Metadata for the Information Professional

Synopsis:

Course Objectives

Students will gain an overview of the primary metadata schemes used in digital library environments with a strong theoretical background combined with practical application. By the end of the course, students will understand:

• the development and use of metadata in the library, archival, museum, information center, and Internet communities
• the various types and uses of metadata
• the importance of standards
• the content, syntax, and structure of the major metadata schemes used by libraries, archives, information centers, and museums
• the role of metadata in information retrieval
• the use of controlled vocabularies
• the practical creation and application of metadata
• the importance of metadata quality and evaluation

Organization of the Course

The course will cover aspects of the most significant metadata schemes in detail. Since it is impossible to cover all existing metadata schemes and topics in-depth, students will augment their knowledge by selecting a scheme or topic of special interest to them for the WebBlog Assignment. Units of instruction include:

___Week___	Topic
Week 1	1: Metadata Overview History of schemes and metadata communities Functions and Types of metadata
Week 2	2:1: Metadata Structure and Characteristics Semantics, syntax, and structure Metadata creation process models Interoperability 2:2: Metadata Integration and Architecture Warwick Framework Resource Description Framework Open Archives Initiative
Week 3	3: Encoding Standards (Markup Languages ) Introduction and history of markup Metadata use of markup languages Document Type Definitions (DTD)
Week 4	4:1: Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS) 4:2: Dublin Core Metadata Element Set (DCMES) Simple and qualified element sets DCMES tools and projects
Week 5	5: Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard (METS) Structural metadata
Week 6	6: Guest Lecturer: Grace Agnew Rutgers' & NJDH metadata projects METS applications Course project 2: Metadata creation
Week 7	7: Visual Resources Metadata Categories for the Description of Works of Art (CDWA) Visual Resources Association (VRA) Core Computer Interchange of Museum Information (CIMI) CDWA, VRA, and CIMI Projects
Week 8	8: Data Control Standards Resource Identifiers Data Registries Controlled vocabularies Name authority control (ISAAR and FRANAR) A-Core
Week 9	9:1: Encoded Archival Description (EAD) EAD Headers EAD Projects 9:2: Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) TEI Headers TEI Projects
Week 10	10: Metadata Evaluation User needs Quality control issues Evaluation methods
Week 11	11: Guest Lecturer: Grace Agnew Publishing and Multimedia Industry Metadata Online Information eXchange (ONIX) Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG-7 and MPEG-21) SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language)
Week 12	12: Educational Metadata Instructional Management Systems (IMS) Learning Object Metadata (LOM) Gateway to Educational Materials (GEM)
Week 13	13: Government Information Locator Service (GILS) GILS Element Set GILS Projects Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC Element Set) FGDC Projects
Week 14	14: In-class Discussion of Project

Major Assignments

Students are expected to complete assigned weekly readings and participate in discussions of key issues and problems in the metadata field. In addition, the course uses a variety of projects, assignments, and activities to support the learning process, develop critical thinking skills, and provide practical application of the knowledge gained during the semester. The WebBlog Assignment allows students to examine specific metadata schemes and related topics in depth. The RU Metadata Project is designed to apply conceptual knowledge and practical skills to metadata creation, and work cooperatively in teams. The Metadata Project Journal is to track your knowledge growth throughout the project.

This course requires extensive use of technology, with onsite and online discussions. It includes lectures, media presentations and field trips (virtual and physical). Instruction includes guest lectures with experts in different areas of metadata to provide cutting edge information from the work environment. Assessment is based on the following criteria:

Metadata project	35%
Metadata project journal	15%
WebBlog Assignment	35%
Collaborative participation	15%

Bibliography

Required Text:

Caplan, P. (2003). Metadata Fundamentals for All Librarians. Chicago: American Library Association.

Recommended Texts:

Understanding Metadata. National Information Standards Organization, 2004. ISBN: 1-880124-62-9. (16 pages.) PDF available online: http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/UnderstandingMetadata.pdf

Hillmann, Diane I., and Elaine L. Westbrooks. Metadata in Practice. Chicago: American Library Association, 2004. ISBN: 0-8389-0882-9.

Hudgins, J., Agnew, G., & Brow, E. (1999). Getting Mileage out of Metadata: Applications for the Library. (LITA Guides #5). Chicago: American Library Association.

Baca, M. (Ed.) (1998). Introduction to Metadata: Pathways to Digital Information. Los Angeles: Getty Information Institute. Version 2.0 Getty Research Institute, [2000?]. Online: http://www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/standards/intrometadata/index.html

Selective Bibliography: This bibliography is presented to help you begin to immerse yourselves in the metadata environment. It is not a comprehensive list and we will be adding citations to it during the course.

