The Case for Implementing Core Descriptive Embedded Metadata at the Smithsonian

DC-2010Pittsburgh

Stephanie Christensen Doug Dunlop

In the BeginningA Universe of images and associated metadata from a across the Smithsonian: •National Anthropological Archives•Smithsonian Institution Libraries•Smithsonian Institution Archives•Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage•The Archives at the National Museum of the American Indian•National Air and Space Museum Archives Division•Archives of American Art•Archives of American Gardens•Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives•Division of Mammals, National Museum of Natural History•National Museum of Natural History Collections•National Museum of the American Indian Collections• Human Studies Film Archives•Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art•National Museum of American History

Traveling to Places near and far•From a Collection Management System to the Collections Search Center picking up Metadata along the way from Horizon•From a Collection Management System to Artesia with a second home in Collections Search Center•From Collections Search Center to flickr•And other travels too numerous to name

With Many Stories to Tell•I was in this most amazing scientific publication•I traveled to the land of flickr and then on to….•I lived in the Galaxy of Images then traveled to a land filled with teachers and educators•I was used as the inspiration for a line of furniture

Embedded MetadataWhile metadata is most commonly thought of as existing in a system external to the content (such as a library online catalog), it can also be included as part of the digital content file itself. Metadata contained within the file is referred to as embedded metadata. Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/stillimages/sub-embedded.html

Flavors of Embedded Metadata•International Press and Telecommunications Council (IPTC) Photo Metadatahttp://www.iptc.org/std/photometadata/specification/IPTC-PhotoMetadata%28200907%29_1.pdf•Exchangeable image file format (EXIF)http://www.exif.org/•Extensible Metadata Platform (XMP)http://www.adobe.com/devnet/xmp/

XMP and IPTC Embedded Metadata•IPTC is core to XMP•IPTC is easy to use in Adobe Bridge•IPTC is already part of imaging workflows•IPTC fields map to SI DAMS•XMP employs RDF http://www.w3.org/RDF/

The Tale of Best practices

•Survey Stakeholders

•Determine Current Practices, if any

•Review Results

•Identify consistencies or disparities of data elements

•Develop a Core Set of Required Fields

•Develop a Set of Suggested Fields

•Put into Practice

-Smithsonian Collections Search Center http://collections.si.edu/search/-FADGI http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/stillimages/subcommittees.html

Core EMBEDDED METADATA FIELDS

….We can begin to come to a consensus as to consistent information across SI….

CORE EMBEDDED METADATA FIELDS –PUT INTO PRACTICE

NOT REQUIRED - SUGGESTED SET of EMBEDDED METADATA FIELDS

…and for those that need additional fields to accommodate various needs…

NOT REQUIRED - SUGGESTED SET of EMBEDDED METADATA FIELDS PUT INTO PRACTICE

La Alhambra Palais:Date: 1/1/1842Headline: Plans, elevations, sections, and details of the Alhambra, from drawings taken on the spot in 1834 by Jules Goury, and in 1834 and 1837 by Owen Jones.Credit/Provider: Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum

Mapping to DC (required Fields)

SI Embedded Metadata (Core Required Fields)

IPTC Dublin Core Sample Data Value

Document Title Title Identifier 1) LB016021-a 2) 08596201

Copyright Notice Copyright Notice Rights 1) The Smithsonian continues to research information on its collections. Contact Smithsonian for current status.

Source Source Publisher 1) NMAI-Natl. Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution

Creator Creator Creator 1) Smithsonian Institution Libraries2) National Anthropological Archives

Mapping to DC (Suggested Fields)

SI Embedded Metadata (Suggested Not Required Fields)

IPTC Dublin Core Sample Data Value

Date Date Created Date:Created 1) 07/23/1967 2) 02/14/2009

Description Description Description 1) Cultural Resources Center 2007 Powwow Open House, CRC Open House, CRC Exterior, Chief Joseph, Nez Perce 2) scan from 4x5 CT, slide or B&W negative

Keywords Keywords Subject 1) Lighting Archive; Electrification; Lighting; Lighting Fixtures; Architectural History; History of Architecture

Mapping to DC (Suggested Fields, cont.)

SI Embedded Metadata (Core Required Fields)

IPTC Dublin Core Sample Data Value

Credit/Provider Provider Publisher 1) NAA- Natl. Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Job Identifier Job Identifier Identifier 1) LB016021-a 2) 08596201 3) gn_03644 4) landes_photo_arizona_16 5 ) 23456.000

Headline Headline Title Caldwell and Company Collection

Towards a Greater Access: Pilot Project

Institutional USE

Collection Information Systems

Digital Asset Management System

Smithsonian Websites

Smithsonian Online Exhibitions

Social Media Sites

Smithsonian Blogs

Publications

Education and Outreach

The possibilities are endless………….

Future DevelopmentsDocument hosted on DSpacehttp://si-ddr.si.edu:8080/dspace/handle/10088/9719

Working with FADGI( Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative) Embedded Metadata Working Grouphttp://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/stillimages/sub-embedded.html

Acknowledgements

The following people have participated in EMDaWG and have helped in the realization of the document: Basic Guidelines for Minimal Descriptive Embedded Metadata in Digital Image (Embedded Metadata Working Group- Smithsonian Institution April 2010).

Stephanie Christensen- NAA, Doug Dunlop- SIL, Lowell Ashley- SIL, Ricc Ferrante- SIA, Cindy Frankenburg- NMAI, Ducky Nguygen- NMAI, Kay Peterson- NMAH, Suzanne Pilsk- SIL, Ken Rahaim- OCIO, Marguerite Roby- SIA, Erin Rushing- SIL, Stephanie Smith- CFCH, Rebecca Snyder- NMNH, Amy Staples- NMAfa, Sarah Stauderman- SIA, Patti Williams- NASM and Merry Foresta for comments and editing