KASEY DOHERTY

Metadata in Digital Libraries

Metadata

Metadata is a specific set of details about other data that helps to describe and give information about it.

When describing what metadata’s use in the library is it could be described as, “any formal scheme of resource description, applying to any type of object, digital or non-digital.”

Metadata is applicable when describing information about resources at any aggregation.

For example: metadata can describe information about one article inside of an encyclopedia and also describe information about the entirety of the encyclopedia.

There are three of the key types of metadata are administrative, structural, and descriptive metadata.

Administrative Metadata

Administrative metadata provides information that helps manage a resource or multiple resources.

That information includes: how and when the resource was created or compiled,

the type of file it is (if applicable), and those granted permission to access it

The location that a file originated at And intellectual property rights attached to the

resource

Structural Metadata

Structural metadata deals with the organization or arrangement of the data within a resource.

For example, when retrieved structural data could provide a person with: information to determine what format was used to

compile the data what might be necessary to retrieve the data and the way in which the resource presents its data.

Descriptive Metadata

Descriptive metadata is used to define or recognize content information in resources it involves less technical properties of the data and

includes information like title, author, or keywords. This is the type of metadata that is used in indexing

information to make resource discovery within library databases more accessible

Descriptive data shares many of the same elements that would be found in a bibliographic record.

Digital Libraries

The main objective of all digital libraries is to make information available and retrievable to those looking to obtain it.

For this reason using metadata as effectively as possible is important to them because the effective use of metadata leads to the most accurate resource discovery.

Within a digital library database as whole each type of metadata plays an important role.

Administrative Metadata in Digital Libraries

When a digital library acquires any scholarly resource they are take on a certain amount of responsibilities for the manner in which it is distributed and preserved

Administrative metadata is used for two different things within digital libraries. Firstly, it is used to manage the intellectual property

rights of the data because rights metadata is a subset of administrative metadata.

Secondly, it is used to contain information necessary to archive and preserve a resource.

Structural and Descriptive Metadata in Digital Libraries

Structural metadata of a digital library is mainly responsible for the way resources and information within the library are stored and presented.

Descriptive metadata is what allows a person to recover the resource they are looking for from the database. In other words, it serves as a link to a specific

resource or resources within the libraries storage.

Controlled Vocabulary

When metadata is operatively functioning within digital libraries resources can be readily found by searching relevant criteria.

Controlled vocabulary is a tool used in order to organize the information within descriptive metadata into a form that is retrievable.

Controlled data makes resource discovery a much faster and simpler process because a person is more likely to come across either the exact information they were looking for or else closely related information.

Controlled Vocabulary

There are a few different types of controlled data all with advantages and disadvantages. Term list is the simplest form of controlled vocabulary. It is

when a resource or piece of information has a list of terms relating to its subject matter.

Taxonomy is broadly defined as a scheme of classification. Taxonomy when discussing controlled vocabulary is a type of hierarchal classification. This word association is where all terms stem off of a larger term.

A third type of controlled technology is a thesaurus. A content retrieval thesaurus provides synonyms for searched terms but it provides information about terms and specifics terms relationships with other terms. This is the most effective type of controlled vocabulary.

Conclusion

Digital libraries rely heavily on metadata in order to function.

From large scale operations to smaller operations, such as information retrieval, metadata makes carrying out many of the functions possible.

And within metadata controlled vocabulary plays an important part in making information from digital libraries achievable.

Thanks for listening