Arms, Caroline. (2000). Some Observations on Metadata and Digital Libraries. Discussion paper presented at the Library of Congress Bicentennial Conference on Bibliographic Control for the New Millennium. Available online: http://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/bibcontrol/arms_paper.html

Baker, Thomas, et al. (2001). What Terms Does Your Metadata Use? Application Profiles as Machine-Understandable Narratives. Journal of Digital Information, 2, 2. Available online: http://jodi.ecs.soton.ac.uk/Articles/v02/i02/Baker/

Banerjee, Kyle. "How Does XML Help Libraries?" Computers in Libraries 22:8 (Sept., 2002). Online: http://www.infotoday.com/cilmag/sep02/Banerjee.htm

Barton, Jane, Currier, Sarah and Hey, Jessie M.N. (2003). Building Quality Assurance into Metadata Creation: an Analysis based on the Learning Objects and e-Prints Communities of Practice. Available on: www.siderean.com/dc2003/Paper60-abstract.pdf

Berners-Lee, Tim, Hendler, James and Lassila, Ora. (2001). "The Semantic Web." Scientific American. Available online: http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?articleID=00048144-10D2-1C70-84A9809EC588EF21

Bishoff, Liz, and William A. Garrison. (2000). "Metadata, Cataloging, Digitization and Retrieval: Who's Doing What to Whom: The Colorado Digitization Project Experience." Discussion paper presented at the Library of Congress Bicentennial Conference on Bibliographic Control for the New Millennium. Available online: http://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/bibcontrol/bishoff_paper.html

Buckland, Michael, et al. (1999). "Mapping data entry vocabulary to unfamiliar metadata vocabularies." D-Lib Magazine 5, 1. Available online: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january99/buckland/01buckland.html

Caplan, Priscilla. (2000). "International Metadata Initiatives: Lessons in Bibliographic Control." Paper presented at the Library of Congress Bicentennial Conference on Bibliographic Control for the New Millennium, Available online: http://lcweb.loc.gov/catdir/bibcontrol/caplan_paper.html

Chang, May. (2000). "An Electronic Finding Aid Using Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Encoded Archival Description (EAD)." Library Hi Tech 18, 1: 15-27.

Desmarais, Norman. (2000). The ABCs of XML: The Librarian's Guide to the eXtensibile Markup Language. Houston: New Technology Press.

Digital Library Federation. (1999). "TEI Text Encoding in Libraries: Guidelines for Best Encoding Practice." Version 1.0. Available online: http://www.diglib.org/standards/tei.htm

Digital Library Federation. (2001). Digital Library Standards and Practices. Available online: http://www.diglib.org/standards.htm

Dooley, Jackie M., ed. (1997). Encoded Archival Description. Part 1: Context and Theory. The American Archivist. 60 (3): 264-366. (Entire issue on title topic).

Dooley, Jackie M., ed. (1997). Encoded Archival Description. Part 2: Case Studies. The American Archivist. 60 (4): 367-496. (Entire issue on title topic).

Gilliland-Swetland, Anne J. (1998). "Defining Metadata". In: Introduction to Metadata: Pathways to Digital Information. Murtha Baca, ed. Los Angeles, CA: Getty Information Institute, 1998, updated 2000. (Available online in Sakai Course Resources Page).

Gorman, G. E., ed. (2004). Metadata Applications and Management: International Yearbook of Library and Information Management 2003-2004. London: Facet Publishing.

Greenberg, J. & Robertson, W. (2002). Semantic Web construction: an inquiry of authors' views on collaborative metadata generation, Proceedings of the International Conference on Dublin Core and Metadata for e-Communities, 45-52. Available online: http://www.bncf.net/dc2002/program/ft/paper5.pdf

Greenberg, J., Pattuelli, M.C., Parisia, B. & Robertson, W. D. (2001). Author-generated Dublin Core Metadata for Web Resources: A Baseline Study in an Organization. Journal of Digital Information 2 (2). Available online: http://jodi.ecs.soton.ac.uk/Articles/v02/i02/Greenberg/

Greenberg, J. (2003). Metadata Generation: Processes, People and Tools. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 29 (2), 18-21. Available online: http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Dec-02/greenberg.html

Guy, M., Powell, A., & Day, M. (2004). Improving the Quality of Metadata in E-print Archives. Ariadne 38. http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue38/guy/

