The metadata challenge for libraries: a view from Europe

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The metadata challenge for libraries a view from
Europe

• Michael Day
• UKOLN The UK Office for Library and Information
• Networking, University of Bath
• http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/
• m.day_at_ukoln.ac.uk

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The metadata challenge for libraries a view from
Europe

• Michael Day
• Metadiversity - A Call to Action. Responding to
  the Grand Challenge for Biodiversity Information
  Management through Metadata, Natural Bridge Inn
  Conference Center, Natural Bridge, VA., 9-12
  November 1998.

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Presentation Outline

• A metadata typology
• Interoperability
• MODELS project
• Dublin Core implementations
• Nordic Metadata Project
• BIBLINK
• ROADS and Internet subject services
• Digital Preservation
• Cedars

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A metadata typology

• Simple
  Rich
• Adapted from Dempsey and Heery (1998).

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Interoperability (1)

• A diversity of formats results in
  interoperability problems
• Possible solutions
• Crosswalks (mapping tables) - useful for format
  comparisons or producing conversion programs
• Core formats - Dublin Core
• Heterogeneous resource discovery

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Interoperability (2)

• MODELS project
• Funded by JISC through eLib
• A forum for exploring problems of distributed
  heterogeneous information resources and services
• Layered approach to cross-domain resource
  discovery
• Arts and Humanities Data Service
• Implementation of layered system using DC and a
  Z39.50 gateway

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Interoperability (3)

• European Dublin Core implementations
• Nordic Metadata Project
• Dublin Core toolkit
• BIBLINK linking publishers and national
  bibliographic services
• EU Telematics for Libraries project
• Format conversions DC/SGML - MARC
• DC-dot
• Dublin Core generator

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Interoperability (4)

• ROADS and Internet subject services
• Funded by JISC through eLib
• Whois protocol
• ROADS cross-searching
• Centroids for query routing
• Template registry and cataloguing guidelines
• Interaction with the Z39.50 protocol

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Digital preservation (1)

• A variety of preservation strategies are
  available - all depend upon the creation, capture
  and storage of metadata
• Initiatives include
• RLG Working Group on Preservation Issues of
  Metadata (May 1998)
• Cedars project - funded by JISC under eLib,
  managed by CURL
• PANDORA project - National Library of Australia

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Digital preservation (2)

• OAIS model for archival information object
  classes
• Content Information
• Preservation Description Information
• Reference Information
• Context Information
• Provenance Information
• Fixity Information
• Packaging Information
• Descriptive Information

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RDF

• Resource Description Framework
• Data model and XML based syntax
• An implementation of the conceptual Warwick
  Framework
• Modular interoperability
• Useful for aggregating the different metadata
  types required for managing digital information
  over time

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Call to action

• Standards
• the use of standards is important
• Interoperability
• needs to be a major consideration
• Integration and aggregation
• metadata is a useful tool for a wide range of
  tasks, resource discovery, rights management,
  digital preservation, etc.

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UKOLN

• UKOLN is funded by the British Library Research
  and Innovation Centre (BLRIC), the Joint
  Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the UK
  Higher Education Funding Councils, as well as by
  project funding from the JISCs Electronic
  Libraries (eLib) Programme and the European
  Union. UKOLN also receives support from the
  University of Bath, where it is based.
• http//www.ukoln.ac.uk/