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“Metadata is cataloguing” ??????????. Pat Bell HM Customs and Excise. What I’m going to say. Librarians and the rise of metadata Cataloguing and metadata compared Practical implications. Librarians and the rise of metadata. A personal view. Early 1990s- rise of online databases.
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“Metadata is cataloguing”?????????? Pat Bell HM Customs and Excise
What I’m going to say • Librarians and the rise of metadata • Cataloguing and metadata compared • Practical implications
Librarians and the rise of metadata A personal view
Early 1990s- rise of online databases • Expensive- needed intermediaries • Search techniques • Less emphasis on cataloguing / indexing / abstracting
The rise of the web Full text searching- and anyone can do it • Expert searching • Training in search techniques • Lists of useful sites The librarians’ response
The web reveals its limitations • Poor search results • Semantic web • XML • Metadata
The web reveals its limitations • Poor search results • Semantic web • XML • Metadata The librarians’ response: “That’s my line” “We told you so”
A new role for librarians • Increasing prominence in government intranets, web sites • Influence on Metadata Working Group • Freedom of information • Publication schemes • EDRM
Cataloguing • Until 1980s- big, quiet department producing cards with five or six elements • The rise of MARC and the online catalogue- huge expansion in potential
Cataloguing is not the norm • Not just a library specialism- a specialism within librarianship • Detailed rules • Thick MARC manual • 4 volumes of Dewey • 600+ pages of AACR
Other people have their own sensibilities • Librarians • Web publishing • Information technologists • Records managers
Cataloguing is metadata • Cataloguing • Filing • Tagging • Indexing • Resource description Metadata as Esperanto?
Managing the document life cycle In search of metadata that works
Separating baby and bath water Baby Importance of indexing Bathwater Specialist indexers Detailed rules
Dressing the baby • Context • Subject expertise
Using the context Content management systems EDRM • Automatic entry • Folder structure • Document templates • User profiles
Metadata and the document lifecycle • Commissioning • Drafting • Publication • Review • Revision • Storage • Disposal
Finally… • Metadata could work, but not necessarily on the WWW • Big cultural, organisational and technical issues to overcome • The word “metadata” may not be the best way to overcome • And a huge standard may not be the best way to manage it pat.bell@hmce.gsi.gov.uk