Introduction to metadataJenn RileyMetadata LibrarianDigital Library Program

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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)

•…

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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•Conforms to accepted standards and/or

best practices•Doesn’t have to be created by humans

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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…

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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•Structural metadata•Markup languages

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How metadata can be used10/8/2009SLIS S652

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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…

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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?

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Descriptive metadata for discovery

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Descriptive metadata – an example

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Descriptive metadata – another example

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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…

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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?

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Technical metadata example10/8/2009SLIS S652

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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…

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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?

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Structural metadata – an example

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Structural metadata – another example

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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…

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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?

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Markup languages – an example

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Markup languages – another example

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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>

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