The document discusses metadata schemes and their components. It defines a metadata scheme as a set of defined metadata elements and rules for a specific purpose. It provides examples of common metadata schemes and discusses their semantics (meanings), content rules, and syntax. The document also outlines some key purposes and benefits of metadata such as documentation, organization, search and retrieval, and preservation of information resources.

1. Richard Sapon-White
March 11, 2013

2. Scheme:
A set of metadata elements and the rules for their
use that have been defined for a particular
purpose
2

3.  Dublin Core Metadata  Government
Element Set (DC) Information Locator
 Visual Resources Service Profile
Association Core  GEM (Gateway to
Categories (VRA) Educational
 Encoded Archival Materials)
Description (EAD)  ONIX
 Data Documentation  Content Standard for
Initiative Digital Geospatial
Metadata (CSDGM)
3

4.  Semantics – meanings of metadata elements
 Content rules – selection and representation of
metadata element content
 Syntax – encoding of elements
4

5.  AACR2 specifies element names and definitions
(e.g., author, other title information, publisher)
[semantics]
 AACR2 also specifies content rules (e.g.,
selection and representation of author names)
 ISBD and MARC specify syntax
◦ 245 $a Title : $b other title information / $c author.
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6.  Some schemes can accommodate multiple
content standards
Examples:
DC + DACS + LCSH
DC + AACR2 + LCSH
MARC + AACR2 + MeSH

7.  Documenting the creation, version, and reuse of
information resources
 Organization and description
 Validation – documenting the authoritativeness or
trustworthiness of the information resource
 Search and retrieval
 Utilization and preservation
 Accessioning and deaccessioning

8.  Is metadata always digital?
◦ No. Metadata can also exists in paper form.
 Is metadata always descriptive?
◦ No. Metadata can also record the creation,
management, preservation, and history of an
information resource.
 True or False: Metadata for a given information resource can
come from many sources.
◦ True.

9.  True or False: Metadata accrues during the life of a digital
object.
◦ True.
 True or False: Metadata is not data and data is not metadata.
◦ False. “The distinctions between what constitutes data
and what constitutes metadata can often be very fluid.”

10.  Increased accessibility
 Retention of context
 Expanding use
 Learning metadata
 System development and enhancement
 Multiversioning
 Legal issues
 Preservation and persistence

11.  High quality descriptive metadata…
◦ Enhances retrieval
◦ Enables searching across multiple collections
◦ Enables creation of virtual collections
 Especially possible when common elements are
present in different metadata schemes
 Example: OSU’s conversion of EAD/DACS-based
finding aids to MARC bibliographic records (M.
Elwood Smith papers)
http://oasis.oregonstate.edu/

12.  Metadata can document the relationships that an
information resource has with people, places, and
things, including other information resources
 Example: Archival finding aids can indicate other
related collections as well as the structure of
within a collection, providing context for users

13.  Provides access to the entire universe of users,
wherever they are
 Enables the manipulation of the information
resource for users with special needs, different
language skills, etc.

14.  Specialized forms of metadata can be used to
promote learning by students of all ages.
 Example: http://
www.thegateway.org/browse/20651

15.  Metadata can document changing uses of
systems and content
 In turn, can use this feedback to make systems
development decisions
 Examples: search log data, download counts, etc.

16.  A digital object may exist in several forms within a
resource, such a images in thumbnail and full-size
 Metadata enables users and machines to
distinguish between the multiple versions of a
resource

17.  Metadata documents:
◦ Licensing
◦ Legal rights
◦ Reproductions
◦ Restrictions on access or use
◦ Privacy concerns

18.  Technical, descriptive, and preservation metadata
◦ Document how an information resource was:
 created,
 maintained,
 how it relates to other information objects