OAC Mentoring Information

The following document provides information to OAC Working Group mentors about the scope of participation in this program.

All new OAC contributing members will be paired with an OAC Working group member, who will serve as a "mentor." Mentors are volunteers who are experienced with implementing and using OAC or MOAC EAD, MARC, and digital object practice guidelines and resources.

In order to assist new contributing members in becoming fully functioning participants within the OAC, the mentor will explain the importance of observing best practices, provide general recommendations for sustainable encoding practices, walk through data submission and publication procedures, troubleshoot encoding, and provide general information about the OAC or MOAC.

Please contact the new member(s) shortly after they are assigned to you. In order to facilitate meetings and on-site visits, mentors are paired with new members in the same geographical area whenever possible.

New Contributing Member Responsibilities

• All new contributing members should complete a number of steps outlined in How to Join the OAC as a Contributing Member.

Mentor Responsibilities

• Explain importance of OAC or MOAC EAD, MARC, and digital object best practice guidelines and their application. Mentor should be familiar with the following standards, "Especially for Contributing Members" Webpage documentation, and encoding resources:
  • EAD encoding standard, including use of EAD Application Guidelines (EAD AG) and Tag Library.
  • OAC best practice guidelines
    • OAC Best Practice Guidelines for Encoded Archival Description (OAC BPG EAD)
    • OAC Best Practice Guidelines for Digital Objects
    • Minimal Level MARC Records for CDL (2000)
  • OAC EAD support documents and resources
    • Doing EAD Locally
    • Submitting Finding Aids
    • EAD Toolkit
• Provide general recommendations for establishing sustainable local encoding practices. Consider discussing relevant issues pertaining to implementing EAD as addressed in "Where to Start: Encoding Considerations" and "Doing EAD Locally" help documentation, and the EAD AG.
• Walk-through OAC submission procedures as outlined in "Submitting Finding Aids" with new OAC member.
• Provide guidance for implementing MARC record corollaries for EAD finding aids.
• Provide guidance to new OAC contributing member on troubleshooting their EAD and MARC encoding practices. Direct OAC contributing member to contact the OAC for additional troubleshooting support.
• With new OAC contributing member, provide feedback to OAC on utility of documentation found on "Especially for Contributing Members" Webpages.