Spotlight: Metadata

Allison ScheinLIS 882/Spring 2012Metadata for Internet Resources

Before we begin…

Keep in mind that there are no hard and fast rules to create a good digital collection. A successful project does not travel one set path, plan strategically, while making appropriate choices to support your unique collection

A good object has associated metadata 

Some questions to consider

Purpose/objective? Goal? Users? Collection, individual level? Both?

Which standards to apply?

Six Principles of Metadata for Good Digital Collection

Metadata Principle 1: Good metadata conforms to community standards in a way that is appropriate to the materials in the collection, users of the collection, and current and potential future uses of the collection. Metadata Principle 2:     Good metadata supports interoperability. Metadata Principle 3:     Good metadata uses authority control and content standards to describe objects and collocate related objects. 

Six Principles of Metadata for Good Digital Collection cont'd

Metadata Principle 4: Good metadata includes a clear statement of the conditions and terms of use for the digital object.

Metadata Principle 5: Good metadata supports the long-term curation and preservation of objects in collections.

Metadata Principle 6: Good metadata records are objects themselves and therefore should have the qualities of good objects, including authority, authenticity, archivability, persistence, and unique identification.

Principle 1 Points of Interest

Consider at what level the collection will be described, then create an application profile that shows scheme implementation.

Photo courtesy of http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata/michael/michael-eu/dcap/figure2.png

Principle 2 Points of Interest

Good metadata should be mindful of global contexts as well. Do not assume that your users know the main content of your collection.

3 tools that assist metadata interoperability :Crosswalks (maps out between the schemas)Harvesting metadata through OAI-PMH Cross systems searching/Metasearch

Principle 3 Point of Interests Whenever possible use standard,

controlled terms.

Consider the following when selecting:○ Future needs of the users○ Available tools to support vocabulary○ Maintaining vocabulary

Principle 4 Points of Interest

Rights metadataRights descriptionRights licensingRights workflow

Principle 5 Points of Interest

Administrative Technical metadata Preservation metadata Recordkeeping metadata Structural metadata

Principle 6 Point of Interest

Make sure that you supply institutional information and include schema documentation.

Bibliography Library of Congress "Metadata for Digital Content" group. Access

Through Metadata: Library Group Tackels the Challenge - Digital Preservation. http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/series/challenge/metadata_digital_content_challenge.html (accessed 01 16, 2012).

Morgan, Eric Lease, et al. "Index of /mylibrary." Designing, Implementing, and Maintaining Digital Library Services and Collections with MyLibrary. 01 28, 2010. http://dewey.library.nd.edu/mylibrary/ (accessed 01 17, 2012).

National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Framework Working Group. A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections. White paper, Baltimore: National Information Standards Organization (NISO), 2007.

 

Recommended Readings Morgan, Eric Lease, et al. Designing, Implementing, and Maintaining

Digital Library Services and Collections with MyLibrary. 01 28, 2010. http://dewey.library.nd.edu/mylibrary/

Library of Congress Meeting the Challenge: The Library of Congress: Meeting the Challenge of Digital Preservation

http://www.digitalpreservation.gov/series/challenge/index.html

Institute of Museum and Library Services Digital Collections and Content Metadata Resources and Documentation http://imlsdcc.grainger.uiuc.edu/resources.asp

National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Framework Working Group. A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections. White paper, Baltimore: National Information Standards Organization (NISO), 2007. www.niso.org/publications/rp/framework3.pdf