

Respectfully submitted,
David Banush
Chair, Standing Committee on Training
September 7, 2004