OLC Spring Chapter Conferences [email protected] Metadata, Schmetadata … Tell Me Why I...

OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004

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Metadata, Schmetadata … Tell Me Why I Should Care?

OLC Spring Chapter Conferences, 2004

Margaret MaurerAssistant Professor, Cataloging Manager

Kent State University Libraries and Media Services


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Useful Resources

Metadata Fundamentals for All Librarians / Priscilla Caplan. ALA, 2003. 0-8389-0847-0

Introduction to Metadata, Pathways to Digital Information / Edited by Murtha Baca. Getty Information Institute, 1998. 0-89236-533-1


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What is Metadata?

Data about data Machine understandable information for the

web Data that describes the attributes of a resource,

e.g. its author(s), title, physical format, etc. A succinct and systematic set of information

that references, and can be used to retrieve efficiently and accurately, a larger set of information.


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Metadata

Cataloging is metadata, metadata is cataloging

Metadata can be information stored in <meta> tags in the headers for HTML pages

Library catalogs are metadata


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2003 OCLC Environmental Scan

Trends In the Technology Landscape: Bringing structure to unstructured data Distributed, component-based software A move to open-source software Security, authentication and digital rights

management


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Existing Metadata in Public Libraries

Traditional Library Information Systems Community Information

Directories of agencies and services Volunteer opportunities listings Events

Local historical and genealogical information


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Traditional Library Metadata

Collection catalogue Indexing services (magazines and

newspapers) MARC centric services Purchased content and data management

services


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Local Historical and Genealogical Information

Newspaper clippings stored in a digital images database

Indexes of non-digitized material Census, wills, property records, military

records, cemetery records, business directories, maps …


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Digitization Projects in Ohio Libraries

Digitization projects use metadata to describe images

47% of survey respondents were in some phase of a digitization project in Ohio in 2001



Creating your own metadata

Define what the resources are Describe who will want to access

them and how Determine what standards exist to

describe that type of resource Adapt that standard and document it



Entity

An object or thing about which information needs to be known or held. The resource being cataloged.



Metadata Element A discrete unit of data about a

resource. Elements may be further qualified. 15 Dublin Core elements In MARC, each field is an element.



Attribute A category of information about an

element or entity. Used to identify, qualify, classify or

quantify the element or entity. A list of attributes is defined for each

Dublin Core element in a particular application file.



Metadata Scheme

A scheme that helps interpret element values.

Examples can include parsing rules, controlled vocabularies, or AACR rules or MARC21

A defined list of elements & rules for entering data



Not one size fits all

No universal metadata type Coordination is tighter at the top than

where metadata is being designed



Metadata Schemes Define:

Semantics – The meaning of the metadata elements themselves

Content Rules Syntax Context Management



Types of Metadata

Descriptive metadata – resource discovery

Administrative metadata – management of resources

Structural metadata – machine necessary information



Descriptive metadata

Aids in resource discovery MARC / AACR Dublin Core TEI (Text Encoding Initiative)



Administrative metadata

Facilitates the management of the resource

Controls access to the resource Grants Permissions for use Rights management



Structural metadata

Used by machines Seldom seen by the human eye



DC Metadata Application Profiles

Application profiles: Formalized definitions Identifies controlled vocabularies (if

any) Human readable information about the

application and usage guidance



Western States Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices

OhioLINK Draft Guidelines for Digital Media Center Metadata



Metadata crosswalks

Based on datamapping Aid interoperability Authoritative mappings Generally round-trip mapping is not

supported without data distortion or loss



Structures for Metadata

Non-connected metadata (databases) Embedded metadata



Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) Headers

Coding for electronic texts Example of embedded metadata Closely related to ISBD



Dublin Core Metadata Initiative

Example of metadata that can either be non-connected or embedded

General purpose scheme for resource description

15 elements Can be qualified



Dublin Core (Continued)

Internationally accepted Flexible Interoperability Too few elements and qualifiers Lack of usage guidelines



Dublin Core’s Purpose and Goals

To assist in and enhance resource discovery and description on the web.

To achieve semantic interoperability To be recognized as an international

standard.



Metadata and searching – embedded <meta> tags

The internet is rife with data, but poor in metadata

Effective searching requires the ability to find what you are looking for and the ability to use what you find.



Metadata and searching within a domain Search engines that index <meta> elements

Ultraseek Berkeley’s Swish-E Microsoft’s Index Server Blue Angel Technologies MetaStar Verity Livelink Search and Spider



The good and the bad of Interoperability

Lack of a standard format Open Archives Initiative (OAI)



So, What’s next?

Indexing & Cataloging are needed It’s our job Librarians as tool makers Volunteer!



http://www.library.kent.edu/~mmaurer/

OLC Spring Chapter Conferences [email protected] Metadata, Schmetadata … Tell Me Why I...

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