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A Whirlwind Tour Through Part of the Metadata Landscape

This article provides an overview of metadata, its various definitions, uses, creation methods, and different types, such as descriptive, administrative, technical, preservation, rights, and structural metadata. It also explores different metadata formats, including MODS and Dublin Core, and discusses the importance of interoperability and crosswalks in sharing metadata.

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A Whirlwind Tour Through Part of the Metadata Landscape

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  1. A Whirlwind Tour Through Part of the Metadata Landscape 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) • “Any data used to aid the identification, description and location of networked electronic resources.” (IFLA) • … L520 Spring 2006

  3. Refining a definition • Other characteristics • Structure • Control • Origin • Machine-generated • Human-generated • In practice, the term often covers data and meta-metadata L520 Spring 2006

  4. Some uses of metadata • By information specialists • Describing non-traditional materials • Cataloging Web sites • Navigating digital objects • Managing digital objects over the long term • Managing corporate assets • By novices • Preparing Web sites for search engines • Describing Eprints • Managing personal CD collections L520 Spring 2006

  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 fundamental cataloging principles in non-MARC environments • Metadata created for many different types of materials • Metadata is NOT only for Internet resources! L520 Spring 2006

  6. Creating metadata • HTML <meta> tags • Spreadsheets • Databases • XML • Library catalogs • Digital library content management systems • ContentDM • Greenstone L520 Spring 2006

  7. Types of metadata • Descriptive metadata • Administrative metadata • Technical metadata • Preservation metadata • Rights metadata • Structural metadata L520 Spring 2006

  8. How metadata is used L520 Spring 2006

  9. Descriptive metadata • Purpose • Description • Discovery • Some common general schemas • MARC • MARCXML • MODS • Dublin Core • LOTS of domain-specific schemas L520 Spring 2006

  10. MODS • “Metadata Object Description Schema” • Developed and maintained by the Library of Congress • For encoding bibliographic information • Influenced by MARC, but not equivalent • Usable for any format of materials • Quickly gaining adoption L520 Spring 2006

  11. Dublin Core (1) • 15-element set • “Core” across all knowledge domains • No element required • All elements repeatable • Extensible • 1:1 principle L520 Spring 2006

  12. 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 L520 Spring 2006

  13. Comparing descriptive metadata formats L520 Spring 2006

  14. 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 Spring 2006

  15. Levels of control • Data structure standards (e.g., MARC) • Data content standards (e.g., AACR2r) • Very few metadata standards include a counterpart to the AACR “chief source of information” L520 Spring 2006

  16. When there’s no data content standard… L520 Spring 2006

  17. TGM I TGM II TGN GeoNet AAT LCSH LCNAF DCMI Type MIME Types …etc. Vocabulary encoding schemes L520 Spring 2006

  18. Syntax encoding schemes • ISO8601 • W3CDTF • URI • AACR2r • …etc. L520 Spring 2006

  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 L520 Spring 2006

  20. Structural metadata • For creating a logical structure between digital objects • Multiple copies/versions of same item • Multiple pages within item • Multiple sizes of each page • Meaningful groups of content • METS is the current primary schema L520 Spring 2006

  21. Thinking about shareable metadata • Metadata is a view of the resource • Records to be shared will be different than records in your local environment • Standards promote interoperability • Appropriate formats • Appropriate content • Appropriate context L520 Spring 2006

  22. 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 Spring 2006

  23. Crosswalks (2) • Can be in many formats • Logical sets of rules [example] • Actual code [example] • Often need to tweak a generic crosswalk for a specific implementation • Accommodating local practice • Adding institution-specific information • Adding context not available locally L520 Spring 2006

  24. So why should I care about metadata? • 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 • Archivists & special collections librarians – emerging metadata standards are specifically designed for your materials and needs • Administrators – you need to fit metadata work in the appropriate places in your organization; your staff will need training • Public librarians – must both make use of and provide metadata for your place in the Web environment • Corporate librarians– you often deal with non-MARC environments • School librarians – integration of library materials into instruction L520 Spring 2006

  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 • Experience with file formats for still images, audio, video, and other objects needing management • Familiarity with one or more scripting/programming languages; Perl is useful • Subject expertise where required • Good at writing detailed documentation • Likes to learn on the job • Excellent communication skills • …etc. L520 Spring 2006

  26. 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 • Collaborate with subject/format specialists • Perform 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 Spring 2006

  27. 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 Spring 2006

  28. Further information • jenlrile@indiana.edu • These presentation slides: <http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/slis/06spring/l520/l520.ppt> • Metadata librarians listserv: <http://metadatalibrarians.monarchos.com> • Priscilla Caplan: Metadata Fundamentals for all Librarians, 2003 L520 Spring 2006

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