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Not Everything Is A Nail: Convergence and Divergence in the Application of Metadata at Harvard

Not Everything Is A Nail: Convergence and Divergence in the Application of Metadata at Harvard. Robin Wendler Harvard University Library August 7, 2004. Portrait of two seated men, one holding a saw and one holding a hammer Houghton Library, Department of Printing and Graphic Arts TypDAG2084.

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Not Everything Is A Nail: Convergence and Divergence in the Application of Metadata at Harvard

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  1. Not Everything Is A Nail:Convergence and Divergence in theApplication of Metadata at Harvard Robin Wendler Harvard University Library August 7, 2004 Portrait of two seated men, one holding a saw and one holding a hammer Houghton Library, Department of Printing and Graphic ArtsTypDAG2084

  2. OPAC: first among equals

  3. A World of Difference • Granularity of description • Scale matters • Organizational imperatives • Metadata • Semantics • Definition and structure of elements • Content • Descriptive rules and practices • Controlled vocabularies • Syntax • Technical formats for metadata exchange • Functional requirements

  4. Size matters • 14 million holdings of 10+ million MARC records • 8-10 million images • ~17,000 archival finding aids • Etc., etc., etc. • Smaller catalogs are easier to use • Results sets are more manageable • Aren’t overloaded with functions

  5. Organizational imperatives, or, Whose team are you on? Tug of war team, photograph, 1888 Harvard University Archives, HUPSF Tug o' War (6)

  6. Plate Number 17359 Right Ascension 13.02 Declination +82.5 Exposure 10 Date 1921-03-30 Julian Date 2422779.771 g Comment susp. var. Title: Devonport and Dockyard, Devonshire Work Type: Drawing Creator: Turner, Joseph Mallord William (London, 1775 - 1851, Chelsea), British Date: c. 1825-1829 Dimensions: 29.8 cm. x 44 cm., actual Style: 19th century Nationality/Culture: British Materials/Techniques: Watercolor and gouache, with scratchwork, on cream wove paper Not all images are created equal…

  7. …and equal images are not described equally Title: Standing Buddha with Hands Clasped Work Type:Sculpture Production: China Date:mid 6th century Dimensions:84.0 cm x 27.0 cm x 12.0 cm Style/Period: Eastern Wei (534-550) to Northern Qi (550-577) dynasty Nationality/Culture: Chinese Materials/Techniques:Stone Title: Statue of Buddha at the Yun'gang Caves Work Type:photographs Creator: Morrison, Hedda (1908-1991), Germany, photographer Date:1933 Description: Front view Dimensions:11 x 7 cm. Associated Name: Buddha (n.d.), India, subject Topics: cave temples Topics: gods Topics: statues Nationality/Culture: Chinese Materials/Techniques:gelatin silver process

  8. Leaving breadcrumbs… • High-level records in the OPAC • Listings on portals • Publicity and training • Cross-catalog searching

  9. Thanks! r_wendler @harvard.edu [Men in crate looking up, photograph, ca. 1905. Harvard University Archives HUK 363 p (Fig. 8) ]

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