Guenther, Rebecca, & McCallum, Sally. (2003). New Metadata Standards for Digital Resources: MODS and METS. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 29 (2), 12-15. Available online: http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Dec-02/guenthermccallum.html

Ianella, Renato. (1999). "An Idiot's Guide to the Resource Description Framework." Available online: http://archive.dstc.edu.au/RDU/reports/RDF-Idiot/

IEEE Computer Society. IEEE 1484 Learning Object Metadata Standard (2002). Available online: http://www.ischool.washington.edu/sasutton/IEEE1484.html

IEEE Computer Society (2003).Learning Technology, 5 (1). Entire Issue on Learning Object Metadata. Available online: http://lttf.ieee.org/learn_tech/issues/january2003/

IMS Global Learning Consortium (2001). IMS Learning Resource Meta-data Best Practice and Implementation Guide. Version 1.3 Final Specification. Available online: http://www.imsglobal.org/metadata/mdv1p3pd/imsmd_bestv1p3pd.html

Lagoze, Carl and Herbert Van de Sompel (2004). Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting. Protocol Version 2.0; Document Version 2004/09/15T20:21:00Z; Available online: http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/openarchivesprotocol.html

Lagoze, Carl (2001). "Keeping Dublin Core Simple:Cross-Domain Discovery or Resource Description?" D-Lib Magazine. Available online: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/january01/lagoze/01lagoze.html

Lee-Smeltzer, Kuang-Hwei. (2000). "Finding the Needle: Controlled Vocabularies, Resource Discovery, and the Dublin Core." Library Collections, Acquisitions, & Technical Services 24: 205-215.

Lesk, Michael. Understanding Digital Libraries, Morgan Kaufmann, 2004.

Miller, Eric. (1998). "An Introduction to the Resource Description Framework." D-Lib Magazine. Available online: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/may98/miller/05miller.html

Pockley, S. (2004). Metadata and the Arts: the Art of Metadata. In Gorman, G. & Dorner, D. (2004) International yearbook of Library and information Management 2003/2004: Metadata Applications and Management, London, Facet, pp. 66-92.

Seaman, David. The Electronic Text Center Introduction to TEI and Guide to Document Preparation. Available online: http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/tei/uvatei.html

Society of American Archivists. (2002). Encoded Archival Description Tag Library Version 2002. Available online: http://www.loc.gov/ead/tglib/index.html

St. Pierre, Margaret, & William P. LaPlant. (1998). "Issues in Crosswalking: Content Metadata Standards." NISO Standards White Paper, Released October 15, 1998. Available online: http://www.niso.org/press/whitepapers/crsswalk.html

Thibodeau, Sharon G., Daniel Pitti, & Randall K. Barry. Development of the Encoded Archival Description DTD. EAD Official Web Site, Library of Congress, Network Development and MARC Standards Office, 1996. Available online: http://lcweb.loc.gov/ead/eadback.html

Vellucci, Sherry L. (2004). Music Metadata. Gorman, G. & Dorner, D. International Yearbook of Library and Information Management 2003/2004: Metadata Applications and Management, London, Facet, pp. 37-65.

_______. (2001). Music Metadata and Authority Control in an International Context. Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, 57 (3), 541-554.

_______. (2000). Metadata and Authority Control. Library Resources & Technical Services, 4 (1): 33-43.

_______. (1999). Metadata and Music: Issues and Directions. Fontes Artis Musicae, 46 (3-4): 205-217.

_______. (1998). Metadata. In Annual Review of Information Science Technology 33. Medford, N.J.: Information Today for the American Society for Information Science, 187-222.

_______. (1997). Options for Organizing Electronic Resources: The Coexistence of Metadata. Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science, 24 (1): 14-17. Available online: http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Oct-97/vellucci.htm

_______. (1996). Herding Cats: Options for Organizing Electronic Resources, Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 1 (4): 9-30.

Weibel, Stuart L. (2000). "The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative: Mission, Current Activities, and Future Directions." D-lib Magazine (December 2000). Available online: http://www.dlib.org/dlib/december00/weibel/12weibel.html

_______.(1997). "The Dublin Core: A Simple Content Description Model for Electronic Resources." Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science, 24 (1): 9-11. Available online: http://www.asis.org/Bulletin/Oct-97/weibel.htm

In addition to this selective bibliography, there is an extensive list of online resources for metadata that includes general sites, specific metadata schemes, standards organizations, and application tools. This will be updated when the course is offered.