1. Cataloguing Museum Collections
History, Trends, and Issues
Michael Jenkins
JHU Museum Studies Spring 2010

2. Week 5: Cataloguing Schemas and Standards
Definitions
Rationale for Standards
Standards Resources
3. Definitions
Database Schema-A database schema is a collection of meta-data that describes the relations in a database. A schema can be simply described as the "layout" of a database or the blueprint that outlines the way data is organized into tables.
4. Definitions
Data Structure-the organizational scheme for a database. Data structure defines the tables and fields that make up a database. It also specifies the relationships of fields to one another.
Data Content-Also referred to as data values, data content is the conceptual information that populates data structure. It is the value that populates a field in a database.
5. Definitions
Data Format-the rules that specify the form of data entry. For example a data format rule might specify that a date field be entered as MM/DD/YYYY rather than DD/MM/YY. Data format rules can also specify things like capitalization, punctuation, and italicization.
6. Definitions
Authority Controls-Inlibrary and information science,authority controlis the practice of creating and maintainingheadingsfor bibliographic material in acatalog. Authority control fulfills two important functions. First, it enables catalogers to disambiguate items with similar or identical headings. For example, two authors who happen to have published under the same name can be distinguished from each other by adding middle initials, birth and/or death (orflourished, if these are unknown) dates, or a descriptive epithet to the heading of one (or both) authors. Second, authority control is used by catalogers tocollocatematerials that logically belong together, although they present themselves differently. For example, authority records are used to establishuniform titles, which can collocate all versions of a given work together even when they are issued under different titles. From Wikipedia.
7. Definitions
Data Dictionary-A data dictionary is a collection of descriptions of the data objects or items in a data model for the benefit of programmers and others who need to refer to them. A first step in analyzing a system of objects with which users interact is to identify each object and its relationship to other objects. This process is called data modeling and results in a picture of object relationships. After each data object or item is given a descriptive name, its relationship is described (or it becomes part of some structure that implicitly describes relationship), the type of data (such as text or image or binary value) is described, possible predefined values are listed, and a brief textual description is provided. This collection can be organized for reference into a book called a data dictionary.
8. Why Do We Need Standards?
Standards help cataloguers record information consistently. Consistent data enables effective information retrieval.
9. Standards Resources
Cataloguing Cultural Resources:
http://www.vraweb.org/ccoweb/cco/index.html
CHIN Introduction to Standards:
http://www.pro.rcip-chin.gc.ca/normes-standards/introduction-eng.jsp
Standards at the Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/standards/
10. Reading
Review the following site: J. Paul Getty Trust and The College Art Association (Revised June 9, 2009) Categories for the Description of Works of Art and CDWA Lite, http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/cdwa/index.html
Baca, M. et al. eds. (2006) Cataloguing Cultural Objects (pp. xi-xii, 1-76) Chicago, IL: American Library Association [eReserves]
Weibel, S. (2005) "Border Crossings: Reflections on a Decade of Metadata Consensus Building." D-Lib Magazine, 11,7/8 (July/August), http://www.dlib.org/dlib/july05/weibel/07weibel.html
11. Written Assignment
Create a template for a data dictionary for a website that will provide public access to a museum collection of your choosing. Describe the museum collection that you will be using for the next three assignments. If you like, be creative with the collection you choose. Fictional or personal collections are encouraged.Examples of data dictionaries can be found at http://www.amico.org/AMICOlibrary/dataDictionary.html and http://www.pro.rcip-chin.gc.ca/bd-dl/ddrcip_sn-chindd_ns/description-about-eng.jsp.
12. Written Assignment, Continued
You will likely want to use a spreadsheet to create your data dictionary. Be sure to include attributes to describe your data fields. Examples of attributes include repeating, required, authority controlled, and core.Make sure your data dictionary contains fields for all of the information that you would like to make available online. Try to push the envelope of online collections and support meaningful interaction with your collection. Keep in mind that most online museum sites serve well over thirty fields.
13. Discussions
Monitor the Discussion area of Sakai for this weeks topics.