Essentially there are four types of problems that we see when metadata are viewed outside the context of the collection home. These were generally described in a 2006 articlei published by First Monday.
Typical problems include:
Likewise, Shreeves (2006) recommends several general practices which CONTENTdm collection administrators would do well to consider. They include:
And from M .J. Han, et al, at the University of Illinoisii come these further recommendations. Since their research focused on sharing CONTENTdm collection metadata with OAI harvesters, these are especially relevant to our community:
In the current metadata aggregation landscape, it is safe to assume that users search and browse for resources at an aggregator’s site then follow a link back to the home institution for access to the resource itself and any additional metadata. Therefore, when creating metadata for the purposes of inclusion in these aggregations, one can afford to be selective about the data elements included, with the understanding that a user will find his way to the local records for full contextual information. (Shreeves, 2006 )
On July 20, 2009, the OCLC Digital Collection Gateway became available to all CONTENTdm 5.1 users in the form of CONTENTdm WorldCat Sync. This integrated function enables a CONTENTdm collection administrator to map qualified and simple Dublin Core elements from digital items held in the CONTENTdm collection, to MARC fields, creating and modifying WorldCat records that are synchronized on a schedule set by the collection administrator. The Gateway thus represents a timely opportunity to provide specific Dublin Core metadata schemas for use in CONTENTdm and intended for OAI-PMH harvesting, and underscores a rather urgent need to provide advice to our community.
Below are some notes on creating and configuring metadata for discovery of digital items in WorldCat.org:
An element is a descriptive category of information about the resource .... All of the elements used to describe a resource together make up a record. (NCSU Libraries Core 1.0 Metadata Element Set Best Practices)
The following is a set of guidelines for understanding using and mapping Dublin Core elements according to the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting. It began as a guide for CONTENTdm collection administrators, and was expanded with the opening of the OCLC Digital Collection Gateway to WorldCat for all OAI-PMH compliant repositories. These guidelines promote the simplification of local information to enable better end-user discovery in an aggregated environment. As with any Best Practices Guide, it is recommended that catalogers follow basic rules of consistency with grammar and syntax (content standard) set forth in resources such as AACR2, DACS, CCO, etc., as well as incorporate the use of controlled vocabularies such as LCSH, AAT, MeSH, and authority lists such as LCNAF and ULAN or locally-grown thesauri as appropriate to the subject matter of a resource. For each digital collection, a collection -level record should be created along with item-level records. Metadata elements should contain labels most useful to the local environment, but should be mapped to standard Dublin Core elements .
A note about repeating fields: A number of works have been published offering best practices for configuring OAI-harvestable metadata. Although these works recommend repeating fields versus multiple values, in some cases multiple values (separated by a semicolon) are preferred for accuracy depending upon the level of complexity in configuring a collection using your digital collections management software and the OAI harvesting tool. For example, semicolon-separated values can be easily accommodated in CONTENTdm as well as display accurately when synced to WorldCat.org via the Digital Collection Gateway. When in doubt, test your data sets against your chosen OAI harvester.
Element name | The unique name used in CONTENTdm Version 6.1 |
---|---|
DC definition | Definition as stated in the DCMI Metadata Terms |
Required DC element |
|
Controlled vocabulary | Recommended for data quality and consistency |
Syntax scheme | Recommended syntax scheme used to structure the data contained in a given field |
DC Element Map | The Dublin Core element to which the CONTENTdm metadata field name maps |
MARC map in WorldCat | The OCLC MARC field to which the Dublin Core metadata element is crosswalked. |
Repeatable |
|
Best practices | Comments and other recommendations |
Element name | Title |
---|---|
DC definition | A name given to the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC element map | Title (dc:title) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 245 |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
“Make the title descriptive yet brief. Use generic titles to bring together different images of the same subject, if possible (e.g., use Mayor Benjamin Bosse on all photos of him, so they display together by title).” – Metadata Guidelines, Evansville Photos Collection, Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library. |
Element name | Title-Alternative |
---|---|
DC definition | An alternative name for the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Alternative Title (dcterms:alternative) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 246 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Creator |
---|---|
DC definition | An entity primarily responsible for making the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | LCNAF, ULAN |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Creator (dc:creator) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 720 |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
“Do not use honorifics, titles, or nicknames unless it is necessary to disambiguate (e.g., the first name of the person is unknown). Otherwise, these alternate forms of names (such as “Buddy” Jones; Reverend Murrell; Dr. Reed) may be used in the Description field but not as the authoritative version....” – Huntington Digital Library Guidelines, The Huntington Library |
Element name | Contributors |
---|---|
