The following educational opportunities will be offered through the Virginia Metadata Academy in 2007:

1. Metadata Creator Workshops (Basic)
Prerequisite: None - Participants should have a basic understanding of geospatial data.

The primary goal of a metadata creator workshop is to provide an introduction to metadata issues to Virginia's geospatial stakeholders.

The Virginia Metadata Creator Workshop is a continuation of the 2006 workshop circuit. Metadata Creator Workshops will serve to provide participants with an introduction to metadata, and will provide participants with strategies to implement metadata in their organization. Through this workshop, participants will be provided with an overview of metadata, and instruction on metadata fundamentals. In addition, the instructors provide a solid foundation for individuals and organizations to support the implementation of sustainable efforts. Instructors will provide a catalogue of job descriptions that contain a 'metadata element', examine departmental policies associated with metadata development, discuss and identify an archive of metadata liability statements, and discuss metadata issues relative to sensitive data. Participants will also be provided an overview of the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse, and will learn how to search and publish metadata records. Participants are encouraged to bring geospatial data with them to the workshop (i.e. shapefiles, etc.). While there will be some time set aside at the end of the Metadata Creator Workshop to generate metadata for these files, this is not the emphasis of the Metadata Creator Workshop.

Metadata Creator Workshop Agenda

Morning Session: The morning session will focus on a broad spectrum of metadata issues, including:

• What is metadata?
• Why metadata is important to local/regional/state government entities (and other organizations);
• How metadata can be institutionalized throughout organizations;
• How to search for archived metadata (includes hands-on activity);
• How to interpret and "navigate" through a metadata file (includes hands-on activity);
• Examining specific FGDC metadata elements (and identifying information that should be associated with each metadata element in order to generate quality metadata).
• Participants will be exposed and instructed using "full-blown" FGDC metadata.

Afternoon Session: The afternoon session will focus on Virginia's approach to metadata. Instruction will include the following topics:

• The Virginia Minimum Metadata Standard (FGDC compliant);
• Accessing the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse (includes hands-on activity);
• Exporting and submitting (uploading) metadata records that have been developed (i.e. through ArcCatalog, etc.) and stored locally to the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse (includes hands-on activity).
• Searching metadata records through the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse
• Create metadata (workshop participants are requested to bring a geospatial data file (i.e. shapefile, etc.) with them to the workshop on CD, flashdrive, etc.

By the end of this workshop, participants will not only understand what metadata is, and why it is important, but they will be able to enter metadata elements correctly, submit metadata to the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse (or save it to be used within their own organization), search for metadata records through the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse (and/or other NSDI node) and will understand the importance of institutionalizing the metadata process in their respective organizations.

See Locations for workshop dates and locations.

Registration is free. However, on-line registration is required.

2. Metadata Retreats (Intermediate)
Prerequisite: Metadata Creator Workshop or similar metadata work experience.

The primary goal of the Metadata Retreat, is to provide participants with the opportunity to develop (and potentially publish) geospatial metadata using a metadata editor, and the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse.

The concept of a Metadata Retreat was conceived during the 2006 workshop circuit. Participants at the 2006 Workshops expressed a need to develop and publish metadata records away from their place of employment, where they would not be distracted by typical business interruptions. Each 1-day retreat will be held in a computer lab at a "neutral site' (community college, 4-year college / university, etc.). Metadata Retreat participants will be encouraged to bring spatial data (shapefiles, etc.) with them to the Retreat, and will spend the entire day developing FGDC compliant metadata records for these geospatial data assets. Trainers will be on hand at each of these retreats to provide direct assistance to participants, by answering questions, providing examples of metadata records (of liability statements, etc.). While participants will receive instructions on how to interface with the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse (uploading metadata, searching metadata, etc.), participants will spend the majority of time developing metadata for their own geospatial data files. Participants are therefore STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to bring geospatial files (shapefiles, etc.) with them, so that they can begin developing metadata for these layers.

The Metadata Retreat differs from the Metadata Creator Workshop, in that each participant can work at his or her pace. Instructions and an overview of the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse will be provided at the retreat. However, a majority of the time will be set aside to support the development of metadata records and assistance in publishing metadata records to the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse. Participants will be provided with instruction and information to help them to determine the most effective means of uploading and updating their organization's metadata records to the Virginia Metadata Clearinghouse based on their unique needs (i.e. through Web Accessible Folders, etc.).

The overall objective of the metadata retreat is to alleviate as many barriers (both technical and other) as possible, so that the participants will then feel comfortable generating, uploading, and updating their metadata records. This is an excellent opportunity for geospatial professionals to extract themselves from their daily routines, and concentrate their efforts on the creation of geospatial metadata.

While participants are encouraged to attend the Metadata Creator Workshop prior to attending a Metadata Retreat, this is not a prerequisite.

See Locations for workshop dates and locations.

Registration is free. However, on-line registration is required.

3. Implementing a Metadata Clearinghouse (Advanced)
Prerequisite: Understanding of MS-SQL and Web Applications

This workshop is geared towards those GIS users who are interested in implementing their own metadata clearinghouse, or who are interested in understanding the technical options associated with metadata clearinghouses. This workshop will be led by John Owens (VGIN) and supported by James Wilson and John McGee.

Workshop date(s) and locations will be determined soon.