Cataloging Compound Digital Objects: Using METS for Digitized Sanborn Maps

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Cataloging Compound Digital Objects Using METS
for Digitized Sanborn Maps

• Christopher Cronin
• Head of Digital Resources Cataloging
• University of Colorado at Boulder Libraries
• christopher.cronin_at_colorado.edu
• Introduction to Map Digitization / Hosted by OCLC
  Preservation Centers
• ALA Midwinter Conference, Philadelphia, PA
• 12 January 2008

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What is METS Why Use it for Maps?

• Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard (METS)
• Maintained by Library of Congress
  (http//www.loc.gov/standards/mets/)
• Standardized and shareable
• Supports compound digital objects
• Hierarchical XML structure
• Supports repurposing of existing metadata

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The Structure of a METS Record

• METS Header ltmetsHdrgt
• Structural Map ltstructMapgt
• Structural Links ltstructLinkgt
• File Section ltfileSecgt
• Descriptive Metadata ltdmdSecgt
• Administrative Metadata ltamdSecgt 4 types
• Technical Metadata
• Intellectual Property Rights Metadata
• Source Metadata
• Digital Provenance Metadata
• Behavior ltbehaviorSecgt

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Descriptive Metadata

• Importance of presence in OCLC/WorldCat
• Separate-record approach
• Separate MARC records for analog and digital
  versions in OCLC/WorldCat, local online catalog
  (Chinook), digital library (DIAL), and the
  regional union catalog (Prospector)
• MarcEdit for MARC to MARCXML transformation
  (http//oregonstate.edu/reeset/marcedit/html)
• CU Generation Tool MARCXML to MODS
  transformation (Metadata Object Description
  Schema (http//www.loc.gov/standards/mods/)

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Technical Metadata

• NISO Metadata for Images in XML (MIX)
• Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images
  Standard
• Maintained by the Library of Congress
  (http//www.loc.gov/standards/mix//)
• In-house digitization
• Programming skills to automatically capture the
  technical data
• Outsourcing digitization
• Importance of technical metadata in the RFP
  and/or vendor selection process

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CU Boulders METS/MODS Generation Tool (1)

• Availability of tools for METS record creation
• LCs list of METS tools and utilities
  (http//www.loc.gov/standards/mets/mets-tools.html
  )
• Developing a local tool to fill the commercial
  gap
• CUs METS/MODS Generation Tool, and its technical
  and user documentation, can be found at
  (http//ucblibraries.colorado.edu/systems/digitali
  nitiatives/tools.htm)

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CU Boulders METS/MODS Generation Tool (2)
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CU Boulders METS/MODS Generation Tool (3)
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Strategic Planning for METS

• Institutional commitment
• Collaborative decision-making Map
  Library/Public Services, Collection Managers,
  Cataloging, Systems, and Administration
• METS as part of long-term digital preservation
  plan
• PREMIS (Preservation Metadata Implementation
  Strategies) (http//www.loc.gov/standards/premis/)
  
• Staffing requirements
• Metadata expertise, technical/programming skills,
  knowledge of the collection
• Systems requirements
• Capability for storing and/or serving out the
  records

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Additional Resources

• Cantara, L. (2005). METS the Metadata Encoding
  and Transmission Standard. Cataloging
  Classification Quarterly, vol. 40, no. 3/4, pp.
  237-253.
• Cundiff, M.V. (2004). An Introduction to the
  Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard
  (METS). Library Hi Tech, vol. 22, no. 1, pp.
  32-64.
• Library of Congress. METS An Overview
  Tutorial. http//www.loc.gov/standards/mets/METSOv
  erview.v2.html