DC definition | An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | LCNAF, ULAN |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Contributor (dc:contributor) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 720 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“Persons or organizations who made significant intellectual contributions to the resource, but whose contribution is usually secondary to the person or organization specified in the Creator element. Examples include co -author, editor, transcriber, translator, illustrator, etc.” – Metadata Implementation Guidelines for North Carolina Digital State Documents |
Element name | Description |
---|---|
DC definition | An account of the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Description (dc:description) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 520 [8] |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“Also include any other information a searcher might need to find an image through a keyword search or to understand the context of the image: Is there a view of the Mississippi River? Was a photograph taken from the future site of a university library? Does a building no longer exist? What location was a photograph taken from? Is it an aerial view” – WAICU Metadata Guide |
Element name | Description-Abstract |
---|---|
DC definition | A summary of the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Abstract (dcterms:abstract) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 520 [3] |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Description-Table Of Contents |
---|---|
DC definition | A list of sub-units of the resource |
Required | Recommended as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Table Of Contents (dcterms:tableOfContents) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 505 [8] |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
Example: Chapter 1: Getting started.............1 Introduction.............................2 Next steps...............................3 |
Element name | Publisher |
---|---|
DC definition | An entity responsible for making the resource available |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | LCNAF |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Publisher (dc:publisher) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 260 $b |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“The entity responsible for making the Resource available in its present form, such as a corporate publisher, a university department, or a cultural institution.” – University of Wisconsin Digital Library Data Dictionary |
Element name | Subject |
---|---|
DC definition | The topic of the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | DDC, LCC, LCSH, MeSH, UDC, LCNAF, AAT, TGN |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Subject (dc:subject) |
MARC map in WorldCat | MARC 650 (controlled)/MARC 653 (uncontrolled) |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“Use subject terms that describe what an object is as well as what it is about. Example 1: Mural painting and decoration; Derry (Northern Ireland); Ireland— History — Easter Rising, 1916.” – Guidelines for Metadata Application in the Claremont Colleges Digital Library |
Element name | Identifier |
---|---|
DC definition | An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Identifier (dc:identifier) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 856 $u (URL), 024 (non-URL) |
Repeatable | Yes* |
Best practices |
URL: Gateway selects the first Identifier that contains a URL and makes it the default value for the resolution URL in MARC 856 $u. Thumbnail display images: CONTENTdm supplies the Reference URL to Identifier. This not only provides the resolution URL but also automatically generates the thumbnail for WorldCat.org. *Repeatability: It will take all other URLs in repeating Identifier fields, and place them in repeating 856 fields but with no $3 text. • Non -URL: Examples include accession number, ISBN, photo negative job/roll/frame number, call number, etc. Digital Collection Gateway automatically populates a value for a non-URL Identifier (MARC 024). “If contributing a digital resource to a collaborative digital collection, consider prefixing the character string with an institutional code to keep your resources distinguishable from those owned by other institutions.” –Mountain West Digital Library Metadata Group Recommended best practice is to identify the resource by means of a string conforming to a formal identification system. |
Element name | Language |
---|---|
DC definition | Language of the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | ISO 639-2, RFC 1766, RFC 3066, RFC 4646 |
DC Element Map | Language (dc:language) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 546 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“Separate terms by semi-colon (;) and a space. For example, for French and English: fre; eng” – Metadata Supplement for Fashion Plate Collection, Claremont Colleges Digital Library |
Element name | Rights |
---|---|
DC definition | Information about rights held in and over the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Rights (dc:rights) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 540 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“These statements should be given in the form: Rights status. Reproduction/use restrictions. Further information.” – Core 1.0 Metadata Element Set Best Practices, NCSU Libraries |
Element name | Rights-Access Rights |
---|---|
DC definition | Information about who can access the resource or an indication of its security status. |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Access Rights (dcterms:accessRights) |
MARC map in WorldCat | ( 506##$a enhancement recommended ) |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices | Access rights may include information regarding access or restrictions based on privacy, security, or other policies. |
Element name | Rights - Rights Holder |
---|---|
DC definition | A person or organization owning or managing rights over the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Rights holder (dcterms:rightsHolder) |
