New Article: "MetaWHAT?: Training Access Services Staff to Partner in Digital Projects Metadata Creation"

Title:  “MetaWHAT?: Training Access Services Staff to Partner in Digital Projects Metadata Creation”
Authors: Kristy L. Dixon and Lisa T. Nickel (University of North Carolina-Charlotte)
Source: C&RL News (February 2012; 73.2)

From the Introduction

With thousands of images already scanned but completely hidden from public view, archivists and librarians at University of North Carolina (UNC)-Charlotte’s J. Murrey Atkins Library needed innovative, efficient ways to describe these digital objects and make them available to patrons through search and discovery. Budget conditions prevented hiring additional personnel and challenged library managers to think creatively to use existing library staff. Managers also sought to maximize downtime while expanding staff members’ current knowledge and professional experience.

This article examines the collaborative endeavors of the Special Collections Department and the Access Services Unit to train service desk staff to create robust Dublin Core metadata records for digital objects (photographs, postcards, historic documents, maps, oral histories) included in the Digital Collections at Atkins Library. The three main topic areas will include: 1) staff training and access services desk work flow; 2) challenges (authority control, quality control, inter-indexer consistency); and 3) evaluation of the project and plans for the future.

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Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Digital Collections, Interactive Tools, Libraries, Maps, News, Patrons and Users, Resources