Filenames are not metadata, changing cultures at the University of York

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M E T A D A T A

Julie Allinson <ja546@york.ac.uk>Beyond Advocacy: A Bradford Master Class on Institutional Repositories, 20th November 2008

Images from flickr, credits available on request

C:/my stuff/misc/filenames.jpeg are not

changing cultures at the University of York

filenames are not

A digital library for York

• Building an infrastructure, not a complete solution

• Focus on multimedia, not research texts• Complements other systems (WRRO!)• A three-year project with a secure

future• A software development project (Fedora

Commons and Muradora)• A service-in-development for users at

York and beyond

What do users want?

http://flickr.com/photos/drachmann/327122302/

Put stuff in … easily

http://flickr.com/photos/j26/294993415/

Get stuff out … easily

http://flickr.com/photos/lauren_pressley/374583674/http://flickr.com/photos/roscoe/330526005/

Access anywhere

http://flickr.com/photos/meensel/2998304841/http://flickr.com/photos/ahh_ludmilla/2947017771/

Re-use, recycle

http://flickr.com/photos/kingdesmond/477389196/

Trust, security & access control

http://flickr.com/photos/kevandotorg/453709718/http://flickr.com/photos/piotramigo/2288437265/

Barriers? None for me, please

http://flickr.com/photos/roarpett/843941580/http://flickr.com/photos/nine_acatl/2583159824/http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/2966158641/http://www.flickr.com/photos/timbush/2238960402/

Sell stuff

http://flickr.com/photos/busman/53045826/

I Want, nay, Need

http://flickr.com/photos/chough/87501689/http://flickr.com/photos/makarellos/2200054278/

Metadata … always important

http://flickr.com/photos/erica_marshall/2666112988/http://flickr.com/photos/acadia_library/2250181797/

Approaches to advocacy

•Strategic input•Ongoing, infrequent engagement•Ad-hoc and opportunity-driven•Focussed, in-Department effort

History of Art – a case study

Staffing the slide libraryScanning under the CLA LicenceImproving quality of legacy metadataEnabling remote accessTalking to users daily ? ‘Advising’ on copyright ? Changing the culture, slowly ? Implementing access controlSometimes saying ‘No’

Filenames are not metadata?

Thoughts (1)

Not everybody has ‘repository’ in their job description

… or even knows what ‘repository’ means

Thoughts (2)

It’s impossible to please everybody

… but trying to make everybody happy is a noble aim

Thoughts (3)

Don’t set precedents you can’t keep up with

… be enthusiastic, but be honest & realistic too

Thoughts (4)

Once is never enough

… keep talking, keep listening, keep testing, keep demonstrating

At York …

• We’re still at the very beginning• (and have already made mistakes)• Where have we ‘got it right’?

– Clear purpose from the start– Long-term commitment– Mix & match advocacy– A lot of user engagement … and much

more to come

Something from our collections• Laon Cathedral

east window panel 8, w.0

• Depicts: Judas' betrayal - the arrest in Gethsemane.

• c.1210-1215.• Photographer:

Cowen, Painton

Copyright Painton Cowen, 2008

Questions?