Metadata for Digital Projects

South Central Regional Library CouncilMarch 25, 2010

Workshop Topics

• Definitions of Metadata• Types of Metadata• Purposes of Metadata• Metadata Schemes

o Dublin Core• Standardization of content

o Controlled vocabularies/thesauri, authority fileso Content standards

• Metadata for Tools of History• Quality Control

What is Metadata?

• Simple definition: “data about data” or “information about information”

• Many more definitions exist…

Metadata Definitions

• “Metadata is structured information that describes, explains, locates, or otherwise makes it easier to retrieve, use, or manage an information resource.” (NISO, Understanding Metadata, 2004)

• “The sum total of what one can say about any information object at any level of aggregation.” (Murtha Baca, Introduction to Metadata, Getty Research Institute)

• “Structured information used to find, access, use and manage information resources primarily in a digital environment.” (International Encyclopedia of Information and Library Science, 2003)

One more definition

• Structured data that describes a resource, identifies relationships among resources, supports the discovery, management and effective use of Web resources, exists in many environments.

• (Sherry Vellucci, UCSD Metadata Services Talk, 2006: http://tpot.ucsd.edu/Cataloging/VellucciPresentation.ppt#295,18,What Is Metadata?)

Metadata serves many purposes

Search, browse, discover, access, describe, identify, use, manage, share

• Metadata allows you to:o describe, locate, manage, and preserve your digital items

• Metadata allows users to:o discover, access, identify, understand, and use your digital

items

• Metadata allows machines to:o process, share, and manipulate your digital items

Types of Metadata• Descriptive

o Factual information – who, what, when, whereo Analytical information – what is it about (subject analysis)o Increases access by providing searchable terms

• Structuralo Information that identifies the structure of complex objects

(e.g. books)o File formats

• Administrativeo Rights, permissions, restrictionso Identifierso Provenance informationo Preservation/Technical information about the digital file

itself, including how it was created

Metadata Schemes• The “alphabet soup” of metadata:

o AACR2/MARCo TEIo EADo VRA Coreo CDWAo METSo MODSo PREMISo MIXo DC (Dublin Core – Tools of History Metadata Style Guide

based on DC)

There are many more, but you get the idea!

Dublin Core

Dublin Core Background

• Developed in 1995 • International, cross-disciplinary collaboration• Primarily descriptive metadata• Simple and flexible • 15 Core elements• All elements are optional (none are mandatory), all

are repeatable

Simple Dublin Core Elements

Title Creator Subject Description Publisher Contributor Date Type

Format Identifier Source Language Relation Coverage Rights

Simple Dublin Core Elements

• Title – A name given to the resource.

• Creator – An entity primarily responsible for making the resource.

• Subject – The topic of the resource.

• Description – An account of the resource.

• Publisher – An entity responsible for making the resource available.

Simple Dublin Core Elements

• Contributor – An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource.

• Date – A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource.

• Type – The nature or genre of the resource.

• Format – The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource.

• Identifier – An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context.

Simple Dublin Core Elements

• Source – The resource from which the described resource is derived.

• Language – A language of the resource.

• Relation – A related resource.

• Coverage – The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant.

• Rights – Information about rights held in and over the resource.

Qualified Dublin Core• DCMI developed qualifiers to refine the use/meaning

of the simple DC fields – make terms more specific.

• CONTENTdm supports Qualified Dublin Core.

• Examples:o Qualifiers for Date:

• Date-Created, Date-Issuedo Qualifiers for Relation (sometimes used in pairs):

• Relation-References, Relation-Is Referenced By• Relation-Is Part Of, Relation-Has Part

Controlling the data• No rules for formatting content within the fields inherent to

Dublin Core.

• Data should be formatted consistently so that records are interoperable with records from other collections.

• The who, what, when, and where should be standardized:o Controlled vocabularies, thesaurio Authority Fileso Encoding schemes (e.g. for languages and dates)

• Data content standardso AACR2, ISBD, DACS, CCO

Controlling Names• Personal, Corporate, Geographic Names

• Examples:o Library of Congress Name Authority Fileo Union List of Artist Names (The Getty)o Thesaurus of Geographic Names (The Getty)

• Provide preferred format of name.

