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Part 1. Introduction to Digital Libraries and Metadata

In this beginning session the trainers and participants discuss similarities and differences between traditional and digital libraries. In particular the participants need to understand how the environment where metadata is developing is different from the library automation environment. The group explores different types and functions of metadata (administrative, technical, administrative, etc.).

Part 2. Approaches to Models of Metadata Creation, Storage and Management

This section seeks to foster understanding of the differences between traditional library and digital library metadata creation, storage and retrieval models, particularly in regard to granularity, controlled vocabularies, authority control, and other issues. The group will also explore how they might be combined for greater effectiveness.

Part 3. Relationship Models

In this section the group examines traditional and evolving models for expressing bibliographic relationships, as a preliminary step towards determining how these models can be used in digital library resource organization.

Part 4. Specific Metadata Standards and Application Overviews

This section introduces a selection of metadata schemas (a.k.a. “Formats”), in wide use in libraries, including Dublin Core, MODS, IEEE-LOM, and ONIX. Following the schemas is an overview of syntaxes (a.k.a. “Wrappers”), including HTML/XHTML, XML, RDF/XML, and METS.

Part 5. Metadata Interoperability and Distribution

In this section the interoperability protocols (OAI-PMH for harvesting, OpenURL for references) are discussed and demonstrated. Following is an introduction to crosswalking and mapping, particularly as it affects interoperability.

Part 6. Vocabularies: Attributes and Values

This section includes an overview of traditional thesaurus development and how different kinds of controlled vocabularies are used differently in digital libraries. It is followed by an introduction to vocabulary encodings, including MARC 21 and the Simple Knowledge Organisation System (SKOS), an evolving encoding for thesauri on the web.

Part 7. Application Profiles

In this section the concept and usage of application profiles is introduced, including a discussion of how application profiles provide a basis for community consensus around metadata usage.

Part 8. Quality Considerations and Metrics

The last section introduces the criteria that can be used to determine quality in metadata, particularly how those criteria differ from traditional library practice with MARC. The trainer will discuss the techniques used for evaluating and enforcing consistence and predictability, and examine the advantages and disadvantages of machine-created metadata.