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A: Before getting started with PBCore, there are some questions you should ask yourself: What kind of information do I want to capture about my content? What kind of system do I want to capture it in? Do I already have a system for some of the content I want to capture or is there an existing system that I’d like to use? Will I have to build one from scratch? From there, familiarize yourself with the ways that PBCore structures and defines the data that you want to capture. Looking at the element definitions and the sample records is a good start. If you work with programmers or developers on ways to store your data, talk to them and figure out what their needs are and how PBCore can address them.

In practical terms, there are several scenarios where you can use PBCore:

1. You can build or customize your Media Asset Management (MAM) systems to conform to the PBCore standard. Almost all existing Digital Access Management (DAM) and MAM systems have database fields like Title, Subject, and Description, and many will have fields for Creators, Producers, and Contributors. Implementing PBCore in existing systems can be as simple as using existing fields, or using them more extensively. But many systems allow you to customize their fields to conform to a preferred standard. If you are building a system from standards-based tools like MySQL, establishing a foundation based on PBCore makes a lot of sense.

2. You can leave your existing systems as they are, and use PBCore as a standard for aggregating and exchanging metadata between systems. This is typically done by using export and import methods between databases, either as XML or CSV. In this case you would map existing fields in your various databases to the appropriate PBCore elements. Basically, PBCore provides a common language between systems, so you can build your import/export methods around it.

3. You can combine these approaches by leveraging your existing media databases, and building a new “master” catalog containing metadata from all your other systems. In this case, the master catalog can serve as a metadata repository from all your media systems without modifying them or impacting their operation.

4. You can use PBCore to capture and structure data in Excel to catalog a backlog of unidentified assets.

5. If you’re already using a cataloging standard that’s mainly for books or documents but you also need to capture information about audiovisual assets, you can incorporate PBCore as a standard to capture audiovisual metadata.

Ultimately, PBCore can then serve as an exchange mechanism with other systems in public broadcasting such as the American Archive for Public Broadcasting. Many other systems and tools used in online media portals and trusted digital repositories are adopting PBCore as an exchange standard. With the ongoing development of PBCore and harmonization with EBUCore, there will be more opportunities to exchange metadata and content with these systems. By establishing a PBCore-based approach to managing your media assets, you will be ready to easily integrate with other systems.