• Typically have cross-references.

Controlled Vocabularies/Thesauri

• Used for subject indexing.• List of authorized terms, cross-references, and

scope notes.• Cross-references

o Synonym control – see referenceso Related terms – see also referenceso Narrower and Broader terms

• Examples:o Thesaurus for Graphic Materials o Library of Congress Subject Headingso Sears Subject Headingso Chenhall’s Nomenclatureo Art & Architecture Thesaurus

Metadata is not a perfect science

• Subjectivity, biases, different views, different content, different formats, different purposes, different audiences = different results.

• The simplicity of and lack of rules associated with the Dublin Core is both a blessing and a curse!

• The nature of the Dublin Core allows it to be applied in a variety of ways:o DC implementers develop style guides or data dictionaries

that impose rules on the creation of the data within the fields (specify use of certain vocabularies and standards)

Let’s examine some records…

Creating Shareable Metadata

• Concept of “sharable metadata” comes from OAI-PMH community.

• Shareable metadata uses standards and rules similar to those used by others to make records more interoperable.

• Think outside of your local box (organization)o Include information that is assumed in local contexto Exclude information that only has meaning in local context

• Records should be understandable on its own (when separated from the resource).

http://webservices.itcs.umich.edu/mediawiki/oaibp/?PublicTOC

Principles of Good Metadata

• Good metadata conforms to community standards in a way that is appropriate to the materials in the collection, users of the collection, and current and potential future uses of the collection.

• Good metadata supports interoperability.

• Good metadata uses authority control and content standards to describe objects and collocate related objects.

A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections, NISOhttp://framework.niso.org/

Principles of Good Metadata, cont…

• Good metadata includes a clear statement of the conditions and terms of use for the digital object.

• Good metadata supports the long-term curation and preservation of objects in collections.

• Good metadata records are objects themselves and therefore should have the qualities of good objects, including authority, authenticity, archivability, persistence, and unique identification.  

A Framework of Guidance for Building Good Digital Collections, NISOhttp://framework.niso.org/

Metadata as Communication

H.P. Grice’s maxims governing communication:• Make your contribution as informative as possible• Do not make your contribution more informative than is

required• Do not say what you believe to be false• Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence• Be relevant• Avoid obscurity of expression• Avoid ambiguity• Be brief• Be orderly

Structures, standards, and the people who make them meaningful by David Badehttp://www.loc.gov/bibliographic-future/meetings/docs/bade-may9-2007.pdf

Tips for Metadata Success

Tips for Metadata Success

• What are the mission, goals, and objectives of your project?

• Who is your audience? How much information will they need/want?

• Think about other potential uses/users.

• How much information do you already have? Do you have “legacy” data or are you starting from scratch?

More Tips…• Helpful to have an understanding of entire digital

collection before you begin.

• Ideally physical items should already be inventoried, cataloged, accessioned, etc.

• Do some research.

• If you don’t know, don’t guess.

Still More Tips…• Take your time.• Analyze the who, what, when, and where.• What is the significance of the item?• How will users find the item?• How will you manage the item?• What do users need to know to understand and use

the item?• How will you bring similar resources together?

• And one more tip….

HAVE FUN!!

Metadata for Tools of History

Title

• Title should be brief and descriptive.

• How much information do you include in the title? Dates, locations?

• If an existing label or caption is not descriptive, consider creating your own title.

• Remember that the title is searchable. Are there keywords you should use?

Creator• Recommended that you consult name authority files

before creating your own heading.o Union List of Artist Nameso Library of Congress Name Authority File

• If you find a heading for the person in an authority file, enter it exactly how you found it.

• Names should be inverted when creating your own heading. Include birth/death dates if known:o Palmentiero, Jennifer B., 1971-

Date.Original

• Dates have always been problematic o 3/4/07 - March 4, 2007 vs. April 3, 2007o 1920 June 30 vs. June 30, 1920

• Best practice is to use the ISO 8601 standard as defined in a profile by the W3C (W3CDTF) – YYYY-MM-DD.

