• Introduction to Metadata: Pathways to Digital Information
  edited by Murtha Baca, The Getty Research Institute
  This Web site is an online version of the book with the same title. It is a comprehensive overview of metadata written for a broad range of information professionals from archivists and museum registrars to catalogers and information systems librarians. Neophytes will find basic information in articles such as "Defining Metadata" and "Why is Metadata Important?" while well-seasoned professionals will find extensive information on crosswalks for metadata standards. Although the site provides tables and glossaries to make information accessible, it is lacking a search function that would greatly enhance navigation and retrieval.


• Metadata Reference Guide
  by The Metadata Advisory Group of the MIT Libraries
  An online reference guide that provides links to reputable Web sources on metadata. The guide is divided into seven categories: Selected Metadata Standards, Metadata Mapping (crosswalks), Suggested Readings, Metadata Glossaries, Metadata Projects, Metadata Advisory Group - MIT Libraries, and Metadata Services. The Web site is an excellent gateway to a wide range of sources but does not include links to other organizations and libraries critical to standards development. The "Metadata Services" category advertises fee-based services offered by MIT Libraries.


• A Bibliographic Metadata Infrastructure for the 21st Century
  by Roy Tennant, California Digital Library
  Roy Tennant discusses major problems with the current practices of managing metadata in libraries, particularly in the area of cataloging. He proposes a new kind of metadata infrastructure that possesses the qualities of versatility, extensibility, granularity, and openness. This common infrastructure will have the capacity to meet the increasingly diverse needs of both library and non-library agencies. Tennant's article is a wonderful introduction to current issues in metadata and offers a glimpse into future applications and new technologies. The article may be somewhat difficult to comprehend without a fundamental knowledge of Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC).

[Return to the top of this page]

• A Technical Introduction to XML
  by Norman Walsh
  Walsh's article appears in O'Reilly XML.com , a Web site dedicated to "XML from the inside out." Walsh's article is an excellent introduction to XML described in plain language that is suitable for novices. It includes sections titled, "What is XML?" and "What do XML Documents Look Like?" It also includes an appendix and revision history. Librarians looking for information on XML applications in libraries will find very little here. However, the article provides a general technical overview that is relevant to anyone interested in XML. O'Reilly XML.com is also an excellent source for those who would like to advance their technological understanding of XML.


• Cover Pages
  by The Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards (OASIS)
  Cover Pages is a comprehensive online reference collection focusing on the SGML/XML family of markup language standards. It includes extensive information on a number of core standards including XML. "The principal objective in this public access knowledgebase is to promote and enable the use of open, interoperable standards-based solutions which protect digital information and enhance the integrity of communication." Cover Pages also includes articles and press releases under its "News" section and has a "Library" section with resources such as a bibliography, technical topics, semantics, FAQs, and historical information. The Web site covers a tremendous scope of information but is technically complex and geared toward information professionals with some experience and knowledge of metadata standards.


• Extensible Markup Language (XML)
  by The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
  The creator of this Web site, W3C, is an international consortium that develops standards and guidelines for the World Wide Web. The Extensible Markup Language page includes a basic introduction to XML, links to working groups concerned with XML, other resources, and contact information. The Web site is very useful for those interested in standards, the activities of W3C, and the very technical aspects of XML. It does not assist novices in learning languages or specifications. The "Other Resources" section includes links to tutorials, a bibliography, conferences, training courses, and even movies!


• How Does XML Help Libraries
  by Kyle Banerjee, Computers in Libraries, Vol. 22 No. 8, September 2002
  This article is written in very plain language and addresses specific applications of XML in libraries. It includes practical sections such as "Putting XML into Action" and "The Hype vs. the Reality." It provides a simple example of an XML document and an XSL style sheet (eXtensible Stylesheet Language). The article also includes specific examples of XML initiatives at libraries such as the Oregon State University, the Library of Congress, and the California Digital Library. Unfortunately, the article is lacking citations to give credence to its contents.


