Metadata practice and direction: a community perspective Lorcan Dempsey VP Research and Chief Strategist CLIR/DLF. Managing Digital Assets: A Primer for Library and Information Technology Administrators Charleston, SC February 4-6, 2005

Overview Metadata Community Practice Directions

Metadata

Metadata? Schematized … … statements about … … resources

Metadata supports operations on resources …. … and relieves the user of having to have advance knowledge of the characteristics or existence of the resource. Know what resources are available Know how to play a resource Know provenance of a resource Know what use policy governs a resource Know how to ingest a resource Know how to interact with a resource Know how to compose/decompose resources …

Know what resources are available

Know how to play a resource

Know provenance of a resource

Know what use policy governs a resource

Know how to ingest a resource

Know how to interact with a resource

Know how to compose/decompose resources

…

Metadata? … allows people and machines to work smarter …

In network space metadata will be associated with everything that moves Multiple types of information Objects Collections Services People Organizations Places Terms Formats Rights … and will support multiple operations An example: a library portal 

Multiple types of information Objects

Collections

Services

People

Organizations

Places

Terms

Formats

Rights

… and will support multiple operations

An example: a library portal 

A ‘portal’ turned inside out … Common services Content services Application services Presentation services I need a few references

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services authentication

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Directory: user profile

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Query broker

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Directory: service description

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Content: results list

I’d like to get this book. Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Request broker

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Directory: ILL policy

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Directory: service description

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Content: circ/ILL system

I need this article too. Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Request broker

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services openURL resolver

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Directory: local knowledge base

Nearly there … Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Directory: service description

Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Content: article

Directory: ILL policy Common services Content services Application services Presentation services Authentication Directory: user profile Query broker Directory: service description Reference db Request broker Circ/ILL system OpenURL resolver Directory: local knowledge base Article db Metadata for multiple entities required to support operations. This picture could be extended in multiple ways.

Metadata for multiple entities required to support operations.

This picture could be extended in multiple ways.

Community

Community? * * * * Cultural heritage Media industry Web/ Internet Library Instructional technology E-gov Research communities Book industry EAD, MARC AMC, .. MARC, MODS, DC, RSLP, .. Onix, … XML, RDF, OWL, … CSDGM, DDI, NBII, IVOA, … EGMS, AGLS, GILS, … GEM, DC-ED, IEEE-LOM, SCORM, … MPEG, JPEG, …

Community politics ‘ Techeology’ Technology as ideology Communities coming together in new shared space Boundary confusion ‘ Mergers and acquisitions’ Political and commercial skin at risk Different World views Requirements Traditions Legacies Experience Ontology recapitulates ideology

‘ Techeology’

Technology as ideology

Communities coming together in new shared space

Boundary confusion

‘ Mergers and acquisitions’

Political and commercial skin at risk

Different

World views

Requirements

Traditions

Legacies

Experience

Practice

Simple descriptive metadata!! FRBR INDECS CIDOC … MARC21 DC VRA Core MODS Onix … Cataloging rules Controlled vocabs. … XML ISO2709 … RDF ‘ Element set’ Information model Encoding Values/content Application profile

Interoperability a factor at all these levels .. For example .. Encoding Element set Content/values Encoding Element set Content/values

Encoding

Element set

Content/values

Encoding

Element set

Content/values

This gives a context for discussing … Traditional library practice Strive for consistency at all three levels in the ISO 2709/MARC/AACR model Institutionalised in standards, OCLC/RLG/LC, committees, … Dublin Core Consistency of element set A small number of encodings Content/values subject to separate agreement OAI A transport for resources. No control over the transported resources So …

Traditional library practice

Strive for consistency at all three levels in the ISO 2709/MARC/AACR model

Institutionalised in standards, OCLC/RLG/LC, committees, …

Dublin Core

Consistency of element set

A small number of encodings

Content/values subject to separate agreement

OAI

A transport for resources.

No control over the transported resources

So …

The interoperable core and communities of practice? MARC XML MARC 21 ONIX Dublin Core MODS Dublin Core GEM SCORM DC-Ed LOM Godby, Smith and Childress

Different classes of metadata increasingly a part of complex object models SCORM METS MPEG 21 … Descriptive Structural Technical Administrative Rights Preservation Tracking Provenance

SCORM

METS

MPEG 21

…

Descriptive

Structural

Technical

Administrative

Rights

Preservation

Tracking

Provenance

Directions

Makers and takers in a time of rapid development Makers Looking over the horizon A clean slate At the center of their world A moving target Religious differences Takers Focus on here and now Manage legacy environments Multiple systems and services and priorities Want stability Secular pragmatism

Makers

Looking over the horizon

A clean slate

At the center of their world

A moving target

Religious differences

Takers

Focus on here and now

Manage legacy environments

Multiple systems and services and priorities

Want stability

Secular pragmatism

Interoperability is an economic and service issue Extract maximum value from investment in Data (metadata and content) Services By ensuring that they are Sharable Reusable Recombinable Remember: Element set Encoding Value spaces

Extract maximum value from investment in

Data (metadata and content)

Services

By ensuring that they are

Sharable

Reusable

Recombinable

Remember:

Element set

Encoding

Value spaces

Cost Pressures: Manage in a world of resource abundance Demonstrate value Issues Programmatically promote metadata from resources where possible Assess where intellectual contribution justified Increasingly complex relationships between resources Bringing together metadata from different policy regimes Fragmentation of community agreements and standards activities?

Pressures:

Manage in a world of resource abundance

Demonstrate value

Issues

Programmatically promote metadata from resources where possible

Assess where intellectual contribution justified

Increasingly complex relationships between resources

Bringing together metadata from different policy regimes

Statements Trust Inference Annotation, review, commentary So what about the Semantic Web then?

Trust

Inference

Annotation, review, commentary

Metadata Schematized statements about resources Historically independent communities of interest overlapping in a network space Practitioners faced with high acronymic density, many choices, and often a moving target Kaleidoscopic perspective .. May fall into pattern at any minute …

Schematized statements about resources

Historically independent communities of interest overlapping in a network space

Practitioners faced with high acronymic density, many choices, and often a moving target

Kaleidoscopic perspective .. May fall into pattern at any minute …

Over to you … Thank you! Lorcan Dempsey [email_address]

The pattern is new … The knowledge imposes a pattern and falsifies For the pattern is new in every moment