• Uncertain dates (circa, approximate, date ranges, unknown dates).

Contributors

• Someone who contributes to the intellectual content of the resource.o Illustratorso Photographers of photographs in books, articles, etc.o Filled-in forms (e.g. government forms)

• Reproductionso Photographs, postcards of works of art (paintings,

sculpture, etc)o Photographs of architectureo Know your audience

Publisher.Original

• Use Publisher.Original if the original item was published and if publisher is known.

o Newspapers and Clippingso Bookso Postcardso Brochures

Description

• What terms need to be included to help users find the resource? Think about synonyms for subject terms.

• What information do they need to understand the resource?

• Identify, interpret, both?

• Don’t guess or make assumptions.

• How much is too much?

• Use a Notes field to provide information that goes beyond describing the resource.

Subject headings

• Some general words about subject headings:

o Subjects can be topics or names (personal, corporate, geographic).

o Concentrate on item in hand.o Assign terms from controlled vocabularies and thesauri -

important for bringing similar items together.o Include form/genre term(s)o Best practice is to identify source of term (LCSH, TGM, ATT,

etc.)

Subject headings-Thesaurus for Graphic Materials (TGM)

• Developed by the Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.

• Comes bundled with CONTENTdm.

• Also freely available online:http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/tgm1/

• Has both topic and form/genre terms.

• Good place to start for photos and other images.

Subject headings-Other sources

• TGM is not exhaustive. You may find that you need to use other vocabularies:o Library of Congress Subject Headingso SEARS Subject Headingso Art and Architecture Thesaurus (The Getty) – now comes bundled

with CONTENTdmo Chenhall’s Nomenclatureo Locally created subject terms

• Recommended that you use a vocabulary that you are familiar with, have access to, and is appropriate for your collection.

• Set-up separate subject fields for different vocabularies (Subject.TGM, Subject.LCSH, Subject.AAT, etc.)

Personal Name

• Use this field when a person is the SUBJECT of the resource.

• Consult authority file before creating your own heading (LCNAF, ULAN, local authority file)

• When you have to create your own heading invert the name and use fullest form:o Palmentiero, Jennifer B., 1971-

Personal Names cont…Choosing among different names (nicknames, married

vs. maiden names, multiple marriages, name changes):

What about a person who has had multiple names throughout her life and who is not listed in the LOC name authority?

For example:     Born: Elnora Stephanie Fothe 1925.     School changed given name to Eleanor, with which she

continue throughout her life.     First marriage to a Mr. Otto.     Second marriage to Willard Haynes Patrick.     Third marriage to Reed Dean.     Nicknames: "Crisco Kid", "Ellie", "Ed."     Died: 1997.

DACS for construction of name headings

Determine the name by which a person is commonly known from the following sources and in the order of preference given:

a) the name that appears most frequently in the person’s published works (if any)

b) the name that appears most frequently in the archival materials being described

c) the name that appears in reference sourcesd) the latest name

DACS, Chapter 12

More from DACS

If a person’s name shows a nickname in quotation marks or within parentheses as part of other forename(s), omit the nickname in formulating the heading:

Name used: Martin (Bud) SchulmanHeading: Schulman, Martin

If a married woman’s name shows her own forenames in parentheses as part of her married name, omit the parenthesized elements in formulating the heading:

Name used: Mrs. John A. (Edna I.) SpiesHeading: Spies, John A., Mrs.

DACS, Chapter 12

Corporate Name

• Use this field when a corporate entity is the SUBJECT of the resource.

• Consult authority file before creating your own heading (LCNAF, ULAN, local authority file).

• What is considered a corporate entity? List available here: http://www.itsmarc.com/crs/auth1320.htm

Location

• Use when a geographic location is a SUBJECT of the resource.

• Avoid using for portraits and other items where the location is not explicitly represented.

• Consult a controlled vocabulary (Thesaurus of Geographic Names).

