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