1. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu1 Metadata, Schmetadata … Tell Me Why I Should Care? OLC Spring Chapter Conferences, 2004 Margaret Maurer Assistant Professor, Cataloging Manager Kent State University Libraries and Media Services

2. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu2 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

3. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu3 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.

4. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu4 Metadata Cataloging is metadata, metadata is cataloging Metadata can be information stored in tags in the headers for HTML pages Library catalogs are metadata

5. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu5 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

7. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu7 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

8. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu8 Traditional Library Metadata Collection catalogue Indexing services (magazines and newspapers) MARC centric services Purchased content and data management services

9. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu9 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 …

11. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu11 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

15. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu15 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

16. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu16 Entity An object or thing about which information needs to be known or held. The resource being cataloged.

17. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu17 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.

18. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu18 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.

19. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu19 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

20. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu20 Not one size fits all No universal metadata type Coordination is tighter at the top than where metadata is being designed

21. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu21 Metadata Schemes Define: Semantics – The meaning of the metadata elements themselves Content Rules Syntax Context Management

22. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu22 Types of Metadata Descriptive metadata – resource discovery Administrative metadata – management of resources Structural metadata – machine necessary information

23. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu23 Descriptive metadata Aids in resource discovery MARC / AACR Dublin Core TEI (Text Encoding Initiative)

24. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu24 Administrative metadata Facilitates the management of the resource Controls access to the resource Grants Permissions for use Rights management

25. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu25 Structural metadata Used by machines Seldom seen by the human eye

26. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu26 DC Metadata Application Profiles Application profiles: Formalized definitions Identifies controlled vocabularies (if any) Human readable information about the application and usage guidance

27. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu27 Western States Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices OhioLINK Draft Guidelines for Digital Media Center Metadata

28. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu28 Metadata crosswalks Based on datamapping Aid interoperability Authoritative mappings Generally round-trip mapping is not supported without data distortion or loss

31. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu31 Structures for Metadata Non-connected metadata (databases) Embedded metadata

32. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu32 Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) Headers Coding for electronic texts Example of embedded metadata Closely related to ISBD

33. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu33 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

34. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu34 Dublin Core (Continued) Internationally accepted Flexible Interoperability Too few elements and qualifiers Lack of usage guidelines

35. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu35 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.

38. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu38 Metadata and searching – embedded 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.

39. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu39 Metadata and searching within a domain Search engines that index elements Ultraseek Berkeley’s Swish-E Microsoft’s Index Server Blue Angel Technologies MetaStar Verity Livelink Search and Spider

40. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu40 The good and the bad of Interoperability Lack of a standard format Open Archives Initiative (OAI)

41. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu41 So, What’s next? Indexing & Cataloging are needed It’s our job Librarians as tool makers Volunteer!

42. OLC Spring Chapter Conferences 2004mmaurer@lms.kent.edu42 http://www.library.kent.edu/~mmaurer/