Tools of History Topics

• Broad Topic categories for browsing.

• Not intended to replace more specific subject headings.

• Assign 1-3 as appropriate.

Language

• Language of the content of the resource (not the metadata record).

• Use a language code for text resources.

• Assign three-letter code from ISO 639.2.

• Full word for the language may be used in the Description field.

Coverage• Spatial location or temporal (time) period of the content of the

resource.

• Coverage.Spatial – used mainly with maps to record geographic coordinates.

• Coverage.Temporal - may be used if creation date of resource is different than date/time period represented in the content of the resource.o Example: Painting created in 1850 depicting a scene from the

American Revolution• Date.Original: 1850• Coverage.Temporal: 18th Century OR 1775-1783

Format.Original

• Use for descriptive purposes – provides users with physical details/description of original resource.

• Difficult to standardize in a shared metadata environmento Local practices varyo Use of different vocabularies and standards

Resource Type

• DCMI Type Vocabulary used in Tools of History.

• Examples from DCMI Type Vocabularyo Imageo Still Imageo Moving Imageo Soundo Texto Physical Object

Relation

• Use qualifiers when appropriate to specify the nature of the relationship between two resources.o An item references another (letter referencing a

photograph).o An item is part of a larger resource (page of a book,

newspaper clipping).

• The Relation element should not be used to bring together items with similar subjects/content. Subject headings and keywords are used for this purpose.

Source

• Use the Source field to record information about the source collection.

o Name of physical collection the original item is part of.

o Information that will help you locate the original item (box/folder numbers, accession numbers, call numbers).

Resource Identifier

• Many of your items may not have a standard number associated with them (ISBN, ISSN, etc.).

• File names, accession numbers, call numbers, item numbers can be used.

Publisher.Digital

• Entity responsible for making the digital resource available.

• For most items this field will contain the name of your organization.

• Special Circumstanceso Collaborations, partnerships, consortia

• If work was outsourced to a vendor the Publisher is the entity who paid for outsourcing.

Date.Digital

• Use the ISO 8601 standard as defined in a profile by the W3C (W3CDTF) – YYYY-MM-DD.

• Record the date that the item was digitized.

• At least a year should be know, so uncertain dates should not be an issue.

Format.Digital

• Format of the digital resource.

• MIME Media Types used in Tools of History• image/jpeg• image/jp2• application/pdf• audio/mpeg

Digital Collection

• Important field if your collection will have “sub-collections”o Topic/Theme-basedo Format-based (map collections, photograph collections)o Institution based (for consortia groups)

• Allows users to find all items in that collection.

• Consistency in data entry is important.

• Should be unique – “People” “Railroads” “Buildings” too broad (“Smallville Buildings” is better).

Holding Institution

• Enter the name of the holding organization consistently: o Use template in CONTENTdm

oro Create a controlled vocabulary

Contact Information

• Include information that will easily allow users to contact your organization.

• Avoid email addresses.

• May include link to your organization’s Web site.

Rights

• Identifies rights holders.

• Lets users know what they can do (or not do) with a resource.

• May be a statement or a link to a statement on your Web site.

Technical Data• Information about the digital file (Master file)

o File sizeo File dimensionso File formato Compression

• Information about the digital conversion processo Capture device (scanner, camera) – make and modelo Software usedo Resolutiono Bit-depth

• Was image altered/enhanced for the web? Consider including this information

• CONTENTdm can extract file properties from files upon import. Need to have a field for each property and template set-up to extract desired properties.

Transcript

• Must have this field if you want your multi-page text resources to be full-text searchable in CONTENTdm.

Quality Control

Quality Control

• Check for accurate, complete, and consistent information.

• Watch for typos.

• Were standards and best practices adhered to?

• Will users be able to find and understand the resources using the metadata you created?

Quality Control

• Review your own records.

• Ideally have someone else review them. Reviewer should know what is being described without having to look at the item.

Final Thoughts

• Metadata is time consuming• Metadata is important• Metadata is fun

Contact me at any time with questions:jennifer@senylrc.org845.883.9065 x16

Thank You!!