Roy TennantRoy Tennant

Life After MARCA Metadata Infrastructure for the 21st

Century

Life After MARCA Metadata Infrastructure for the 21st

Century

Archival Archival SystemsSystemsArchival Archival SystemsSystems

ElectronicElectronicresearchresearch

databasesdatabases

ElectronicElectronicresearchresearch

databasesdatabases

Institutional Institutional RepositoriesRepositoriesInstitutional Institutional RepositoriesRepositories

PathfindersPathfindersPathfindersPathfinders

DigitalDigitalLibraryLibrary

CollectionsCollections

DigitalDigitalLibraryLibrary

CollectionsCollections

Non-ILS Metadata SystemsNon-ILS Metadata Systems

Silos Everywher

e!

Silos Everywher

e!

Infrastructure RequirementsInfrastructure Requirements

• Versatility• Extensibility• Openness and Transparency• Low Threshold, High Ceiling• Cooperative Management

• Versatility• Extensibility• Openness and Transparency• Low Threshold, High Ceiling• Cooperative Management

Infrastructure RequirementsInfrastructure Requirements

• Modularity• Hierarchy• Granularity• Graceful in failure

• Modularity• Hierarchy• Granularity• Graceful in failure

A ProposalA Proposal

•Create a new bibliographic metadata infrastructure with the following characteristics…

•Create a new bibliographic metadata infrastructure with the following characteristics…

A Transfer SchemaA Transfer Schema

• An XML schema for ingesting, storing, and transferring multiple bibliographic metadata packages intact

• A current example: the Metadata Encoding and Transfer Syntax (METS) [ demo ]

• An XML schema for ingesting, storing, and transferring multiple bibliographic metadata packages intact

• A current example: the Metadata Encoding and Transfer Syntax (METS) [ demo ]

ONIXONIXONIXONIXMARCMARCMARCMARC

DublinDublinCoreCore

DublinDublinCoreCore VRAVRA

CoreCoreVRAVRACoreCore

ONIXONIXONIXONIX

MARCMARCMARCMARC

DublinDublinCoreCore

DublinDublinCoreCore

VRAVRACoreCoreVRAVRACoreCore

METSMETSMETSMETS

Bibliographic Schemata

Bibliographic Schemata

• We must be able to use a wide variety of metadata:• MARC records from libraries• MODS records from libraries and others• ONIX records from publishers• Dublin Core records from OAI repositories• VRA Core records from museums• etc.

• We must be able to use a wide variety of metadata:• MARC records from libraries• MODS records from libraries and others• ONIX records from publishers• Dublin Core records from OAI repositories• VRA Core records from museums• etc.

Application RulesApplication Rules

• The “AACR2” of our new infrastructure

• Rules and guidelines for use:• General application rules• Schema-specific rules

• The “AACR2” of our new infrastructure

• Rules and guidelines for use:• General application rules• Schema-specific rules

Best PracticesBest Practices

• Implementation practices — “on the ground” rules of thumb and procedures

• Everything should not be codified in application rules — room should be allowed for experimentation

• In these “gray areas” best practices can suggest non-prescriptive and reasonable sets of procedures

• Implementation practices — “on the ground” rules of thumb and procedures

• Everything should not be codified in application rules — room should be allowed for experimentation

• In these “gray areas” best practices can suggest non-prescriptive and reasonable sets of procedures

CrosswalksCrosswalks

• Librarians should be able to deal with metadata of many varieties

• Proficiency will require crosswalks, or algorithms for translating metadata from one schema to another

• The same infrastructure could be used to merge multiple formats into a searchable index

• Librarians should be able to deal with metadata of many varieties

• Proficiency will require crosswalks, or algorithms for translating metadata from one schema to another

• The same infrastructure could be used to merge multiple formats into a searchable index

Enrichment ServicesEnrichment Services

• Enriching metadata with additional information

• Examples:• Book cover art• Tables of contents• Book reviews

• See http://www.loc.gov/standards/catenrich/ for more information

• Enriching metadata with additional information

• Examples:• Book cover art• Tables of contents• Book reviews

• See http://www.loc.gov/standards/catenrich/ for more information

Tool SetsTool Sets

• Tools to help us manage and manipulate metadata

• Examples:• XSLT Stylesheets• Crosswalking code (e.g., OCLC’s Metadata

Switch service)• OCLC’s FRBR algorithm

• Tools to help us manage and manipulate metadata

• Examples:• XSLT Stylesheets• Crosswalking code (e.g., OCLC’s Metadata

Switch service)• OCLC’s FRBR algorithm

Relationships to Other Standards and Protocols

Relationships to Other Standards and Protocols

• A rich metadata infrastructure will interoperate with a wide range of standards and protocols

• Examples:• OAI-PMH• SOAP (REST)

• A rich metadata infrastructure will interoperate with a wide range of standards and protocols

• Examples:• OAI-PMH• SOAP (REST)

ChallengesChallenges

• Adapting to a diversity of record formats

• Crosswalking and Merging• System migration• Staff retooling• Your favorite challenge here…

• Adapting to a diversity of record formats

• Crosswalking and Merging• System migration• Staff retooling• Your favorite challenge here…

Making the TransitionMaking the Transition

• Any solution will need to accommodate MARC• Some libraries are already leading the way (e.g.,

OCLC)• Some vendors are already leading the way (e.g.,

moving to XML-aware database systems)• Initial ILS transition may be mostly transparent

(i.e., same functionality, different infrastructure)• The difficulty does not lie with technology, but

with people and procedures

• Any solution will need to accommodate MARC• Some libraries are already leading the way (e.g.,

OCLC)• Some vendors are already leading the way (e.g.,

moving to XML-aware database systems)• Initial ILS transition may be mostly transparent

(i.e., same functionality, different infrastructure)• The difficulty does not lie with technology, but

with people and procedures

Why It MattersWhy It Matters

• We face many challenges and opportunities• Our once robust metadata infrastructure is now

jaded — both conceptually and technically• Our users and the services we wish to provide

them demand a metadata infrastructure equal to the tasks before us

• We must renew our bibliographic infrastructure!

• We face many challenges and opportunities• Our once robust metadata infrastructure is now

jaded — both conceptually and technically• Our users and the services we wish to provide

them demand a metadata infrastructure equal to the tasks before us

• We must renew our bibliographic infrastructure!