CSUL

CAGER is now the Metadata Subcommittee

The Cataloging & Access Guidelines for Electronic Resources Committee (CAGER) began in 1998 as a group of catalogers dealing with describing electronic resources using traditional cataloging rules. During the next few years, CAGER developed guidelines for cataloging digitized works for several of the State University System's PALMM projects. The group also functioned as a collegial resource for electronic resource cataloging issues. In November 2006, a Metadata Summit was held between CAGER and the Digital Development & Access Committee (DDAC) members. DDAC was a group that dealt with digital projects, including metadata issues. During the Summit, it was known that DDAC would be dissolved shortly thereafter. The members of both groups felt strongly that communication and coordination was needed between electronic resource catalogers and digital projects metadata creators. In spring 2007, CAGER's parent body, the Technical Services Planning Committee (TSPC) asked CAGER to create a charge for a proposed group to include participation between current CAGER members and digital projects metadata creators. In the previous year, CAGER's charge had already been expanded to include all types of metadata, not just that created by traditional cataloging. The members of CAGER felt that creation of a separate new group would result in an overproliferation of groups, so they proposed that CAGER itself evolve into this new group that would broaden its membership. This proposal was approved by the directors. In August 2007, CAGER officially became the Metadata Subcommittee of the TSPC. It must be stressed that this is a continutation of the same group. While new projects may be undertaken, work continues on areas addressed before the change.