MARC map in WorldCat | |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Type |
---|---|
DC definition | The nature or genre of the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | DCMI |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Type (dc:type) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 655 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“This element should be populated from the DCMI type vocabulary, a controlled listing of genre types. It may be automatically populated, based on characteristics of the repository.” – NCSU Libraries Core 1.0 Metadata Element Set Best Practices |
Element name | Format |
---|---|
DC definition | The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | MIME, AAT |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Format (dc:format) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 500 (General Note) |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“New media types and applications are always emerging. If the resource format being described is not yet part of the MIME type list, select a broad category of object format for the first part of the MIME type, then use the file name suffix for the second half.” – University of Louisville CONTENTdm Cookbook |
Element name | Format-Extent |
---|---|
DC definition | The size or duration of the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Extent (dcterms:extent) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 300 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Format-Medium |
---|---|
DC definition | The material or physical carrier of the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Medium (dcterms:medium) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 300, 340 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Date |
---|---|
DC definition | A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date (dc:date) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 260 $c |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
“Similarly, if you will describe both physical and digital manifestation properties in your local system using unique field names, consider whether you intend to follow the Dublin Core one-to-one principle, in which case only metadata about one manifestation will be mapped and made available to aggregators.” – Metadata for Special Collections in CONTENTdm: How to improve interoperability of Unique Fields through OAI-PMH |
Element name | Date-Accepted |
---|---|
DC definition | Date of acceptance of the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date Accepted (dcterms:dateAccepted) |
MARC map in WorldCat | ( 502##$a enhancement recommended) |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Date-Submitted |
---|---|
DC definition | Date of submission of the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date Submitted (dcterms:dateSubmitted) |
MARC map in WorldCat | (502##$a enhancement recommended) |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Date-Created |
---|---|
DC definition | Date of creation of the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date Created (dcterms:created) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 046 $k |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Date-Available |
---|---|
DC definition | Date (often a range) that the resource became or will become available |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date Available (dcterms:available) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 307 8# |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Date-Valid |
---|---|
DC definition | Date (often a range) of validity of a resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date Valid (dcterms:valid) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 046 $m |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Date-Copyrighted |
---|---|
DC definition | Date of copyright |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date Copyrighted (dcterms:dateCopyrighted) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 260 $c |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Date-Issued |
---|---|
DC definition | Date of formal issuance (e.g., publication) of the resource |
Required | Core, recommended |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date Issued (dcterms:issued) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 260 $c |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Source |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource from which the described resource is derived |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Source (dc:source) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 786 [08] |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“Enter information about the original item before digitization as follows: genre of item: collection name, name of box, number of bin. Ex: 35 mm color slide: Larry Oglesby Collection, Morro Bay FT, bin #8” – Data Dictionary for Larry Oglesby Collection, LO C — Claremont Colleges Digital Library |
Element name | Relation |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Relation (dc:relation) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 787 |
Repeatable | Yes* |
Best practices |
“The described resource is a physical or logical part of the referenced resource.” – University of Wisconsin Digital Library Data Dictionary |
Element name | Relation-Has Format Of |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource that is substantially the same as the pre-existing described resource, but in another format. |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Has Format (dcterms:hasFormat) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 776 08 $n |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Relation-Is Format Of |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource that is substantially the same as the described resource, but in another format. |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Is Format Of (dcterms:isFormatOf) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 776 08 $n |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Relation-Has Part |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource that is included either physically or logically in the described resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Has Part (dcterms:hasPart) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 774 08 $n |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices | “(For example) The described resource is an anthology that includes this article as well as other articles, each of which is described in another Relation [HasPart] element.” - CDP Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices Version 2.1. |
