Metadata provides basic fields used to describe content. They are more than just keywords, allowing richer labeling.
Most of the Dublin Core Meta Data Fields are self-explanatory. For Identifier, use the URL for now. Relation tells what the file is derived from. Coverage is spatial or temporal, for example, a geographic area such as Ohio.
Some people say there is too much involved with metadata and they don't know what to do. Tom stressed that we should start doing something; start labeling. Dublin Core is the most widely used, so we can start with that. The metadata systems map from one to another, so Dublin Core can be mapped to other systems later.
Dublin Core was developed about five years ago, in Dublin Ohio. It is the simpliest. Use it first. It is mappable, but not rich enough. Use IMS when it's up. Tom will let us know when it is ready. [It's up now, see http://www.imsproject.org/technical/metadata/library/]
Use meaningful labels. The idea is NOT to get a lot of hits; if you want to do that, just throw a lot of sex and dirty words in. The idea is to carefully and accurately describe the content.
IEEE/LTSC is Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers/Learning Technology Systems Committee.
GEM, Gateway to Educational Materials, originally focused on K-12.
EdNA is the Australian Education Network.
GILS
(Government Information Locator Service) has 100 metadata fields.
Dublin is too limited. ARIADNE (Alliance of
Remote Instructional Authoring and Distribution Networks for Europe) is more complex.
You can code metadata yourself or use tools (scan down through the
Meta Data Representations section on Tom's Web page to the section "USE TOOLS!").
Reggie is nice. It is a Java application that helps you build metadata.
Nordic is education oriented.
GILS Advanced Search Facility is a downloadable tool.
Metadata is, or will be, multilingual.
The IMS project metadata site is broken; it's being changed.
ISO standards are being developed for creating a dictionary and syntax for metadata and developing schema. Work is being done to try to get a good mapping between schema. Searches are, or will be, structured using schema.
Some search engines use metatags now.
RDF is a language for implementing metadata, like XML. We should also be watching Dynamic HTML (DHTML). [http://www.jtauber.com/xml/appl.html looks like a good site for learning more about RDF, XML, and related projects.] We're on the leading edge of these projects. They are being defined now. Some have the feeling that computer scientists are developing Digital Libraries II more than librarians. Tom said that the IMS project is the work of educators and publishers and some librarians, not emphasizing a computer background. IMS is working with Digital Libraries.
Dennis Sherman mentioned Blue Angels Technologies MetaStar products. Here are a couple of quotes from their site.
Blue Angel Technologies is a leading provider of software tools for managing metadata with expert knowledge and skills in various standards and related protocols.MetaStar components include a powerful repository, servers, gateways, harvesting software, capture and search tools, along with various tool-kits to aid developers.
Further comments included:
Tom pointed out a particularly interesting problem with information retrieval. How big a chunk do you want to get? Do you want the whole book, or just a chapter? Do you want to retrieve an exam or just a specific question on an exam?
Additonally, the point was made that it would be good to have the ongoing involvement of real librarians. Tom would like to follow up on this. He would like to make contact with people here on campus. Perhaps we can set up a working group here. People can contact Tom at tom_wason@unc.edu
Danielle Borasky, Development, danielle_borasky@unc.edu
Gail Darden, CIT/ATN, gdarden@email.unc.edu
Jackie Dean, Manuscripts Dept., Wilson, deanj@ils.unc.edu
Leanne Diakov, NC Global Center (Kenan Institute), diakov@unc.edu
Lane Freund, Biomedical Engineering, lsf@bme.unc.edu
Judy Hallman, ATN, judy_hallman@unc.edu
Scott Jared, Pubs Svcs.
Anna Kemp, SILS, kempa@ils.unc.edu
Michael Phillips, ATN, michael_phillips@unc.edu
Barbara Levergood, Davis Library, leverg.davis@mhs.unc.edu
Sarah Madry, A & S Foundation, sarahmadry@unc.edu
Matt Mielke, School of Public Health, matt_mielke@unc.edu
Celine Noel, Davis Library, cnoel@unc.edu
Jim Rosinia, Office of Info. & Comm, jim_rosinia@unc.edu
Dennis Sherman, TRLN, dennis_sherman@unc.edu
Danny Siegle, The Fifth Estate, danny@email.unc.edu
Natasha (Natalia) Smith, Wilson, nsmith@email.unc.edu
Charles Viles, SILS, viles@ils.unc.edu
Nadia Zilper, Davis Library
Judy Hallman (judy_hallman@unc.edu, http://www.unc.edu/~hallman/)
Campus Webmaster, UNC-Chapel Hill