Metadata

1. Metadata Jenn Riley Metadata Librarian IU Digital Library Program

2. What is metadata? • “Data about data” • “The term 'metadata' commonly refers to any data that aids in the identification, description and location of networked electronic resources.”* *Hudgins, Jean, Grace Agnew, and Elizabeth Brown. 1999. Getting mileage out of metadata: Applications for the library. Chicago: American Library Association. p. 1. L520 Fall 2004

3. More definition • Other characteristics • Structure • Control • Origin • Machine-generated • Human-generated • In practice, the term often covers data and meta-metadata • Used in many different environments L520 Fall 2004

4. What is a metadata schema? • A formally-defined set of data elements L520 Fall 2004

5. Some uses of metadata • By information specialists • Describing non-traditional materials • Cataloging Web sites • Navigating digital objects • Managing digital objects long-term • Managing corporate assets • By novices • Preparing Web sites for search engines • Eprints • Managing personal CD collections L520 Fall 2004

6. 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 fundamental cataloging principles in non-MARC environments • Metadata created in many different environments L520 Fall 2004

7. Creating metadata • HTML <meta> tags • Spreadsheets • Databases • XML • Digital library content management systems • ContentDM • Greenstone L520 Fall 2004

8. Levels of control • Data structure standards (e.g., MARC) • Data content standards (e.g., AACR2r) • Very few metadata standards include information analogue to specifying “chief source of information” L520 Fall 2004

9. When there’s no data content standard… L520 Fall 2004

10. Types of metadata • Descriptive metadata • Administrative metadata • Technical metadata • Preservation metadata • Rights metadata • Structural metadata L520 Fall 2004

11. How metadata is used L520 Fall 2004

12. Descriptive metadata • Purpose • Description • Discovery • Some common general schemas • MARC • MARCXML • MODS • Dublin Core • LOTS of domain-specific schemas L520 Fall 2004

13. Three similar descriptive metadata formats L520 Fall 2004

14. Dublin Core (1) • 15-element set • “Core” across all knowledge domains • No element required • All elements repeatable • Extensible • 1:1 principle L520 Fall 2004

15. Dublin Core (2) • Two “flavors” • Unqualified • 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 • Sample record L520 Fall 2004

16. TGM I TGM II TGN GeoNet AAT LCSH LCNAF DCMI Type MIME Types …etc. Vocabulary encoding schemes L520 Fall 2004

17. Syntax encoding schemes • AACR2r • ISO8601 • W3CDTF • URI • …etc. L520 Fall 2004

18. 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 L520 Fall 2004

19. Structural metadata • For creating a logical structure between digital objects • Multiple copies of same bibliographic item • Multiple pages within item • Grouping of pages into sections • Multiple sizes of each page • METS is the current primary schema L520 Fall 2004

20. Crosswalks (1) • For transforming between metadata formats • Usually refers to transforming between content standards rather than structure standards, but not always • Mapping from more robust format to less robust format effective; mapping from simpler format to more robust format less so • Good practice to create and store most robust metadata format possible, then create other views for specific needs L520 Fall 2004

21. Crosswalks (2) • Can be in many formats • Logical sets of rules [example] • Actual code [example] • Cornell working on registry • See: Kurth, Martin, David Ruddy and Nathan Rupp. (2004) “Repurposing MARC metadata: using digital project experience to develop a metadata management design.” Library Hi Tech 22/2 (2004): 153 - 165 • Often need to tweak a generic crosswalk for a specific implementation L520 Fall 2004

22. How do I pick a metadata format? • Genre of materials being described • Format of materials being described • Nature of holding institution • Robustness needed for the given materials and users • What others in the community are doing • Describing original vs. digitized item • Relationships between records • Plan for interoperability, including repeatability of elements • More information on handout L520 Fall 2004

23. So why should I care? • Because metadata issues are right now an essential part of librarianship • Cataloging librarians – it’s increasingly becoming your job • Reference librarians – metadata schema affect search strategies, and you’ll have patrons who want to know about metadata • Collection development librarians – we’re increasingly purchasing data rather than physical objects, and this data needs to be managed • Administrators – your staff are going to be increasingly interested in metadata issues, and they’ll need training • Public librarians – you are very Internet-focused • Corporate librarians– you often deal with non-MARC environments • School librarians – integration of library materials into instructional environments L520 Fall 2004

24. What does a metadata librarian do? • Create metadata (including in MARC) • Write procedures, policy, and templates for others creating metadata • Develop long-term metadata strategy • Write rules/code for mapping between metadata formats • Technical support for metadata creation tools • Represent metadata issues on group projects/committees • Learn more about everything • Teach others about metadata • Librarian stuff! • Professional development • Service • Faculty governance • …etc.! L520 Fall 2004

25. Qualifications of a metadata librarian • Experience with many different metadata standards • Thorough knowledge of cataloging practice, including subject analysis • Can use various XML technologies: XSLT, XPath, DTDs, XML Schema • Likes to learn on the job • Excellent communication skills • Good at writing detailed documentation • Experience with file formats for still images, audio, and video • Familiarity with one or more scripting/programming languages; Perl is useful • Subject expertise where required • Understanding of RDF (maybe) L520 Fall 2004

26. Continuing education • Professional literature in many areas • Digital libraries • Cataloging • Subject-specific • Mailing lists in these same areas • Conferences • Digital Library Federation • JCDL • ALA (LITA, ALCTS) • Talk to people! L520 Fall 2004

27. Further information • jenlrile@indiana.edu • These presentation slides: http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/slis/04fall/l520/l520.ppt • Metadata librarians listserv: <http://metadatalibrarians.monarchos.com> • Priscilla Caplan: Metadata Fundamentals for all Librarians, 2003 L520 Fall 2004