LIS 415: Information Organization

Contact Information

Instructor: Daniel N. Joudrey
E-mail: joudrey@simmons.edu
Office: P-205B
Phone: (617) 521-2863


Unit 3: Metadata Basics

The unit is an introduction to metadata concepts, various types of metadata, and tools to create, use and maintain metadata.

Topics: Descriptive metadata, Administrative metadata, Structural metadata, METS, Meta-metadata, and Preservation metadata

  • What is metadata?
  • What are the different types of metadata?
  • What purposes do these different types of metadata serve?
  • What are some special problems involved in describing Internet resources?
  • How are different types of metadata implemented?

Required Readings

Taylor, The Organization of Information, Chapter 6

Hodge, Understanding Metadata http://www.niso.org/publications/press/UnderstandingMetadata.pdf

Caplan, Metadata Fundamentals for All Librarians, Chapters 16 - 18

Schottlaender, "Why Metadata? Why Me? Why Now?"


Recommended Readings

Articles

Agnew, "Developing a Metadata Strategy"

Cantara, "METS"

Cundiff, "An Introduction to METS"

Milstead and Feldman, "Metadata: Cataloging by Any..." (really old, but useful)


Recommended Readings

Web Sites

Metadata Mappings (Crosswalks) http://libraries.mit.edu/guides/subjects/metadata/mappings.html

St.Pierre and LaPlant, "Issues in Crosswalking" http://www.niso.org/publications/white_papers/crosswalk/

Tennant, "Metadata As If Libraries Depended on It." http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA206408.html

Tennant, "Metadata's Bitter Harvest" http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA43444


Recommended Readings

Books

Hudgins, Agnew, and Brown, Getting Mileage out of Metadata, pp. 1-30

Intner, Metadata and its Impact on Libraries, Chapter 1


Vocabulary

  • Adminstrative metadata
  • Application Profiles
  • Attribute
  • Content
  • Content Standards
  • Crosswalks
  • Descriptive metadata
  • Element
  • Extensibility
  • Flexibility
  • FRBR
  • Granularity
  • Interoperability
  • Metadata
  • Metadata Elements
  • Metadata Registries
  • Metadata Schemas
  • Meta-metadata
  • METS
  • Namespace
  • Preservation metadata
  • Rights metadata
  • Semantics
  • Structure
  • Structural metadata
  • Syntax

Course Outline


Back to the Syllabus
Updated June 16, 2008.