What is metadata and why is it important

What is metadata and why is it important? Norm Friesen, Can. Core Initiative normf@athabascau. ca www. cancore. ca

Introduction • Purpose – Describe what metadata is – Explain its purpose and importance – Describe the new Can. Core Protocol • Norm Friesen, Ph. D – Director, Can. Core Initiative – Librarian, educator, programmer

Topics of Discussion • Define metadata – What it was: libraries – What it is: IMS; Dublin Core – What it will be: Can. Core • Role of Metadata in a repository – Relationship to resources – Relationship to users’ needs

Metadata: Introduction • Definition: – Metadata is “data about data” – Describes and classifies resources that are usually digital

Metadata: Introduction, con’t • Enable discoverability: seamless, singleclick access – Multimedia resources – Combined resources – Educational purposes and audiences • Facilitate: – technical interoperability – Administration of materials

Metadata: what it was

Metadata: what it was AGD-7250 Entered: 06/19/1993 Modified: 06/19/1993 Type: a Bib l: m Enc l: Desc: i Ctry: fr Lang: eng Mod: Srce: d Ill: Audience: Form: Cont: Gvt: i Cnf: Fst: Ind: Fic: Bio: Dat tp: s Dates: 1973 Control: 010; ; a 73173237 //r 81 $o 39732662 $ 015; ; a F*** $ 020; ; a 9264110569: $c $5. 00 (U. S. ) $ 039; 0 ; a $f zf $ 040; ; a LC $ 043; ; a f-ti--- $ 049; ; a aeu $b eng $ 050; 0; a HD 4353 $b. G 74 $ 082; ; a 338. 1/0961/1 $ 090; 00; a GOV DOC ZZ EC 52 73 A 36 $b DO $c 1 $ 100; 10; a Grissa, Abdessatar $ 245; 10; a Agricultural policies and employment : $b case study of Tunisia. $ 260; 0 ; a Paris : $b Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Development Centre ; $a [Washington, D. C. : $b Sales agent OECD Publications Center], $c 1973. $ 300; ; a 216 p. ; $c 24 cm. $ 440; 0; a Development Centre studies. $

Issues for Educational Objects • Electronic format needs to be readable by both machines and humans • Metadata needs to be created by nonlibrarians • Need to describe educational aspects of resources

Metadata: What it is • Dublin Core Metadata Initiative – 15 Elements; all “core” – No confirmed elements for education • IEEE LOM – 76 Elements – Clear leader in metadata for educational objects

Problems with the LOM • • Too few core elements Too many optional elements Ambiguities in definitions No guidelines or interpretations available for implementation – be careful if someone says they’re using IMS for their resources

What it will be; Can. Core • Establishes a core of 43 LOM elements • Can. Core established for the purposes of sharing data between collections • Will provide guidelines and interpretations that will address ambiguities and facilitate implementation

Can. Core Con’t • Is being used in the architecture of the national Edu. Source projects • Funding and support from: – Netera Alliance – Tele. Campus. edu – Electronic Text Centre at UNB • Alberta Learning

Can. Core: Benefits • Architecture: Easy sharing of resources across collections • User: Seamless, single-click access to wide variety of resources

Metadata and Resources

Can. Core, