LTER Information Managers Meeting August 2001

Notes by Linda Powell, FCE LTER Information Manager

Breakout Groups: Subcommittees (NIS, Metadata) + Site Mentoring:

The Site Mentoring breakout group, mediated by Susan Stafford (Information Managers Chair), had great participation as there were many new faces added to the LTER Information Manager (IM) community this past year. In addition to the 3 new LTER sites that joined the network recently, several of the older sites have had IM personnel changes in the 2001 year. In some cases, incoming IMs did not have the benefit of any ‘on the job’ training because the previous IMs had already left the position at the time of their hire. There was a general consensus that there is a lack of guidance or training available to new IMs.

Each participating IM was asked to give a brief description of what they thought were good and bad attributes of the current IM support system in the LTER:

Bad Attributes:

Some IMs felt that it is difficult to find documentation regarding Information Management Requirements and Responsibilities to the individual LTER Sites and to the LTER Network. For example, the new IMs at various LTER sites were not aware of DTOC, ClimDB, or that they must submit bibliographic information to the Network Office. Although each of these items can be found on the Network Web Site, no one gave the these incoming IMs a ‘Heads Up’ about submitting this information to the NET Office. If the new managers did happen to stumble upon some information on the website, it was just a link or pointer. In one case, an Information Manager tried to contact the appropriate NET Office person regarding some LTER information found on the web and never got an answer to their query.

Good Attributes:

All participants found that the LTER Network Personnel Database was a very useful tool. The FCE LTER Site staff took a trip to the NET office this past October (2000) to get some help with difficult technical questions regarding software and hardware and were very satisfied with the solutions suggested by the expert NET office personnel. The visit was very productive and the folks at the NET office were extremely accommodating.

General ‘Wish List’ for the Site Mentoring Breakout Group

1) Would like the NET Office to take more responsibility in centralizing information such as a list of tools (Databases, software site licenses, site surveys, and white papers) available to the Information Managers.

2) Would like an ‘Orientation’ for new Information Managers:

1) Each new manager would visit the NET Office where they would be given an orientation packet of information that would include a checklist of tasks that would enable the new IM to better understand their position at both the individual site level and the LTER Network level.

2) Each new manager would also be encouraged to visit another LTER site where they may observe that site’s daily Information Management operation and receive one-on-one site mentoring.

3) Some participants feel it may be prudent to have the Information Managers meet

twice a year, as there is always so much material to cover in such a short time.

It should be noted that as a result of the site mentoring breakout group’s comments, a new Site Mentoring and Training subcommittee/workgroup was established during the Information Manager’s business meeting on Friday Morning, August 3.