1. Collections revealed: the role and practical application of collection descriptions CIMI Forum, National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 Pete Johnston UKOLN, University of Bath Bath, BA2 7AY UKOLN is supported by: cd-focus@ukoln.ac.uk http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

2. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 2 Collections revealed: the role and practical application of collection description The resource discovery context Collections and services Describing collections Collection-level description in practice A case study: CLD at The Natural History Museum CIMI and CLD

3. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 3 UKOLN & collection-level description Centre of expertise in digital information management –Core funding from JISC and Re:source –Policy & advice –Influencing policy –informing practice –Research & development –Advancing knowledge –Wide range of areas –Services –Information services (Ariadne, Cultivate Interactive) –Technical support/joint administration of Resource Discovery Network (RDN) http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/

4. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 4 UKOLN & collection-level description JISC eLib programme –range of digital library development projects –integrated access to distributed resources –architectural studies (MODELS) –simple collection description schema RSLP Collection Description project –Analytical Model, RSLP CD Schema Collection Description Focus –funded by RSLP, JISC, British Library, Re:source –“improve consistency/compatibility of approaches” –awareness-raising, consensus-building –support to implementers –dissemination of good practice

5. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 5 The resource discovery context Initiatives to improve access to services –political/economic drivers High-level strategies –UK “Modernising government” White paper –e-Government strategies Better connectivity –public library networking through “People’s Network” –recognition of multiple channels of access Improved resource disclosure –e.g. Full Disclosure, Research Support Libraries Programme, Archives Hub, Access 2 Archives, Scottish Archival Network etc

6. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 6 The resource discovery context Collaborative approaches to service provision and resource management Move away from “silo mentality” Towards more “joined-up” approaches –Within museum domain –Across domains Embedded in strategic initiatives for museums –Re:source (England) –Single Regional Agencies –“Preserving the Past for the Future”: Framework for Collections Management –Cross-domain projects

7. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 7 The resource discovery context Growth of digital content creation programmes –making heritage (more) accessible –NOF-Digitise –£50m content creation programme –Over 1 million digital objects –supporting strategy for social inclusion, lifelong learning –Culture Online –“to widen access to resources of arts/cultural sector for purposes of learning and enjoyment” Digital collections not “stand-alone” –Value as reusable components

8. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 8 The resource discovery context Functional separation of content provision and presentation –user wants information relevant to task/activity –may see structural/organisational boundaries of content providers as unimportant! –content providers exposing content through multiple services, channels –service providers “surfacing” content from multiple (distributed) sources … from web sites to “portals” –“A network service that provides a personalised, single point of access to a range of heterogeneous network services, local and remote, structured and unstructured” –Powell 2002

9. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 9 Historic Environment Information Resources Portal (HEIRPORT) http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/heirport/ Historic Environment Information Resources Portal (HEIRPORT) http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/heirport/ Cross-searching metadata databases of ADS, RCAHMS, SCRAN, Portable Antiquities Z39.50 search/retrieval protocol Dublin Core (in XML) Cross-searching metadata databases of ADS, RCAHMS, SCRAN, Portable Antiquities Z39.50 search/retrieval protocol Dublin Core (in XML)

10. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 10 The resource discovery context Wide implementation of XML-based standards/specifications for data exchange Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting Version 2.0 –roots in scholarly publication community, but deployed more widely –Version 2.0 as stable release –lightweight protocol enabling sharing of metadata records –using XML over HTTP –alternative to distributed search model –Must provide simple/unqualified Dublin Core record (OAI provides XML Schema) –May provide other metadata formats (in XML)

11. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 11 OAI Repository A OAI Repository B Harvest via OAI PMH Portal site C Web site A Collection of digital metadata records Collection of physical items Web site B Collection of digital metadata records Collection of digital items OAI Repository X

12. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 12 Social Science Information Gateway http://www.sosig.ac.uk/ Social Science Information Gateway http://www.sosig.ac.uk/

13. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 13

14. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 14 Resource Discovery Network Resource Finder http://www.rdn.ac.uk/ Resource Discovery Network Resource Finder http://www.rdn.ac.uk/

15. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 15

16. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 16 The resource discovery context CIMI Dublin Core testbed –Evaluate use of DCMES for describing range of museum objects –185,000 simple DC records from 10 contributors CIMI Metadata Harvesting using OAI PMH –Development of repository –Harvesting metadata –Making aggregated metadata available for harvest CIMI XML Schema for SPECTRUM –Recently made available for review (Oct 2002) –Semantics based on mda SPECTRUM standard –Enables encoding of rich descriptive information –Objects, related people, places, events

17. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 17 The resource discovery context Access… Integration… Collaboration…. “Metadata is data in the system which allows people and machines to do smarter things” “Interoperability as recombinant potential” (Dempsey, 2002) The whole is more than the sum of the parts

18. Collections and services

19. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 19 What is a collection? Collection –“an aggregation of items” Aggregations of, e.g. –natural objects: fossils, mineral samples… –created objects: artefacts, documents, records… –digital resources: documents, images, multimedia objects, data, software… –digital surrogates of physical objects: documents, images… –metadata: catalogue records, item descriptions, collection-level descriptions (!)…

20. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 20 What is a collection? Various criteria for aggregation, e.g. –By location –By type/form of item –By provenance of item –By source/ownership of item –By nature of item content –…. Any number of items Permanent, temporary Discrete, distributed Collections created with intent/purpose –“consciously formed” –collection development policies

21. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 21 What is a collection? Functional granularity –“[T]here is no structure inherent in the model that requires or predisposes a particular level of aggregation. The institution should base its choices on its own pragmatic grounds, such as the level of detail required to make explicit those elements of the Collection-Description that the institution deems to be useful or necessary for the purposes of resource discovery or collection management. i.e. institutions should adopt a functional granularity approach.” –Heaney, 2000

22. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 22 Collections and services Collections are made available to users through services Museum collections –collections of physical objects/items –collections of digital objects/items –collections of metadata records –describing physical objects –describing digital objects Museum services –physical services –digital/network services

23. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 23 Physical service Physical location Physical services make physical collections available at physical locations Collection of physical items

24. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 24 Collection of digital items Web site Network service Digital location Network services make digital collections available at digital locations

25. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 25 Physical service Catalogue interface Digital location Network service Digital catalogue (Collection of digital metadata records) Physical location Physical services make physical collections available at physical locations Collection of physical items

26. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 26 Digital location Collection of digital metadata records Collection of digital items Web site Network service Digital location Network services make digital collections available at digital locations

27. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 27 User wants to know… Which collections are relevant to their requirement? –subject/coverage of items? –type? –legal status? –conditions of access/use? –etc What services make those collections available? –location? –access? –etc

28. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 28 OAI repository Harvest via OAI- PMH Z39.50 target Search/retrieve via Z39.50 Web site Collection of digital metadata records SOAP receiver operations via SOAP unstructured network service structured network service Collections of digital metadata records made available through multiple network services

29. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 29 “User” wants to know… Which collections are relevant to their requirement? What services make those collections available? “User” may be human researcher or software tool

30. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 30 The problem “We’ve created this incredible constellation of collections, of pools of information accessible through the Net. And people can’t find which pool to look in” –(Lynch, 2002)

31. Describing collections

32. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 32 Collection description Analytic –info about items in collection and their content Indexing –info derived from items in collection Hierarchic –info about collection as whole, and about items and their content (and relationships between items and whole) Unitary –info about collection as whole, not about items –“collection-level description” –(typology from Heaney 2000)

33. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 33 Why collection-level description? Enable collection provider to –disclose information about collections to potential users –overview of otherwise uncatalogued items –summary where item-level detail inappropriate/unavailable –manage collections –audit/review holdings internally –manage in collaboration with other providers –assess priorities for item-level cataloguing –inform strategic planning –institutional, cross-institutional, regional, sectoral, national….

34. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 34 Why collection-level description? Enable user to –discover/locate collections –select collections to explore/search on basis of summary description e.g. –content/coverage, access conditions, resource type –compare collections as broadly similar objects (even where items heterogeneous) –understand conditions of access & use –interpret collections –provenance, context, relationships Enable software agents to –select collections to search on behalf of user –e.g. on basis of profile/preferences –control searches across collections

35. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 35 What information should collection-level description provide? IMLS on describing collections… “Collections should be described so that a user can discover important characteristics of the collection, including scope, format, restrictions on access, ownership, and any information significant for determining the collection’s authenticity, integrity and interpretation.” IMLS Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections

36. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 36 Approaches to CLD in archives “Collections” defined by provenance of (unique, physical) items –records of organisation or individual –principle that value of individual record derives from context, relationships (Mainly) physical collections made available by physical services Archival description –emphasis on “multi-level” resource description –hierarchical collection description –well-established standards e.g. ISAD(G), EAD

37. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 37 Approaches to CLD in archives Encoded Archival Description (EAD) –SGML/XML Document Type Definition for encoding archival finding aids –Owned/maintained by Society of American Archivists/Library of Congress –Hierarchical finding-aids –“Structured document” approach –Designed to encompass broad range of existing practice Basis of established services –Online Archive of California –RLG Archival Resources –UK Public Record Office, Archives Hub, A2A etc http://www.loc.gov/ead/

38. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 38 Approaches to CLD in libraries Focus on description of (non-unique, physical) item –well-established standards (MARC, AACR2) –shared cataloguing –emphasis on discovery Collections defined by –location –subject Until recently, CLD informal, unstructured –some use of MARC for CLD (especially in USA) –deployment of RSLP CD schema by RSLP projects

39. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 39 Approaches to CLD in libraries RSLP Collection Description project Michael Heaney, An Analytical Model of Collections and their Catalogues –Entity-Relationship model –Implementation independent –Based mainly on library/archival view of ‘collection’ –but intended to be applicable across wide range of collection types Functionally (IFLA FRBR) concerned with : –Finding (provide access points for discovery) –Identifying (describe sufficiently well for user interpretation) http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/metadata/rslp/

40. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 40 Approaches to CLD in libraries RSLP Collection Description schema –Andy Powell (UKOLN) –structured set of metadata attributes –some simplification of model –description of subset of entities in model –attributes based on Dublin Core Element Set where possible RSLP CD schema supports creation of “unitary” collection description –simple high-level description –not a substitute for richer CLD schema RSLP CD instance –set of linked descriptions of several resources

41. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 41 RSLP CD Model and Schema (simplified) ContentCreator creates Collector Owner collects owns Administrator administers ItemProducer produces is-embodied-in Collection is-gathered-into Location is-located-in

42. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 42 Approaches to CLD for digital resources Some description of aggregates of resources –use of general metadata schemas (e.g. DC, GILS) –application-specific, protocol-specific approaches Evolution of approaches to creating digital collections –“proof of concept” (technological focus?) –greater attention to custodianship, use –focus on integration, reuse, interoperability, sustainability –(Cole 2002, Besser 2002) Integration requires shared conventions for talking about collections –growing interest in collection-level metadata

43. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 43 Approaches to CLD in museums Focus on description of (unique, physical) object –for management more than discovery? But concept of “collection” is present Various criteria –type/form of item –subject –ownership/source –audience/purpose Some CLD (maybe not called CLD…!) –e.g. guides to holdings, directories, gateways

44. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 44 Approaches to CLD in museums CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model draft v3.3.2, 31 July 2002 –E78 Collection –Subclass of: Physical Man-Made Stuff –Scope Note: This entity describes an aggregate of items, which is maintained by an Actor following a plan of cultural relevance over time. Things may be added or taken out of a collection in pursuit of this plan. A collection is designed for a certain public, and the conservation of the collected items is normally catered for. –(emphasis added)

45. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 45 FENSCORE http://fenscore.man.ac.uk/ set up in early 1980's CLDs for UK biological collections, other than those in the NHM set up in early 1980's CLDs for UK biological collections, other than those in the NHM

46. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 46 Cornucopia http://www.cornucopia.org.uk/ Service provided by Re:source 1800 institution-level records, collection-level data from regional “collection mapping” exercises Current work to expand coverage, enhance interoperability Service provided by Re:source 1800 institution-level records, collection-level data from regional “collection mapping” exercises Current work to expand coverage, enhance interoperability

47. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 47 24 Hour Museum http://www.24hourmuseum.org.uk/ Launched by mda/Campaign for Museums, now independent charity with funding from DCMS/Re:source Institution records, plus events/articles/educational resources; virtual exhibits Potential for embedding CLDs from Cornucopia Launched by mda/Campaign for Museums, now independent charity with funding from DCMS/Re:source Institution records, plus events/articles/educational resources; virtual exhibits Potential for embedding CLDs from Cornucopia

48. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 48 Approaches to CLD in museums Project/service specific approaches –Informal? –Limited standardisation? However, growing interest in –repurposing management data to support disclosure –sharing data across systems Requires harmonisation of approaches –some use of Encoded Archival Description DTD –Museums in the Online Archive of California –The Natural History Museum –some use of RSLP CD schema –Crossroads (West Midlands), Find It In London –building consensus on community schema e.g. BioCase

49. Collection-level description in practice

50. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 50 Collection-level description & Research Support Libraries Programme Support for academic researchers –disclosure of collections –discovery of/access to collections –collaborative management of collections Collections in RSLP –projects describing primarily collections of physical items (library/archive) –projects also describing digital catalogues (which describe physical items) –collections of metadata records http://www.rslp.ac.uk/

51. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 51 Collection-level description & Research Support Libraries Programme Adoption of –RSLP CD Schema and/or –ISAD(G)/EAD –Some project-specific schemas Web-based discovery services built on databases of CLDs –subject/discipline-based e.g. –Backstage: Theatre Studies –CASBAH: Caribbean Studies/Black & Asian History –Cecilia: Music collections –… and many more… –national/regional Presently no cross-programme search/aggregation service

52. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 52 Scottish Collections Network Extensions (SCONE) http://scone.strath.ac.uk/

53. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 53 Research and Special Collections Available Locally (RASCAL) http://www.rascal.ac.uk/

54. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 54 Collections Wales http://www.mappingwales.ac.uk/

55. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 55 Collection-level description & NOF-digitise Projects creating digital collections –collections of digital resources –collections of metadata records CLD as mechanism for disclosure/discovery –NOF-digi technical standards recommend use of RSLP CD Schema –Use in NOF-digitise portal –(Re) use in other services/environments Initial portal not providing item-level search –but simple DC item-level metadata available –potential for e.g. OAI-based approach

56. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 56 Collection-level description & the JISC Information Environment Content made available as collections –various content providers Physical collections –of physical resources (e.g. books, journals) Digital collections –of digital resources (texts, images, multimedia objects, software, datasets, “learning objects” etc) –of digital metadata records –describing physical items, digital items, physical collections –metadata record contains identifier/locator of resource Users access content through services http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/distributed-systems/jisc-ie/arch/

57. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 57 End-user needs to join services together manually - as well as learning multiple user interfaces End-user Currently…. Content providers Authentication Authorisation Shared services Web

58. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 58 Using Collections in the JISC Information Environment HTML Web sites –Aimed at human reader not software tool –Different user interfaces, different metadata schemas –Researcher “joins up” services manually The portal solution –task/user-centred –single point of access to range of heterogeneous network services The “IE service registry” –Database of collection-level descriptions, service descriptions

59. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 59 Broker/Aggregator Portal End-user Collection Desc Service Desc Shared services Service registry Broker/Aggregator Content providers The vision…. User Profiles End-user is “automatically” presented with relevant resources Web Fusion layer Presentation layer Provision layer

60. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 60 Collection-level description & BioCASE BioCASE = Biological Collections Access Service for Europe –Partnership of 31 countries funded by European Commission under Framework V Biological collections large –Item-level description time-consuming BioCASE XML Schemas for –Unit-level (specimens/observations) metadata –Collection-level metadata http://www.biocase.org/

61. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 61 Collection-level description & BioCASE National nodes collecting information about biological collections in that country The Natural History Museum is UK National Node –Pool records from –NHM CLD project, –FENSCORE, –other organisations Searches on BioCASE portal will return –unit-level records where available from participating databases –collection-level records

62. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 62 Surveying the landscape Collections as broadly similar objects –across domains –even if constituent items, approaches to management etc. differ –easier to harmonise collection-level metadata? Disclosure via collection-level description achievable –where item-level description not feasible/appropriate CLD not a substitute for item-level description –complementing item-level discovery –enabling item-level discovery by providing gateway to item-level metadata

63. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 63 Surveying the landscape CLDs as resource discovery metadata CLDs support “survey of information landscape” –“to identify areas rather than specific features - to identify rainforest rather than to retrieve an analysis of the canopy fauna of the Amazon basin” (Heaney, 2000) –detailed item-level “map” not appropriate in all contexts The “navigator” of the landscape may be a human researcher or a software tool

64. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 64 CIMI and CD Focus survey Collaboration on survey questionnaire, Sep/Oct 2001 –current activity in CLD –standards/specifications used for CLD –schemas –terminologies, thesauri etc –how schemas/specs used/deployed –approaches/technologies/tools –problems Broad target audience –international –not limited to museums

65. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 65 CIMI and CD Focus survey 106 respondents Mostly working on library/archive collections Emphasis on resource disclosure/discovery Outside archival community, little consensus on descriptive schemas –local/project-/community-specific schemas –extensions to standard schemas –different schemas for different classes of resource –legacy (unstructured?) CLDs Only 22 describing museum collections –only 8 exclusively museum collections

66. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 66 CIMI and CD Focus survey Simple DC (6), Qualified DC (4), RSLP CD (5), ISADG (5), EAD (3), SPECTRUM (2), Project-specific (9), Other (9) : subset of ISADG (1), legacy data (1), national standard (1), MARC (2), may develop (1), VRA 3.0 (1), AMICO (1), project- specific (1) Simple DC (2), Qualified DC (3), RSLP CD (1), SPECTRUM (2), Project-specific (4), Other (4) : national standard (1), VRA 3.0 (1), AMICO (1), project- specific (1) Schemas in use (in 22)Schemas in use (in 8)

67. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 67 Issues, challenges…. What is a collection? –“even-ness” across contexts, domains? –does it matter? Absence of cross-domain consensus on schemas for CLD Access points for CLD –what is the “subject” of a collection? –terminologies –intra-domain/cross-domain Relationships between items and collections Relationships between services and collections

68. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 68 Issues, challenges…. Can single CLD support multiple functions? –Collection management and resource discovery? –Audience, purpose –Language: vernacular v technical/specialist Uncertainty of value of CLD, compared to item-level description? –resource managers, resource users –perception of dumb-down? –varying perceptions within museum sector?

69. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 69 Summary Access, integration, interoperability –across institutional, domain boundaries Collections as broadly similar objects CLD as resource discovery metadata CLD as contextual metadata CLD supporting a “survey of the landscape” –By human user, by software tool CLD as complement to item-level description CLD as gateway to richer description CLD as achievable mechanism for resource disclosure

70. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 70 More information…. http://www.cimi.org/ http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/ http://www.nhm.ac.uk/

71. CIMI Forum, Edinburgh, 31 October 2002 71 Acknowledgements UKOLN is funded by Resource: the Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries, the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the UK higher and further education funding councils, as well as by project funding from the JISC and the European Union. UKOLN also receives support from the University of Bath where it is based. http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/