Element name | Relation-Is Part Of |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Is Part Of (dcterms:isPartOf) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 773 0# $t |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
“The described resource is a physical or logical part of the referenced resource.” – University of Wisconsin Digital Library Data Dictionary |
Element name | Relation-Has Version |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource that is a version, edition, or adaptation of the described resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Has Version (dcterms:hasVersion) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 775 08 $n |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Relation-Is Version Of |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource of which the described resource is a version, edition, or adaptation |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Is Version Of (dcterms:isVersionOf) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 775 08 $n |
Repeatable | Not preferred |
Best practices |
“Changes in version imply substantive changes in content rather than differences in format. ” - CDP Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices Version 2.1 |
Element name | Relation-Replaces |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource that is supplanted, displaced, or superseded by the described resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Replaces (dcterms:replaces) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 780 00 $n |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Relation-Is Replaced By |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource that supplants, displaces, or supersedes the described resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Is Replaced By (dcterms:isReplacedBy) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 785 00 $n |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices | For example, Best Practices for CONTENTdm and other OAI -PMH compliant repositories 1.0 Is Replaced By Best Practices for CONTENTdm and other OAI - PMH compliant repositories 3.0. |
Element name | Relation-Requires |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource that is required by the described resource to support its function, delivery, or coherence |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Requires (dcterms:requires) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 538 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“When the resource being described requires the use of software, hardware, or other infrastructures that are external to the resource itself, record that information in the Relation [Requires] element. For example, if a Dublin Core record for the digitized version of a hand- written letter is delivered to the user as a PDF file, Adobe Acrobat Reader (which is external to the resource being described) is required to view that PDF file” – CDP Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices Version 2.1 |
Element name | Relation-Is Required By |
---|---|
DC definition | A related resource that requires the described resource to support its function, delivery, or coherence |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Is Required By (dcterms:isRequiredBy) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 787 08 $n |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Coverage |
---|---|
DC definition | The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Coverage (dc:coverage) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 500 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“For artifacts or art objects, the spatial characteristics usually refer to the place where the artifact/object originated while the temporal characteristics refer to the date or time period during which the artifact/object was made.“ - CDP Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices Version 2.1 |
Element name | Coverage-Spatial |
---|---|
DC definition | Spatial characteristics of the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | TGN, GNIS, LCNAF |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Spatial Coverage (dcterms:spatial) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 522 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“Currently recommended by the “Collaborative Digitization Project Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices” guide for use only ‘in describing maps, globes, and cartographic resources or when place or time period cannot be adequately expressed using the Subject element.’ Coverage spatial refers to the extent or scope of the content of the resource ( e.g., place shown on a map or in a photograph, or geographic locations that are the topic of a manuscript), not the place of publication or digitization.” - Metadata Best Practices Guide, Western Michigan University Libraries |
Element name | Coverage-Temporal |
---|---|
DC definition | Temporal characteristics of the resource |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | AAT , LCSH |
Syntax scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Temporal Coverage (dcterms:temporal) |
MARC map in WorldCat | 648 |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“Usually a date or range of dates, but can be a named time period (e.g., Renaissance). Temporal coverage ‘refers to the time period covered by the intellectual content of the resource (CDP Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices (CDPDCMBP)),’ not the date of publication or digitization. It can refer to the time period shown in an image, the topic of a written manuscript, the time period covered in a series of diary entries, or, for art objects or artifacts, the date or time period of creation of the piece.” - Metadata Best Practices Guide, Western Michigan University Libraries |
