Special Session: DCMI Affilliates
Convenor: Stuart Weibel, weibel@oclc.org

As custodian of an international standard (recently formalized as ISO 15836) as well as other local and regional standards, it is more important than ever for DCMI to reflect and project the objectives, values, and culture of its constituents. It is also important to share the costs of managing the standard and the program of work that advances the standards in order to equitably distribute these costs and to assure the independence of the initiative.

The DCMI Affiliate program is the vehicle through which these objectives and goals are being advanced. DCMI Affiliates are intended to solidify the link between the DCMI directorate and regional constituents, as well as provide support and guidance for the Initiative. Stuart Weibel, past director of DCMI, and liaison to OCLC as host of DCMI, will discuss the objectives and challenges of the Affiliate program, and Juha Hakala, of the Finnish National Library, DCMI's first Affiliate, will speak of the value propositions for Finland and the Finish metadata community.

The session will include opportunities for open discussion and questions.