Introduction to metadata Describe and tag your collections
Introduction to metadata Describe and tag your collections
What is metadata?
What is metadata?
What is metadata?
What is metadata? Even you have metadata • • • Full legal name Birth date Tax file number Employee ID Home address Email address
What is metadata? Data about data, tells you • What is it? • Where is it? • What can you do?
What is it? Description helps users • Search • Distinguish • Connect
Where is it? Location helps navigation • To collections • Within items
What can you do? Administration helps management • Access • Copyright • Preservation
Why is metadata important? Collections without metadata are like soup cans without labels
Why is metadata important? Magnify the value of collections • • Visibility Discoverability Management Connections
Keywords are useful, but…
Always think about discovery Be consistent • Standards • Thesauri • Vocabularies • Local practice
Practical guidance Step 1: Make description decisions
Make decisions Discovery & access • In person vs. Online Standards & thesauri • Free text vs. vocabulary
How to describe Level of description • Individual vs. Collection Level of detail • Significance vs. Time
Practical guidance Step 2: Understand the essentials What? Who? Where? When?
What? Think about… • What is the format? • What does it depict? • What is it about? • What is it related to?
Who? Think about… • Who created it? • Who does it depict? • Who is it about? • Who holds the rights? • Who can use it?
Where? Think about… • Where was it created? • Where is it about? • Where did the ‘who’ live or operate?
When? Think about… • When was it created? • When is it about? • When did the ‘who’ live or operate?
Practical guidance Step 3: Record the essentials
Metadata fields • • Title Creator Date Location • • Format Description Subjects Rights
Title – Formal title Use meaningful titles provided by the creator • Caption • Label • Film leader
Title – Devised title Otherwise, devise a brief title that uniquely identifies the material • Include the essentials • Be precise • Be succinct Queensland Ambulance Association officers demonstrate first aid, Brisbane, 1942
Creator Can be • Individuals • Families • Corporate bodies Identify the main creator • Predominately responsible
Creator Most commonly known name • H&M, not Hennes & Mauritz Fullest form of the name • Spell out initials Structured format • Hacker, Henry, 1876 -1973
Date Be consistent! Fullest form possible • 22 May 1961, not ’ 61 • 1901 -1940 Don’t use letters – 1 st, 13 th, etc.
Date – Uncertain If unsure of exact date • 1911? (probable date) • ca. 1915 (approximate date) • ca. 1890 -1900 (approximate range) Where possible, record SOMETHING
Location Always include state or higher jurisdiction • Warwick (Qld. ) vs. Warwick (England) Further differentiate non-unique names • West End (Townsville, Qld. ) • Queen Street (Goodna, Qld. )
Location – Coordinates Use geographic coordinates • Use decimal degrees • Enhance discovery SLQ estate maps Historypin
Description Brief summary of significant details • Be objective – don’t evaluate • Be interesting but concise • Use natural language If the title says it all, don't add a description
Description Describe the essentials • • What is it? Who/what is it about? When/where did it occur? … what can you see? Studio portrait of a teenage girl, 1910 -1920, showing head and shoulders. She wears a large bow in her hair, a flat collar with a lace front and a striped dress.
Format Current format • 1 digital image : JPEG • 1 diary (42 pages) Original format for copies • 1 glass plate negative
Format Size or extent of a collection • 1. 5 linear metres • 10 boxes • 12 audiocassettes • 50 digital photographs • 5 audio files
Subjects Tags to link related content • • Topical Name Place Time period • • Event Genre Form etc.
Subjects Controlled examples • • architectural drawings (visual works) K'Gari / Fraser Island (SE Qld SG 56 -03) stations (properties) Authors, Australian -- 19 th century -- Diaries
Rights Creators own copyright • May set rules for use • Expiration varies by content type Donors may set restrictions Let users know what they can do! • Access and reuse
Practical guidance Example records
Example 1 – MARC
Example 2 – Dublin Core
Example 3 – Vgallery
Example 4 – Historypin
‘Taking tea on the verandah, ca. 1910’
digitalresources@slq. qld. gov. au Contact the Metadata Services team at SLQ with follow-up description questions
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