Introduction to metadata Jenn Riley Metadata Librarian Digital Library Program

Many definitions of metadata SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Many definitions of metadata “Data about data” “Structured information about an information resource of any media type or format.” (Caplan) “Structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource.” (NISO) …

Some uses of metadata By information specialists By novices SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Some uses of metadata By information specialists Describing “non-traditional” materials Cataloging Web sites Navigating within digital objects Managing digital objects over the long term By novices Preparing Web sites for search engines Depositing materials into an institutional repository Managing citation lists iTunes Tagging – flickr, del.icio.us, etc. LibraryThing

Good metadata… Meets a defined purpose SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Good metadata… Meets a defined purpose Conforms to accepted standards and/or best practices Doesn’t have to be created by humans

SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Metadata formats Predefined sets of features likely to be necessary or useful for a specific purpose Choosing a format others also use improves interoperability Can be: Official standards Backed by professional organization Backed by trusted institution Locally developed In the library world, most referred to by acronyms: MARC, MODS, DC, METS, TEI, EAD…

Creating and storing metadata SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Creating and storing metadata HTML <meta> tags Spreadsheets Databases XML Library catalogs Digital library/content management systems

Some types of metadata Descriptive metadata Technical metadata SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Some types of metadata Descriptive metadata Technical metadata Structural metadata Markup languages

How metadata can be used SLIS S652 10/8/2009 How metadata can be used

Descriptive metadata A description of a resource for display to users SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Descriptive metadata A description of a resource for display to users Provides the context they need to understand a resource For discovery Includes both search and browse In a controlled environment designed to match target users with interesting resources Pushed out to the network for others to make use of Can be both objective and subjective Usually human-generated Typical DL standards: MARC, MARCXML, MODS, Dublin Core, EAD, VRA Core, FGDC, Darwin Core, PB Core…

Types of descriptive metadata typically recorded SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Types of descriptive metadata typically recorded Creator Date of creation/performance/etc Topic depicted or alluded to Geographic place associated with a resource or resource creator (map-based interface?) Language for textual resources Likely browse entry points such as resource type, topical subject, or genre Links to supplementary content How will users find this material on the Web?

Descriptive metadata for discovery SLIS S652 10/8/2009

Descriptive metadata – an example SLIS S652 10/8/2009

Descriptive metadata – another example SLIS S652 10/8/2009

SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Technical metadata Allows systems to manage and process resources in appropriate ways Essential for the preservation of digital materials Generally format-specific Generally machine-generated Not the digital resource itself, but essential information required to understand it Typical DL standards: MIX, TextMD, AES Core Audio…

Types of technical metadata typically recorded SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Types of technical metadata typically recorded Images: color depth, spatial resolution, software used for creation Audio: sample rate, codec, compression mechanism Video: sample rate, frame rate, codec, compression mechanism Texts: language, script, font, character encoding, reading direction Data sets: device used to capture, analysis performed What data is needed to understand these digital files into the future?

Technical metadata example SLIS S652 10/8/2009

Structural metadata Describes relationships Often machine generated SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Structural metadata Describes relationships Points of interest within a resource Between parts and wholes Between different representations of the same content When resources should be presented in sequence When resources should be presented in parallel Often machine generated Typical DL standards: METS, MPEG-21 DIDL, AES31-3 ADL, SMIL…

Types of structural metadata typically recorded SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Types of structural metadata typically recorded Internal structure of an audio file or textual resource Multiple views of a 3-D object Grouping and sequence related materials Synchronizing video or text with audio Parallel navigation of multiple representations of the same content How will users move within and between your online resources?

Structural metadata – an example SLIS S652 10/8/2009

Structural metadata – another example SLIS S652 10/8/2009

Markup languages Mix metadata with data (resource content) SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Markup languages Mix metadata with data (resource content) Insert flags into arepresentation of the content of a resource, signaling what bits of content are or what they mean Generally have a “header” with descriptive metadata too Either human- or machine-generated Typical DL standards: TEI, EAD, MusicXML, MEI…

Common uses of markup languages SLIS S652 10/8/2009 Common uses of markup languages Scholarly encoding of a textual resource Basic text markup for presentation and page turning Adding value to an archival finding aid Do the resources you provide need documentation of their internal structure and meaning?

Markup languages – an example SLIS S652 10/8/2009

Markup languages – another example SLIS S652 10/8/2009

SLIS S652 10/8/2009 What next? What do you want to deliver as an end product to your users? How could structured metadata support your users’ discovery needs? What are the primary intellectual access points for your resources? What from your project is it important to preserve into the future? Presentation slides: <http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/~jenlrile/presentations/ slis/09fall/s652/metadata.ppt>