Cataloging and Metadata Committee Annual Report 2023

submitted by Rebecca Belford

Current Roster

  • Rebecca Belford, Chair, Cataloging and Metadata Committee (2026)
  • Hermine Vermeij, Chair, Cataloging and Metadata Committee (2023)
  • Keith Knop, Chair, Content Standards Subcommittee (2024)
  • Ethan D’Ver, Chair, Encoding Standards Subcommittee (2027)
  • Karen Peters, Chair, Encoding Standards Subcommittee (2023)
  • Janelle West, Chair, Vocabularies Subcommittee (2026)
  • Kristi Bergland, Secretary/Webmaster (2025)
  • Kirk-Evan Billet, Editor, Music Cataloging Bulletin (2025)
  • Casey Mullin, BIBCO Music Funnel Coordinator (2025)
  • Mark Scharff, NACO-Music Project Coordinator (2025)
  • Leonard Martin, SACO Music Funnel Coordinator (2026)
  • Susan Vita, Library of Congress Representative
  • Jay Weitz, OCLC Representative (2023)

List of Previous Goals and Progress Made

  • 1. Continue subcommittee work in areas related to RDA, MARC, LC controlled vocabularies and other controlled lists, and music cataloging tools (such as the Music Toolkit) and resources (such as best practices documents), as outlined in individual subcommittee reports.
      • We met this goal primarily through the work of the subcommittees; please see their reports for details. Notable accomplishments include MLA RDA Metadata Guidance Version 0.93 release (Content Standards Subcommittee), successful shepherding from discussion to update of a joint MARC proposal with OLAC (Encoding Standards Subcommittee), and release of Version 1.5 of the MLA Best practices for Library of Congress Medium of Performance Terms (Vocabularies Subcommittee).
  • 2. Continue to train contributors to the BIBCO Music Funnel and the NACO-Music Project; continue to encourage proposals for new and revised vocabulary terms through the SACO Music Funnel.
    • BIBCO Music Funnel
      • Slight increase in membership, with one retirement and four new members.
      • Funnel members authenticated 1798 records for musical scores and sound recordings during PCC FY22 (October 1, 2021-September 30, 2022). Cumulatively since the Funnel’s inception, members completed 13394 total authentications (10786 scores, 2608 sound recordings). The next stats update will occur in October 2023.
    • NACO-Music Project
      • As of the March 2023 MLA business meeting, NMP had 84 individual participants from 64 institutions.
      • PCC statistics from PCC FY22 (October 1, 2021-September 2022) indicate NMP members accomplished 9,911 new and 6,965 changed name authority records and 29 new and 9 changed series records. In the first half of PCC FY23 (October 2022-March 2023), NMP was responsible for 4,165 new and 1,975 changed name records and 27 new and 74 changed series records.
    • SACO Music Funnel
      • The SACO Funnel continues to accept proposals for new and revised terms from MLA members and others, via submissions to the Coordinator. The Coordinator works with the Vocabularies Subcommittee LC Vocabularies Maintenance Task Group and the Library of Congress to develop new and revised terminology to LC Vocabularies; see the Vocabularies Subcommittee’s report for specific terminology updates.
      • PCC statistics from PCC FY22 (October 1, 2021-September 2022) show LC approved 15 new and 9 changed LC vocabularies terms from the Funnel. In the first half of PCC FY23 (October 2022-March 2023), there were 10 new and 11 changes.
  • 3. Foster a community of practice surrounding ethical description of music materials. Identify a list of freely available cataloging/metadata-focused offerings that would serve as a “DEIA or cultural competency training program” to satisfy MLA’s committee service requirement as an option for members seeking training that is particularly relevant to the work of CMC or its subcommittees.
    • CMC sponsored a session at the MLA 2023 Conference, “Improving Representation and Access Through Ethical Description,” addressing issues in archival collections, subject headings, and reparative descriptions.
    • While CMC presentations through this year include references to readings and trainings, we have not yet compiled a training list specifically around MLA’s Implicit Bias Testing requirement; we will continue this as a goal for FY 24. CMC also submitted a recommendation to the Board to streamline or centralize recording completion of this requirement; that would enable members to prioritize thoughtful engagement with content.
  • 4. Continue to develop the virtual community of CMC, leveraging availability of virtual meeting platforms, wikis, and email lists.
