Introducing metadata Finding stuff and using stuff

Introducing metadataFinding stuff and using stuff

Gordon Dunsire

Overview

• What is metadata?

• What does it look like?

• What is it used for?

• How does it work?

• Where will it all end?

Definition?

• “Data about data”

• Information about information

• Information about an information resource

• Useful information about a resource

• Useful information about specific aspects of a resource

• Whatever, there’s a lot of it about

Example: URL

http://www.slainte.org.uk/files/pdf/cilips/foisa04.pdf

Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002: a guide for the information professional

“http” = how to get the document (protocol)

“www.slainte.org.uk” = where to find the document in cyberspace (domain)

“files/pdf/cilips” = where the document is stored (path)

“foisa04” = the name of the document (file name)

“pdf” = the type of document (file type)

“:”, “/”, “.” = standard punctuation separating each piece of information (element)

Example: Catalogue cardThe adventures of Sherlock Holmes / by A. Conan Doyle ; illustrations by Sidney Paget. - London : G. Newnes, 1895.

“The adventures of Sherlock Holms” = title of the book

“by A. Conan Doyle; illustrations by Sidney Paget” = who is responsible for the creative content of the book

“London” = place of publication, “G. Newnes” = name of publisher

“1895” = date of publication

“/”, “.”, “-”, “:” = standard punctuation separating each element

Example: Accessions/purchase register

Date |Title |Date|Sup|Price|Number

10/02/65|Physics is fun |1964|THI| 7/6| 20156

10/02/65|Physics is fun |1964|THI| 7/6| 20157

10/02/65|Berkeley physics v.1 |1964|FAR|3/9/6| 20158





Some uses of metadata (1)

• Information retrieval (finding stuff)– Searching

• Lists of metadata elements (title, authors, publisher, etc.)

• Words in (digital) metadata (title, notes, etc.)

– Identifying• Descriptive metadata (title, notes, edition, date,

etc.)

– Finding• Item metadata (shelfmark, barcode, etc.)


• Stock management (managing stuff)– Acquisition

• Date, cost, supplier, etc.

– Storage• Collection, shelfmark

– Circulation• Barcode

– Preservation• Format (serial, a-v, digital, etc.), date (age), etc.


• Automated processing (using stuff)– Information retrieval

• OPACs

– Access to digital resources• Getting via Web browser, file transfer, etc.• Displaying using browser plug-ins, etc.

– Multiple metadata records in multiple electronic locations with different metadata formats

Characteristics (1)

• A metadata record is (usually) significantly smaller than the stuff it describes– Catalogue card vs book– Metadata is a precis or abstract of those

aspects of the data deemed useful for retrieval, management, processing, etc.

– Abbreviations and codes are often used– Some exceptions include small manuscripts

with a long history …

Characteristics (2)

• Different types of information resource require different metadata elements– Some elements are common; e.g. title, date– Publication pattern and frequency are specific

to serial resources– URLs don’t apply to printed books– Local preservation metadata is not required

for remote digital resources– Etc.

Characteristics (3)

• Many resources are composed of other resources, so metadata can be applied at different levels of “granularity”– In library catalogues, journals usually have

metadata about the journal as a whole, and not about individual articles

• Articles have metadata in abstract and indexing services

– Some libraries catalogue multi-media kits as a whole; others catalogue each component

Value of consistency

• A benefit of metadata is to provide consistency and coherency in using and processing resources– Resources themselves come with the widest

variation in “intrinsic” metadata• Forms of title, etc.; layout; completeness; etc.

– Metadata can be created consistently and structured coherently to improve effectiveness and efficiency in its use

• Similarities and differences easier to spot

Achieving consistency

• Ensuring consistent metadata is not simple– Common and format-specific elements as well

as creative reaction to “the norm”• “Ceci n’est pas une pipe”

– Natural variation in naming and describing things

• J. Smith, John Smith, John Smith (Labour), etc.

• Requires standards and guidance

Metadata standards

• Coherent set of elements organised (structured and labelled) in a consistent way – a schema (loosely)– “Title” or “Caption”? Include the subtitle or use a

“Subtitle” element? Always include a title?

• Guidance on identifying and interpreting elements in the resource– Title on spine, cover or title-page?

• Guidance on standardising content– Include “The” at the start of the title?

From the local …

• Achieving consistency benefits local users of metadata (efficient, effective)

• Self-propelled users become non-local, so there are benefits in achieving consistency between libraries

• And metadata creation is complex (expensive), so there is value in sharing records

… to the global

• So national and international standards have been used since the first modern library catalogues (100+ years)

• With significant evolution from the 1960s– Computers; “machine-readable cataloguing”

• And again from the 1990s– Internet/Web; “common information

environment” including archives and museums

Some standards (1)

• MARC21 (21st century machine-readable cataloguing)– 40 years old; covers wide range of library stuff in

depth• Difficult to use - requires professional training

• DC (Dublin Core) – Ohio, that is– 10 years old; covers wider range of stuff (archives,

museums) at much less depth• Easier to use by a wider range of people

• DC/MARC structures can interoperate via element mappings

Some standards (2)

• AACR (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules)– Older than MARC; covers wide range of

library stuff in depth• Complements MARC; requires professional

training

– Undergoing radical development as RDA (Resource Description and Access)

• Becoming suitable for DC and other formats• Content interoperability

Whither metadata?

• Many formats in use

• Wide variation in coverage and content

• No longer created exclusively by trained professionals– Wider “interpretation” of the rules (if any)

• Needs to be joined-up so it can be used effectively at a global (non-local) level– Interoperability!

Joined-up metadata

• Caters to a wider range of users• Public/life-long learners/local business;

staff/students; teachers/learners/researchers; archives/libraries/museums

• Covers a wider range of resources• Originals/digitised copies; complex

websites/blogs/wikis; archives/libraries/museums

• Is created by a wider range of people• Acquisitions/cataloguing/serials; webpage

writers/online reviewers/wikis/folksonomists

Recap

• Metadata is useful information about specific aspects of a resource

• Specific aspects are structured and labelled as metadata elements

• Different types of resource have different sets of elements, with a common core set

• Non-local use is increasingly important• Standards are evolving to improve

usefulness

Thank you

Dunsire, Gordon

Me / My parents. - Kirkcaldy : The parents, 1951.

[email protected]

My card

Documents

Introducing metadata Finding stuff and using stuff