Element name | Audience |
---|---|
DC definition | A class of entity for whom the resource is intended or useful |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Audience (dcterms:audience) |
MARC map in WorldCat | ( 521##$a enhancement recommended) |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
|
Element name | Provenance |
---|---|
DC definition | A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation |
Required | Recommended, as appropriate |
Controlled vocabulary | |
Syntax scheme | |
DC Element Map | Provenance (dcterms:provenance) |
MARC map in WorldCat | ( 561##$a enhancement recommended) |
Repeatable | Yes |
Best practices |
“Provenance, from the French provenir, "to come from," refers to the chronology of the ownership or location of an historical object.” - Oxford English Dictionary |
i Moving towards shareable metadata by Sarah L. Shreeves, Jenn Riley, and Liz Milewicz
First Monday, Volume 11, number 8 - 7 (August 2006),
URL: https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/issue/view/202
ii Han, Myung-Ja, Cho, Christine, Cole, Timothy W. and Jackson, Amy S. (2009) "Metadata for Special Collections in CONTENTdm: How to Improve Interoperability of Unique Fields Through OAI-PMH,"
Journal of Library Metadata, 9: Issue 3 - 4 , 213 - 238.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19386380903405124
Sheila Bair | Western Michigan University | bair@wmich.edu |
Dachun Bao | National Defense University | baod@ndu.edu |
Amalia (Molly) Beisler | University of Nevada Reno | abeisler@unr.edu |
Megan Bernal | Depaul University | MBERNAL2@depaul.edu |
Laura Capell | University of Southern Mississippi | laura.capell@usm.edu |
MingYu Chen | University of Houston | mchen15@uh.edu |
Mei Ling Chow | Montclair University | chowm@mail.montclair.edu |
Kevin Clair | Penn State University | kmc35@psulias.psu.edu |
Lee Dotson | University of Central Florida | ddotson@mail.ucf.edu |
Mario Einaudi | The Huntington Library | meinaudi@huntington.org |
Allegra Gonzalez | Claremont Colleges Digital Library | Allegra_Gonzalez@cuc.claremont.edu |
Deborah Green | University of Idaho | dgreen@uidaho.edu |
Myung-Ja (MJ) Han | University of Illinois U-C | mhan3@illinois.edu |
Rachel Howard | University of Louisville | rachel.howard@louisville.edu |
Amanda A Hurford | Ball State University | aahurford@bsu.edu |
Andrea Kappler | Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library | andreak@evpl.org |
Deborah Keller | US Army | deborah.eb.keller@us.army.mil |
Kate Kluttz | North Carolina State Library | kate.kluttz@ncdcr.gov |
Lyn MacCorkle | University of Miami | LMaccork@miami.edu |
Sandra McIntyre | Mountain West Digital Library | sandra.mcintyre@UTAH.EDU |
Gail McMillan | Virginia Tech | gailmac@vt.edu |
Ann Olszewski | Cleveland Public Library | ann.olszewski@cpl.org |
Jennifer Palmentiero | SE NY Library Resources Council | jennifer@senylrc.org |
Kitty Pittman | Oklahoma State Library | kpittman@oltn.odl.state.ok.us |
Gayle Porter | Chicago State University | gporter@csu.edu |
Gayle Spears | Atlanta University Center | gspears@auctr.edu |
Jill Strass | St. Olaf University | strass@stolaf.edu |
Glee M Willis | University of Nevada Reno | willis@unr.edu |
Ling Wang | University of Illinois Chicago | lwang@uic.edu |
Noelia Ramos | Map Library of Catalonia | noelia.ramos@icc.cat |
Shilpa Rele | University of Miami | s.rele@miami.edu |
Cheryl Walters | Utah State University | cheryl.walters@usu.edu |
Trashinda Wright | Atlanta University Center | twright@auctr.edu |
ZeeZee Zamin | Louisiana State University/LOUIS | zehra@lsu.edu |
Joined 2012: Natalie Bulick |
Indiana State University | natalie.bulick@indstate.edu |
Throughout the digital repository landscape, it is increasingly accepted that metadata needs not only to serve the local community but also be suitable for harvesting externally. The challenge is to sustain useful local information while providing context and perspective to both the local and the remote user. Because each metadata standard and each collection management toolset may derive its own 'best practice,’ it is incumbent upon each community of practice to provide leadership from its constituents' particular points of view.
Thus, in August 2009, OCLC Digital Collection Services (DCS) convened the CONTENTdm Metadata Working Group (MWG) to create a 'best practices' guideline for our community. Discussions followed presentations given at regional and national CONTENTdm Users Groups, and collaborative work was undertaken using the tools familiar to the collective — CONTENTdm, WorldCat Digital Collection Gateway (Gateway) and various social networking environments. The discussion focused on members’ research and publications, and on their efforts to develop, optimize and standardize CONTENTdm metadata element sets such that materials are discoverable easily both in the local CONTENTdm environment as well as across repositories into which their metadata might be harvested according to the standard OAI protocols.
OCLC DCS allocated CONTENTdm servers and trained the MWG members to use the Gateway to map qualified Dublin Core metadata and test them against WorldCat.org displays and WorldCat MARC fields. In the course of the work, the MWG untied several knotty issues and made suggestions resulting in significant improvements to the Gateway. In July, 2010, the Gateway was opened to any OAI -PMH compliant repository.
OCLC Digital Collection Services would like to thank the participants in the CONTENTdm Metadata Working Groupiii, and their colleagues, for their invaluable contribution to this guide, most recently editorial advice on version 3 from Natalie Bulick, Metadata Librarian at the Cunningham Memorial Library, Indiana State University.
Special thanks to Yan Ren, Metadata Specialist and MSIM Candidate, University of Washington iSchool. Yan served as an OCLC Digital Collection Services Intern, Fall 2011, and edited version 3 for inclusion of the full complement of dcterms.
