The Music Library Association (MLA) Bibliographic Control Committee's (BCC) Metadata Subcommittee is in the early planning stages for an online "Music Metadata Clearinghouse" that pulls together information that will help individuals and organizations planning for the discovery and/or online delivery of musical resources in environments beyond the traditional library catalog. The Clearinghouse might include information on metadata tools, metadata standards and their application to music, case studies, sample implementations, project-specific documentation, and helpful readings. This survey aims to collect data that will inform our work; most specifically, to prioritize the type and level of detail of information that we should include in this resource. With this survey we seek to better understand current practices related to the creation and maintenance of music metadata so that we might match information in the Clearinghouse to the most well-defined and strategic needs of the community. The term "metadata" is used differently in different communities. Since the goal of the Clearinghouse is to provide information to implementers working outside of traditional library catalogs, please interpret "metadata" in this context to mean any descriptive, technical, structural, rights, preservation, or other data needed for the discovery or management of musical materials in any implementation other than a library catalog. This definition would include MARC when used in systems other than an ILS or OPAC. Similar imprecision can exist surrounding the term "library." Here "library" should be interpreted to mean an administrative unit that identifies itself as a library, archive or museum, which may be a part of a larger institution of higher education or stand alone as its own organization (for example a public library, state library, or historical society). This survey is presented on a single page so that you might review (and/or print) the questions in order to compile your answers, then return to the online survey to submit the information. The survey is being issued in February 2011. Please respond by March 30, 2011. You may visit the survey at <http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/29MBGWC>. Regards, Jenn Riley Chair, MLA BCC Metadata Subcommittee -------------------------------- Jenn Riley Head, Carolina Digital Library and Archives The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill http://cdla.unc.edu/ [log in to unmask] http://www.lib.unc.edu/users/jlriley (919) 843-5910