1 Metadata: an overview Alan Hopkinson ILRS Middlesex University

2 Coverage Metadata used in libraries Metadata from the publishing trade as used in libraries Does not cover metadata in: Museums and archives

3 Metadata: a definition [OED] Metadata: a set of data that describes and gives information about other data 1987 Philos. Trans. Royal Soc. A The challenge is to accumulate data..from diverse sources, convert it to machine-readable form with a harmonized array of metadata descriptors and present the resulting database(s) to the user New Scientist 30 May 35/2 With XML, attaching metadata to a document is easy, at least in theory.

4 Examples of metadata systems Catalogue cards –Bibliographic description –Classification and other subject schemes MARC records EDIFACT ONIX (ONline Information eXchange)

5 Metadata incorporated CIP (Cataloguing in Publication) Standard numbers (ISBN, ISSN, etc.) Dublin Core embedded in webpages

6 Why the metadata vogue? Book trade joined the digitised world Internet resources (The Electronic Library) thwart the cataloguer Transferring bibliographic data between systems increases (realtime and batch) Desire for seamless interfaces (e.g. VLEs) Other industries catch on

7 Metadata needs standards Catalogue cards: AACR MARC records: ISO 2709, MARC manual and AACR EDIFACT ONIX : XML, ONIX for Books manual CIP: AACR and CIP rules ISBN, ISSN: international standards

8 Types of metadata Administrative metadata Descriptive metadata Identification metadata Relationship metadata Subject metadata Rights metadata Technical metadata

9 Administrative metadata Metadata for administering the record, such as –creation date, expiry date –creator –language of record

10 Descriptive metadata ISBD data –title and statement of responsibility –edition –imprint –collation –series –notes Headings - access points

11 Identification metadata Standard numbering –ISBN, ISSN, ISAN (audiovisual),ISRC (recording code), ISTC (textual work code) National Bibliography Number BIB# in a system Item no. in a system (barcodes) URL (Uniform Resource Locator) DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

12 Relationship metadata Earlier or later titles of serials Alternative URLs for serials Reproduction information – Photocopy of, digitised version of.. Links between editions, etc

13 Subject metadata Classification schemes –Dewey, UDC, LC, COLON Subject headings –LCSH, MeSH, PRECIS Thesauri –UN Macrothesaurus Descriptors

14 Rights metadata Ownership details Copying restrictions Access rights

15 Technical metadata Type of equipment needed How to view (e.g. JPG file) Programs to use (e.g. PPT)

16 Uses of Metadata Resource discovery Presentation and navigation Rights management and access control Administration and preservation Confirmation of identity

17 Metadata schemas MARC Dublin Core EDIFACT XML (eXtensible Markup Language) RDF(Resource Description Framework) Crosswalks developed

18 Dependent standards AACR LC Language codes (ISO 639-2) ISO Country codes ISO 3166 Classification schemes, eg. Dewey, LCSH Dublin Core

19 Battle of the standards Difficult standard vEasy standard –difficult for whom: easy for whom? Targeted standard v General standard Precise standard v Flexible Large record v Minimal record Readable outputv Machine-readable

20 Biggest issues: granularity... Catalogue card - no more than 3 analyticals Archive collection: individual letters Journal run: individual articles Chapters in books Illustrations in items Individual web-page v. website

21 … and Linking Preceding and subsequent serial titles Earlier and later editions of monographic items Reviews of items Referenced items Same author Same publisher Same subject

22 Metadata today