Identifier-Bibliographic Citation
Element Name | Identifier-Bibliographic Citation |
---|---|
DC Definition | A bibliographic reference for the resource |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Bibliographic Citation (dcterms:bibliographicCitation) |
MARC map in WorldCat | (500 ##a enhancement recommended) |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
|
Rights-License
Element Name | Rights-License |
---|---|
DC Definition | A legal document giving official permission to do something with the resource |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | License (dcterms:license) |
MARC MAP IN WWORLDCAT | ( 540##$a enhancement recommended) |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
Date-Modified
Element Name | Date-Modified |
---|---|
DC Definition | Date on which the resource was changed |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | W3CDTF |
DC Element Map | Date Modified (dcterms:modified) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | 046 $j |
REPEATABLE | Not preferred |
BEST PRACTICES |
Relation-Conforms To
Element Name | Relation-Conforms To |
---|---|
DC Definition | An established standard to which the described resource conforms |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Conforms To (dcterms:conformsTo) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | 514 $e (Data Quality Note) |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
|
Relation-References
Element Name | Relation-References |
---|---|
DC Definition | A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | References (dcterms:references) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | 787 08 $n |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
Relation-Is Referenced By
Element Name | Relation-Is Referenced By |
---|---|
DC Definition | A related resource that is referenced, cited, or otherwise pointed to by the described resource |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Is Referenced By (dcterms:isReferencedBy |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | 510 0# |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
Audience-Education Level
Element Name | Audience-Education Level |
---|---|
DC Definition | A class of entity, defined in terms of progression through an educational or training context, for which the described resource is intended |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Audience Education Level (dcterms:educationLevel) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | ( 521##$a enhancement recommended |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
Audience-Mediator
Element Name | Audience-Mediator |
---|---|
DC Definition | An entity that mediates access to the resource and for whom the resource is intended or useful |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Mediator (dcterms:mediator) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | paste |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
|
Instructional method
Element Name | Instructional Method |
---|---|
DC Definition | A process, used to engender knowledge, attitudes and skills, that the described resource is designed to support |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Instructional Method ( dcterms:instructionalMethod) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
|
Accrual Method
Element Name | Accrual Method |
---|---|
DC Definition | The method by which items are added to a collection |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Accrual Method (dcterms:accrualMethod) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | (541##$c enhancement recommended) |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
|
Accrual Periodicity
Element Name | Accrual Periodicity |
---|---|
DC Definition | The frequency with which items are added to a collection. (Current Publication Frequency) |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Accrual Periodicity (dcterms:accrualPeriodicity) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | (310##$a enhancement recommended) |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
|
Accrual Policy
Element Name | Accrual Policy |
---|---|
DC Definition | The policy governing the addition of items to a collection |
Required | As appropriate |
Controlled Vocabulary | |
Syntax Scheme | |
DC Element Map | Accrual Policy (dcterms:accrualPolicy) |
MARC MAP IN WORLDCAT | |
REPEATABLE | Yes |
BEST PRACTICES |
|
Date type | Date example |
---|---|
Known year-month-day | 2001-10-19 |
Known year-month | 2001-10 |
Known year | 2001 |
One year or another | 1892 or 1893 |
Circa year-month | circa 1843-02 |
Decade certain | 1970s |
Before a time period | before 1867 |
After a time period | after 1867 |
-- Guidelines for Metadata Application in the Claremont Colleges Digital Library
About Dates in CONTENTdm:
-Metadata Implementation Guidelines for North Carolina Digital State Document
Geri Bunker Ingram, MLIS OCLC Digital Collection Services |
Myung-Ja "MJ" Han Metadata Librarian Assistant Professor of Library Administration University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign |
Sheila Bair, MLIS Metadata & Cataloging Librarian Western Michigan University |
Jason B. Lee Metadata Coordinator, WorldCat Digital Content OCLC Digital Collection Services |
Lyn MacCorkle Digital Project Development & Repositories Librarian, Digital Initiatives & Resources University of Miami Libraries |
Sandra McIntyre Program Director, Mountain West Digital Library |
Gayle Porter Special Formats Catalog Librarian, University Library Chicago State University |
Taylor Surface Senior Product Manager OCLC Digital Collection Services |
Cheryl Walters Head of Digital Initiatives, Utah State University |