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Metadata in Four Easy Lessons, or, Digital Content: Find It and Get to It, Part One

Metadata in Four Easy Lessons, or, Digital Content: Find It and Get to It, Part One. Karen Calhoun Cornell University Prepared for the LTS Training Series August 29, 2006. Four Easy Lessons. Why you should care about metadata What metadata is Where metadata comes from and how it’s shared

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Metadata in Four Easy Lessons, or, Digital Content: Find It and Get to It, Part One

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  1. Metadata in Four Easy Lessons, or, Digital Content: Find It and Get to It, Part One Karen Calhoun Cornell University Prepared for the LTS Training Series August 29, 2006

  2. Four Easy Lessons • Why you should care about metadata • What metadata is • Where metadata comes from and how it’s shared • Metadata and information discovery systems Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  3. 1.Why You Should Care: Strategic Decisions and Actions

  4. A Strategy for Libraries • Internal and external pressures • External: library user communities have many choices for discovering the info they need • Internal: lost opportunities because library staff skill sets lag behind • Mandate: Carry forward the library’s role to organize the world’s information • Apply this role in the digital age • Embrace metadata as a sustainable strategic advantage (the one with the best metadata, wins) Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  5. Benefits of Metadata • Overcomes chaos and infoglut (makes stuff easier to find and manage) • Saves time • Lowers costs • Complements what search engines, lists and directories do • Can be shared, reused, and redistributed Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  6. 2. What Metadata Is • Definitions • Evolution: Before and After the Web (B.W. and A.W.) • Thematic charts of metadata types and functions • Recognizing metadata when you see it • Brief exercise: metadata record displays Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  7. Definitions • “Data about data” (what?) • ALA CC:DA studied 46 definitions! • “Structured, encoded data that describe characteristics of information-bearing entities…” Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  8. A Functional Definition* • Helps you find and/or manage information • Serves particular purposes • Can be used by people or by machines • Often has structure and/or content rules • Can be created by people or by machines *With thanks to Tom Turner, Metadata Librarian, Mann Library, Cornell University Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  9. B.W. For finding and managing library materials (mostly print) Catalog records (AACR and MARC) Shared cooperative cataloging systems Usually handcrafted, one at a time Highly structured and content-rich Expensive A.W. For finding and managing many types of materials, for many user communities Many types of records Many metadata repositories (most not shared or sharable) Sometimes handcrafted, sometimes machine-made, sometimes both Varied structure and content Can be less or more expensive than library cataloging Evolution: Metadata B.W. and A.W. Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  10. MPEG ICPSR VRA, CIMI FGDC MARC, Dublin Core, TEI EAD Describes or identifies info resources Facilitates managing, using info resources Facilitates navigation, retrieval, display

  11. Recognizing Metadata When You See It • Embedded in HTML document • Database records • Many ways to display metadata records • Exercise Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  12. Exercise: Metadata Records Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  13. 3. Where Metadata Comes From and Where It Can Go • Metadata projects • Creation and tools • Mapping and crosswalks • Interoperability Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  14. Who will be using the digital collection, and how? How large is the digital project? What software and hardware will you use? What is the role of metadata in the project, and at what point will it be created? What is the workflow? What is the desired scope and depth of the metadata records? Who will be creating the metadata, and how? Is there existing metadata? Is staffing adequate? Can you afford the metadata you want? What standards will you use or adapt? Who needs to be involved in decision-making? How will this metadata be integrated into the library’s other collections, databases or catalogs? Metadata projects: a checklist of questions to consider Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  15. Metadata creation and tools • Manual • Using templates • DC-dot (demo) • Re-using existing metadata • Cornell “sleek” records Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  16. Exercise: Metadata Creation Using a Template Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  17. Automated Generation of Metadata / Reuse of Metadata

  18. Automated Generation of Metadata: A “Sleek” Catalog Record

  19. Mapping and Crosswalks • Basis for sharing, reusing, redistributing metadata • Basis for integrating multiple metadata types for federated searching (simultaneous searching of multiple collections) • Example of a crosswalk: MARC to Dublin Core Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  20. Interoperability • Defined by CC:DA as: • “The ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and use the exchanged information without special effort on either system.” Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  21. 4. Metadata and Information Discovery Systems • Key problems and issues • Next generation library systems • E-resource management systems • Metasearch • Link Resolvers • Portals • Digital asset management • Oh my! • Metadata’s role Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  22. Key Problems and Needs • PROBLEMS • Countless information resources, little time • Searchers on their own to be aware of collections, know how to link, know how to search • WE NEED TO HELP USERS QUICKLY AND CONVENIENTLY… • Learn what collections are available • Learn which collections are relevant to their needs • Find the particular parts of collections that meet their needs Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  23. A Next Generation Library System • Manages metadata diversity • Integrates heterogeneous metadata types for searching • Provides federated searching of local and remote collections • Provides seamless linking among related information objects (e.g., a citation and the full text of the article) Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  24. Progress at Cornell • Find articles (citations and full text) • Reference linking (Get IT!) • Find databases • Find e-journals • Find images • Managing electronic resources • Digital registry • Sharing our digital collections (Aquifer) Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  25. Metadata’s Role Rock of Ages Light, Isle Royale, MI Calhoun, Cornell University Library

  26. Time for a Break Calhoun, Cornell University Library

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