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Introduction to Metadata

This introduction provides an overview of metadata, its definitions, uses, creation methods, and types. It covers descriptive, administrative, technical, preservation, rights, and structural metadata.

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Introduction to Metadata

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  1. Introduction to Metadata Jenn Riley Metadata Librarian IU Digital Library Program

  2. Many definitions of metadata • “Data about data” • “Structured information about an information resource of any media type or format.” (Caplan) • “Structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource.” (NISO) • … S504 Fall 2009

  3. More definition, in libraries • Structure • Control • Origin • Machine-generated • Human-generated • The difference between data, metadata, and meta-metadata is often one of perspective S504 Fall 2009

  4. Some uses of metadata • By information specialists • Describing “non-traditional” materials • Cataloging Web sites • Navigating within digital objects • Managing digital objects over the long term • By novices • Preparing Web sites for search engines • Depositing materials into an institutional repository • Managing citation lists • iTunes • Tagging – flickr, del.icio.us, etc. • LibraryThing S504 Fall 2009

  5. Metadata and cataloging • Depends on what you mean by: • metadata, and • cataloging! • But, in general: • Metadata is broader in scope than cataloging • Much metadata creation takes place outside of libraries • Good metadata practitioners use key cataloging principles in non-MARC environments • Metadata created for many different types of materials • Metadata is NOT only for Internet resources! S504 Fall 2009

  6. Creating metadata • HTML <meta> tags • Spreadsheets • Databases • XML • Library catalogs • Digital library/content management systems • ContentDM • DigiTool • DSpace S504 Fall 2009

  7. Types of metadata • Descriptive metadata • Administrative metadata • Technical metadata • Preservation metadata • Rights metadata • Structural metadata S504 Fall 2009

  8. How metadata is used S504 Fall 2009

  9. Descriptive metadata • Purpose • Discovery • Description to support use and interpretation • Some common general schemas • MARC • MARCXML • MODS • Dublin Core • LOTS of domain-specific schemas S504 Fall 2009

  10. MODS • “Metadata Object Description Schema” • Developed and maintained by the Library of Congress Network Development and MARC Standards Office • For encoding bibliographic information • Influenced by MARC, but not equivalent • Quickly gaining adoption S504 Fall 2009

  11. Dublin Core (1) • “Core” across all knowledge domains • National and international standard • 2001: Released as ANSI/NISO Z39.85 • 2003: Released as ISO 15836 • No element required • All elements repeatable • 1:1 principle S504 Fall 2009

  12. Dublin Core (2) • Two “flavors” • Unqualified – 15 elements • Qualified • Additional elements • Element refinements • Encoding schemes (vocabulary and syntax) • All qualifiers must follow “dumb-down” principle • Unqualified DC required for sharing metadata via the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting S504 Fall 2009

  13. DCMI Abstract Model • New direction for the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative • An “information model which is independent of any particular encoding syntax” • RDF-inspired, but not RDF • DCMI resource model • DCMI description set model • DCMI vocabulary model • Full abstract model recommendation • Still too early to really know where this is going S504 Fall 2009

  14. Comparing descriptive metadata formats S504 Fall 2009

  15. Levels of control • Data structure standards (e.g., MARC) • Data content standards (e.g., AACR2r, RDA) • Controlled vocabularies (e.g., LCSH) • Very few metadata standards include a counterpart to the AACR “chief source of information” S504 Fall 2009

  16. Data content standards • Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2) • Resource Description and Access (RDA) • Actually in some sense also a set of “properties” (which are not quite elements) • Intention is “principles” rather than “rules” • Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) • Cataloging Cultural Objects (CCO) • Also many format-specific guidelines • Descriptive Cataloging of Rare Materials (DCRM) series • Archival Moving Image Materials: A Cataloging Manual • Betz: Graphic Materials • … S504 Fall 2009

  17. Vocabulary encoding schemes • TGM I • TGM II • TGN • GeoNet • AAT • LCSH • LCNAF • DCMI Type • MIME Types • …etc. aka, controlled vocabularies S504 Fall 2009

  18. Syntax encoding schemes • ISO8601 • W3CDTF • URI • …etc. S504 Fall 2009

  19. Technical metadata • One type of administrative metadata • For recording technical aspects of digital objects • Of use for long-term maintenance of data • Some examples: • NISO Z39.87: Data Dictionary – Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images & MIX • Schema for Technical Metadata for Text S504 Fall 2009

  20. Structural metadata • For creating a logical structure between digital objects • Locating the same intellectual content on multiple representations • Noting points of interest within a single resource • Grouping and sequencing multiple files that make up a logical whole • METS is the current primary schema S504 Fall 2009

  21. Sharing Metadata: What Does This Record Describe? <dc:identifier>http://museum.university.edu/unique identifier</dc:identifier> <dc:publisher>State University Museum of Ichthyology, Fish Field Notes</dc:publisher> <dc:format>jpeg</dc:format> <dc:type>image</dc:type> <dc:description>1926; 0070; 06; Little S. Br. Pere Marquette R.; THL26-68; 71300; 71301; 71302; 71303; 71304; 71305; 71306; 71307; 71308; 71309; 07; 1926/07/06; R12W; S09; Second collector Moody; T16N</dc:description> <dc:subject>Cottus bairdi; Esox lucius; Cottus cognatus; Etheostoma nigrum; Salmo trutta; Oncorhynchus mykiss; Catostomus commersoni; Pimephales notatus; Margariscus margarita; Rhinichthys atratulus; mottled sculpin; northern pike; slimy sculpin; johnny darter; brown trout; rainbow trout; white sucker; bluntnose minnow; pearl dace; blacknose dace; bairdi; lucius; cognatus; nigrum; trutta; mykiss; commersoni; notatus; margarita; atratulus; Cottus; Esox; Cottus; Etheostoma; Salmo; Oncorhynchus; Catostomus; Pimephales; Margariscus; Rhinichthys; 1926-07-06;</dc:subject> <dc:language>UND</dc:language> <dc:source>Michigan 1926 Langlois, v. 1 1926--1926;</dc:source> Record harvested via OAI PMH 2-27-2007 S504 Fall 2009

  22. It’s a field note for a fish specimen. Surprise! S504 Fall 2009

  23. Where your metadata can go ????? Collection Registries Photograph from Indiana University Charles W. Cushman Collection S504 Fall 2009

  24. Shareable metadata… • Is quality metadata • Promotes search interoperability - “the ability to perform a search over diverse sets of metadata records and obtain meaningful results” (Priscilla Caplan) • Is human understandable outside of its local context • Is useful outside of its local context • Preferably is machine processable S504 Fall 2009

  25. How do I pick a metadata format? • Genre/format of materials being described • Nature of holding institution • Use and audience for the metadata • What others in the community are doing • Describing analog vs. digitized item • Relationships between records • Plan for interoperability, including repeatability of elements • More information on handout S504 Fall 2009

  26. Further information • jenlrile@indiana.edu • These presentation slides: <http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/slis/09fall/s504/s504.ppt> • Metadata librarians listserv: <http://metadatalibrarians.monarchos.com> • Priscilla Caplan: Metadata Fundamentals for all Librarians, 2003 S504 Fall 2009

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