Documenting Events in Metadata

1. Documenting Events in Metadata Joint event in Cyprus: The e-Documentation in Cultural Heritage Martin Doerr, Athina Kritsotaki Center for Cultural Informatics Institute of Computer Science Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas

2. Event-centric documentation is essential for.. • Structuring cultural metadata and capturing the full historical context of artifacts • Interpreting heterogeneous and complex information resources • More accurate information about life histories • Aggregation of relevant historical information • Documentation of scientific observations

3. History as “meetings” Events are states of affairs: a particular distribution of material items, conceptual items and interactions in space-time. Most events can be seen as “meetings”. Things, people and ideas meet each other and create history as a “network of meetings” (a sequence of meetings under the perspective of an individual – person or item).

4. CRM Core Metadata Schema • A proposal of CIDOC. • A simple schema for summarization of historical events. • Compatible with CIDOC CRM (ISO/FDIS 21127) and Dublin Core. • Uniform schema for object descriptions and biographical data. • Supports information integration and has the potential to capture huge, meaningful knowledge networks

5. CRM Core Metadata Schema

6. CRM Core Metadata Schema CRM Core describes the most fundamental relationships that connect things, concepts, people, time and place: • Identification • Classification • Participation in an event • Part decomposition • References • Similarity

7. Other approaches: Dublin Core, VRA, CCO • Focus on categorical data rather than events and indirect relationships. • Fail to capture complex historical contexts because time, place and participants are disassociated. • Can not describe complex relationships – fail to integrate or connect rich historical information – fail to build large networks of knowledge

8. E53 Place France (nation) E55 Type E52 Time-Span E52 Time-Span E52 Time-Span E55 Type E55 Type E52 Time-Span E55 Type 1917 1925 plaster 1898 bronze companies 1840 sculptors E12 Production E21 Person E12 Production E67 Birth E69 Death E21 Person E40 Legal Body E84 Information Carrier E84 Information Carrier The “Monument to Balzac” (plaster) The “Monument to Balzac”(S1296) Bronze casting“Monument to Balzac” in 1925 Rudier (Vve Alexis) et Fils Rodin’s death Rodin’s birth Honoré de Balzac RodinAuguste Rodin making “Monument to Balzac” in 1898 Example using CRM Core P62 depicts P62 depicts P16B was used for P108B was produced by P108B was produced by P134 continued P2 has type P2 has type P120B occurs after P4 has time-span P14 carried out by P7 took place at P14 carried out by P4 has time-span P4 has time-span P2 has type P2 has type P100B died in P98B was born P4 has time -span

9. Example: Monument to Balzac A production (event) of “Monument to Balzac” = a meetingof the producer “Rodin” and his work “Balzac” in “France” in “1898”. :is continued by: Another production (event), the “Bronze casting of Monument to Balzac” in “1925”. :occurs after: “Rodin’s death” (event) in “1917”. network of relationships and events

10. Work (CRM Core). Category = E84 Information Carrier Classification =sculpture (visual work) Classification =plaster Identification =The Monument to Balzac (plaster) Description =Commissioned to honor one of France's greatest novelists, Rodin spent seven years preparing for Monument to Balzac. When the plaster original was exhibited in Paris in 1898, it was widely attacked. Rodin retired the plaster model to his home in the Paris suburbs. It was not cast in bronze until years after his death. EventRole in Event =P108B was produced by Identification= Rodin making Monument to Balzac in 1898Event Type = E12 Production ParticipantIdentification =Rodin, Auguste Identification =ID: 500016619 Participant Type = artists Participant Type = sculptors Date = 1898 Place = France (nation) Related eventRole in Event =P134B was continued by Identification=Bronze casting Monument to Balzac in 1925 EventRole in Event =P16B was used for Identification= Bronze casting Monument to Balzac in 1925Event Type = E12 Production ParticipantIdentification =Rudier (Vve Alexis) et Fils Participant Type = companies Thing Present Identification=The Monument to Balzac (S.1296) Thing Present Type =bronze Thing Present Type =sculpture (visual work) Date = 1925 Related eventRole in Event =P120B occurs after Identification= Rodin'sdeath RelationTo = Honore de Balzac Relationtype refers to Artist (CRM Core). Category = E21 Person Classification = artists Classification = sculptors Identification =Rodin, Auguste Identification =ID: 500016619 EventRole in Event =P98B was born Identification= Rodin‘s birthEvent Type = E67 Birth Date = 1840 EventRole in Event =P100B died in Identification= Rodin‘s deathEvent Type = E69_Death Date = 1917 Related eventRole in Event =P120 occurs before Identification= Bronze casting Monument to Balzac in 1925

11. Example using DC, VRA Example (VRA Core Categories, Version 3.0). Record Type = workType = sculptureTitle = Monument to BalzacMaterial.Medium = bronze Material.Medium = plasterDate.Creation = 1898 Date.Completion ? = 1925Creator = Auguste Rodin Creator.Role =sculptor Creator?= Rudier (Vve Alexis) et Fils Creator.Role =Casters Subject = Balzac Description = Commissioned to honor one of France's greatest novelists, Rodin spent seven years preparing for Monument to Balzac. When the plaster original was exhibited in Paris in 1898, it was widely attacked. Rodin retired the plaster model to his home in the Paris suburbs. It was not cast in bronze until years after his death. Example (Dublin Core) Type = workType = sculptureTitle = Monument to BalzacFormat= bronze Format= plasterDate.Created = 1898 Date ….? = 1925Creator = Auguste Rodin Creator =sculptor Contributor=Rudier (Vve Alexis) et FilsSubject = Balzac Description = Commissioned to honor one of France's greatest novelists, Rodin spent seven years preparing for Monument to Balzac. When the plaster original was exhibited in Paris in 1898, it was widely attacked. Rodin retired the plaster model to his home in the Paris suburbs. It was not cast in bronze until years after his death. no connection

12. Example implementing CCO Example (CCO) Record type = item Class= sculptureWork type = statueTitle = Monument to BalzacMaterial and Techniques= bronze, plasterCreator Display= Auguste Rodin (French, 1840-1917); Rudier (Vve Alexis) et Fils. Role [link]=sculptor [link]: Rodin, Auguste Role [link]=casters [link]: Rudier (Vve Alexis) et Fils Creation Date = designed and produced in 1898, cast in 1925 Qualifier: design Start: 1898 End: 1898 Qualifier: casting Start: 1925 End: 1925Subject = Balzac Culture= French Description = Commissioned to honor one of France's greatest novelists, Rodin spent seven years preparing for Monument to Balzac. When the plaster original was exhibited in Paris in 1898, it was widely attacked. Rodin retired the plaster model to his home in the Paris suburbs. It was not cast in bronze until years after his death.

13. Conclusions • CRM Core is a powerful simplification to capture large networks of knowledge • – by far more general and precise than Dublin Core • – only slightly more complex than Dublin Core • Meaningful information integration • More effective search and retrieval, in particular by historical context • Compatible with CIDOC CRM and DC