    • CMC continues to conduct the bulk of its work asynchronously throughout the year through our wiki platform and discussion lists, enabling continuous and seamless participation across the MLA appointment and meeting cycles.
    • The MLA 2023 business meetings were held virtually; while this has advantages and disadvantages, we know that the large volume of attendees included cataloging professionals who do not attend in-person national meetings.
    • The CMC Chair reached out to the MLA2024 Program Committee Chair and CMC membership for an early discussion on business meeting modality and schedule for CMC.
  • 5. Submit CMC materials to the MLA Archives.
    • We have been in conversation with the MLA Archivist in conjunction with the turnover of CMC Chair position to confirm that the bulk of archival preservation for CMC is realized through the archiving of CMC website and the documents it contains.
    • To supplement formal archives, the MLA Web Team assisted in creating a MLA Google account to ensure working files needing shared and/or stable access prior to integration into the website or reports (e.g. task group reports referenced in meeting minutes, business meeting agendas, shared editing of report drafts, etc). Individual subcommittees are also taking advantage of this change.
  • 6. Continue to participate in explorations of BIBFRAME and other linked data ontologies as appropriate to their applicability to music resources. Work on projects that would increase the exposure of library-created metadata to users and researchers using non-library systems.
    • This happens primarily through the work of the MLA Linked Data Working Group (LDWG) (Kevin Kishimoto, Chair).
    • LDWG grew from 14 to 17 members between March 2022 and March 2023. LDWG meets twice monthly and discusses a variety of linked data related topics. The working group continues to work on BIBFRAME and Sinopia projects, while also adding a variety of Wikidata projects. One of this year’s goals is to increase interactions with outside (non-MLA) groups that are interested in music linked data, as well as to MLA members who have not yet become involved with music linked data.
  • 7. Leverage committee members’ expertise by providing educational and training presentations, such as program sessions, webinars, and workshops, as opportunities arise.
    • CMC-sponsored sessions at MLA-TLA 2023 meeting included “RDA Changes in Theory and Practice” and the Cataloging and Metadata Town Hall, providing information and continuing education for cataloging practitioners.
    • As in FY22, instructors in ALA’s Music Cataloging e-Course and Webinar Series included CMC members: e-courses Introduction to Music Cataloging (Keith Knop), Music Cataloging with Library of Congress Vocabularies (Leo Martin), and Music Cataloging with Library of Congress Classification (Kirk-Evan Billet); and 3-part webinar Using the New RDA Toolkit to Catalog Music (Keith Knop).
  • 8. Collaborate as appropriate with other MLA groups, other music-related groups, ALA groups, other library- or information-related groups, and Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC).
    • CMC members serve as liaisons to various groups (please see subcommittee reports for details), and their reports have been published in the Music Cataloging Bulletin as well as on the CMC website.
    • The SACO Music Funnel Coordinator was one of two appointees to represent MLA on the new LC Genre/Form Terms Advisory Group of the Library of Congress Policy, Training, and Cooperative Programs Division, along with the outgoing leader of the VS LC Vocabularies Maintenance task group (Anne Adams).
    • In both CMC roles and their individual professional roles, CMC members increase MLA visibility through attendance at working and program meetings.
  • 9. Improve outward communication to the music cataloging community outside MLA, as well as the non-cataloger music library community.
    • Presenters at all CMC-sponsored program sessions at the MLA-TLA 2023 meeting made presentation material available through Humanities Commons. Summaries are freely available via the CMC website.  The CMC Chair publicized these materials on the CMC website and through posts to the MLA, OLAC, MOUG, and RADCAT (Radical Cataloging) lists.
    •  We alerted the full MLA list to the work of the subcommittee chairs to represent MLA at (responsibilities in goal (8)) to increase awareness among noncatalogers of CMC and cataloging activities.

