Metadata Standards

1
Metadata Standards

• Catherine Lai
• MUMT-611 MIR
• January 27, 2005

2
Presentation Outline

• Definition of Metadata
• Functions of Metadata
• Types of Metadata
• Examples of Metadata Standards
• Conclusion and Outstanding Questions
• Questions and Comments

3
Defining Metadata

• Structured data about data
• To identify, arrange, describe, and enhance
  access to an information object
• (screen shot of a partial Muse bibliographic
  record)
• Data describing digital resources

4
Functions of Metadata

• To describe the record content
• what object contains or is about
• To document the record context
• who, what, why, where, how of creation
• To preserve records structure
• formal set of associations
• To provide intellectual access points for users
• To provide information in a physical reference

5
Types of Metadata
Type Example
Administrative - intellectual property rights - version control
Descriptive - i.d. finding aids
Structural - hierarchical description
Preservation - physical condition
Technical - digitization information
Use - exhibit record
6
Examples of Metadata Standards

• MAchine-Readable Cataloging (MARC)
• Dublin Core (DC)
• Text Encoding Initiative (TEI)
• Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
• Visual Resource Association Core Categories (VRA
  Core)
• Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS)
• Many others

7
MARC

• Originated in 1966
• MAchine Readable Catalog
• First comprehensive computerized metadata scheme
• MARC --gt USMARC CAN/MARC (1980s)
• --gt MARC 21 (1997)
• Metadata standard for library catalogs
• Maintained by the Network Development and MARC
  Standards Office at LC and the Standards and the
  Support Office at the National Library of Canada

8
Example of a MARC Record
Fixed fields --gt
(Leader)
--------------
computer generated index
(Directory)
--------------
Variable fields --gt
(http//www.music.indiana.edu/tech_s/manuals/train
ing/marc/record1.html)

• Tag (3-digit number)
• Indicator (1-digit number)
• Subfield (preceded by the delimiter e.g. n)

9
MARC Tag Group

• Numerically by function

Tag group Function
0xx Bibliographic control number and coded info
1xx Main entries (personal name, corporate name)
2xx Titles etc.
3xx Physical description (dimension or size).
4xx Series statements
5xx Notes
6xx Subject entries
7xx Added entries other than subject and series
8xx Series added entries
9xx Local use fields
(http//www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/default.shtm)
10
Example of a MARC Record
(http//www.oclc.org/bibformats/en/default.shtm)
11
Dublin Core

• Developed in 1995 for web resources
• Set of 15 simple elements
• Title Description Source
• Creator Type Relation
• Subject Format Language
• Publisher Identifier Coverage
• Contributor Date Rights
• Support resource discovery (IR) on the web
• General and Easy
• Main usage currently embedded into HTML meta tags

12
Example of Dublin Core

• ltHTMLgt
• ltHEADgt
• ltTITLEgtA Poemlt/TITLEgt
• ltMETA NAME"DC.Title" CONTENTA Poem"gt
• ltMETA NAME"DC.Creator" CONTENTLai, Catherine"gt
• ltMETA NAME"DC.Type" CONTENT"text"gt
• ltMETA NAME"DC.Date" CONTENT2005"gt
• ltMETA NAME"DC.Format" CONTENT"text/html"gt
• ltMETA NAME"DC.Identifier CONTENT"http//www.mus
  ic.mcgill.ca/lai/poem.html"gt
• lt/HEADgt
• ltBODYgtltPREgt
• A poem line 1
• A poem line 2.
• A poem line 3
• A poem line 4.lt/PREgtlt/BODYgt
• lt/HTMLgt

13
TEI

• Launched in 1987
• Guidelines for encoding machine-readable texts to
  the humanities and social sciences
• maximally expressive and minimally obsolescent
  (www.tei-c.org)
• Document structural hierarchy, divisions, and
  characteristic tags

14
Example of TEI Markup
ltpgtltqgtShe'll happen do better for him nor ony o'
t' grand ladies.lt/qgt And again, ltqgtIf she ben't
one o' th handsomest, she's noan faagravel,
and varry good-natured and i' his een she's fair
beautiful, onybody may see that.lt/qgtlt/pgt ltpgtI
wrote to Moor House and to Cambridge immediately,
to say what I had done fully explaining also why
I had thus acted. Diana and lt/pgt
(http//www.tei-c.org/Lite/U5-eg.html)
15
Example of TEI Markup
ltpgtI wrote to Moor House and to Cambridge
immediately, to say what I had done fully
explaining also why I had thus acted. Diana and
ltpb n'475'/gt Mary approved the step
unreservedly. Diana announced that she would
just give me time to get over the honeymoon, and
then she would come and see me.lt/pgt
(http//www.tei-c.org/Lite/U5-eg.html)
16
Conclusion and Outstanding Questions

• Little consensus on level of complexity of
  semantic structure
• Need flexibility and scalability
• Different disciplines for different formats
• Need interoperability and accessibility

17
Questions Comments