Metadata for Digital Collections: A How-To-Do-It Manual (How-To-Do-It Manual Series (for Librarians)) - Softcover

Miller, Steven J

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1555707467 ISBN 13: 9781555707460

Publisher: Neal-Schuman Publishers, 2011

Synopsis

More and more libraries, archives, and museums are creating online collections of digitized resources. Where can those charged with organizing these new collections turn for guidance on the actual practice of metadata design and creation? To Metadata for Digital Collections: A How-To-Do-It Manual. This practical, hands-on volume will make it easy for readers to acquire the knowledge and skills they need, whether they use the book on the job or in a classroom. Author Steven Miller introduces readers to fundamental concepts and practices in a style accessible to beginners and LIS students, as well as experienced practitioners with little metadata training. He also takes account of the widespread use of digital collection management systems such as CONTENTdm. Rather than surveying a large number of metadata schemes, Miller covers only three of the schemes most commonly used in general digital resource description, namely, Dublin Core, MODS, and VRA. By limiting himself, Miller is able to address the chosen schemes in greater depth. He is also able to include numerous practical examples that clarify common application issues and challenges. He provides practical guidance on applying each of the Dublin Core elements, taking special care to clarify those most commonly misunderstood. The book includes a step-by-step guide on how to design and document a metadata scheme for local institutional needs and for specific digital collection projects. The text also serves well as an introduction to broader metadata topics, including XML encoding, mapping between different schemes, metadata interoperability and record sharing, OAI harvesting, and the emerging environment of Linked Data and the Semantic Web, explaining their relevance to current practitioners and students. A companion Web site includes exercises for each chapter, with suggestions for instructors, along with additional practical and reference resources.

About this title

Review

"...an extremely useful book for everyone currently or potentially involved in the creation of metadata: those with little to no experience in using non-MARC metadata, who either need to do so now or who would simply like to remain current with developments in the field; those who need a ready-reference work for a particular metadata scheme; and students of cataloguing and metadata." (College & Research Libraries)

"Books that encourage librarians to explore the full scope of their metadata heritage are to be welcomed and I encourage digital collections managers to read this one." (Library Management)

About the Author

Stephen J. Miller is based at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA.

Edition details

• Publisher: Neal-Schuman Publishers
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1555707467
• ISBN 13: 9781555707460
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 343