List of Future Goals

  • 1. Continue work through the subcommittees related to RDA and descriptive standards, MARC and encoding standards, controlled vocabularies, music cataloging tools, and best practices. Strategic plan:
    • Goal area 2: Develop and Retain Membership.
      • 2.2: Offer mentorship and networking opportunities for members at all stages of career
      • 2.3: Explore educational and networking opportunities beyond annual and chapter conferences. Sustain member contact throughout the year. Formalize more opportunities to meet virtually and more frequently.
      • 2.4: Support members working in various disciplines within an organization that also includes aspects of music librarianship.
    • Goal Area 3: Cultivate Inclusivity
      • 3.2: Draw on member expertise by offering informal educational workshops, webinars, and panels….
    • Goal area 4: Strengthen Communication
      • 4.5: Participate in the community of music librarianship existing outside of MLA
  • 2. Continue to support the three music-based PCC funnels, encouraging use of the SACO Funnel by the MLA community and generalist catalogers and continued membership and training for NACO and BIBCO; review documentation residing outside CMC or PCC auspices and plan for collocation and stability of such material. Strategic plan:
    • Goal area 2: Develop and Retain Membership.
      • 2.3: Explore educational and networking opportunities beyond annual and chapter conferences. Sustain member contact throughout the year. Formalize more opportunities to meet virtually and more frequently.
      • 2.4: Support members working in various disciplines within an organization that also includes aspects of music librarianship.
  • 3. Foster a community of practice surrounding BIBFRAME and Linked Data ontologies and projects, increasing visibility of current work and collaborating with interested groups within the MLA or other communities. Work on projects that would increase the exposure of library-created metadata to users and researchers using non-library systems. Strategic plan:
    • Goal area 2: Develop and Retain Membership.
      • 2.3: Explore educational and networking opportunities beyond annual and chapter conferences. Sustain member contact throughout the year. Formalize more opportunities to meet virtually and more frequently.
    • Goal Area 3: Cultivate Inclusivity
      • 3.2: Draw on member expertise by offering informal educational workshops, webinars, and panels….
    • Goal Area 4: Strengthen Communication
      • 4.5: Participate in the community of music librarianship existing outside of MLA
  • 4. Continue working toward stability and improvement of CMC organization: transfer materials to MLA archives; foster communication and community within CMC using a variety of platforms; incorporate suggestions growing out of the work of MLA’s Committee Management Team. Strategic plan:
    • Goal area 2: Develop and Retain Membership.
      • 2.3: Explore educational and networking opportunities beyond annual and chapter conferences. Sustain member contact throughout the year. Formalize more opportunities to meet virtually and more frequently.
  • 5. Foster a community of practice surrounding ethical description of music materials, including distributed efforts through the subcommittees and PCC funnels. Strategic plan:
    • Goal area 2: Develop and Retain Membership.
      • 2.3: Explore educational and networking opportunities beyond annual and chapter conferences. Sustain member contact throughout the year. Formalize more opportunities to meet virtually and more frequently.
    • Goal area 3: Cultivate Inclusivity.
      • 3.4: Reflect DEIA principles in MLA’s leadership, membership, core values, mission, strategies and operations. Devote resources to clarifying and strengthening the “E” and “I” in DEIA.
  • 6. Continue to develop outward communication toward regular or occasional catalogers of music materials outside MLA, and toward non-catalogers in the music library community. Strategic plan:
    • Goal Area 3: Cultivate Inclusivity
      • 3.2: Draw on member expertise by offering informal educational workshops, webinars, and panels….
    • Goal area 4: Strengthen Communication
      • 4.4: Promote the professional contributions made by members in service to either the Association or the profession as a whole.
      • 4.5: Participate in the community of music librarianship existing outside of MLA.
  • 7. Collaborate as appropriate with other MLA groups, other music-related groups, ALA groups, other library- or information-related groups, and Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC). Strategic plan:
    • Goal Area 3: Cultivate Inclusivity
      • 3.2: Draw on member expertise by offering informal educational workshops, webinars, and panels….
    • Goal area 4: Strengthen Communication
      • 4.4: Promote the professional contributions made by members in service to either the Association or the profession as a whole.