• The Impact of XML on Library Procedures and Services
  by Eric van Herwijnen, Center for Nuclear Research (CERN)
  This article gives a basic introduction to XML; then addresses the specific library services that will be affected by XML, particularly document delivery. The article begins quite plainly but quickly digresses to the very technical language that is not entirely surprising for an author from CERN. Some information may be out-of-date as it was written in 2000 and it also includes a few dead links. Otherwise, it offers interesting technical insight on how XML can improve library services.

[Return to the top of this page]

• Encoded Archival Description (EAD)
  by The Network Development and MARC Standards Office of the Library of Congress in partnership with the Society of American Archivists
  This Web site is maintained by the two agencies that administer the archival standard, Encoded Archival Description (EAD). EAD is a Document Type Definition (DTD) that uses XML to encode archival finding aids. The EAD standard is spurring the movement to make finding aids accessible online, giving researchers remote information about the holdings of archival repositories. This Web site provides crucial information to archivists on the development of EAD; news and announcements; official documentation for the standard; and links to tools and help on XML authoring and editing. The information on this Web site is quite complex for those who have little knowledge of archives, but all librarians should have some awareness of this important application.


• MARC 21 XML Schema
  by The Library of Congress
  This Website provides extensive information on the MARC 21 XML Schema which is being developed by the Library of Congress' Network Development and Marc Standards Office. This schema is a simple XML framework that accommodates MARC data and will act as a flexible and extensible vehicle for converting MARC records to Dublin Core and other standards. The content of the Web site is concise and easy to understand, even for a person who is reading about the schema for the first time. However, the reader must have some prior knowledge of metadata standards, MARC 21, and XML.


• TEI
  by the Text Encoding Initiative
  The Text Encoding Initiative (TEI) is a consortium that develops and maintains the TEI standard. TEI uses XML to encode significant literary and linguistic texts for the purpose of providing online access for research, teaching, and preservation. Important examples include the Wittgenstein Archive, the Women Writer's Project, and most text projects funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. This Web site provides comprehensive information on the standard and is divided into the subheadings: Guidelines, Projects, Tutorials, Software, History, FAQs, P5 (the latest version of the guidelines), Consortium, Activities, Special Interest Groups (SIGS), and Members Area. Although the great volume of information can be somewhat daunting, the site is easy to navigate and is useful for both novices and experts.


• Dublin Core Metadata Initiative
  by The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative
  Dublin Core is a metadata standard that uses fifteen elements to describe a broad variety of networked resources. It can be described in HTML but provides more flexibility and interoperability using RDF/XML (Resource Descriptive Framework with XML). This Web site explains RDF/XML in detail along with other basic information in its "User Guide" section. The site is an excellent resource for comprehensive information on the Dublin Core Standard and the activities of the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative. The Web site is visually pleasing but the front page is unnecessarily dense with text.


• Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS)
  by The Library of Congress
  METS is a standard for encoding metadata in XML for the purpose of describing objects within a digital library. This Web site provides a large volume of information but its front page is so simple and well-organized that navigation feels faultless. With the exception of the METS overview, the content of the Website is so technically complex that it would not be useful for novices.

[Return to the top of this page]

• Interoperability: What is it and Why should I want it?
  by Paul Miller, ARIADNE Issue 24, June 2000
  Paul Miller works for the Interoperability Focus of the UK Office for Library and Information Networking (UKOLN). Miller explains that we live in an age of unprecedented openness and accessibility among libraries, museums, government records offices and other "memory institutions." In order for these organizations to effectively share resources and information, interoperability between the bodies of knowledge is vital. The article is an excellent introduction to interoperability on a broad and general level. It does not go into great detail about technological advancements or metadata schema.


• Technology and Library Users, an Ongoing Discussion, Issue #1: XML and Interoperability
  by the Library and Information Technology Association, Division of the American Library Association
  This Web site includes links to five articles on the topic of XML and interoperability, a subject that was identified as a "top trend" by a 2004 meeting sponsored by LITA. The articles offer arguments that weigh the pros and cons of using XML as a vehicle for sharing metadata between different standards. The Web site offers a good choice of articles but the annotations are very brief and awkwardly written.

[Return to the top of this page]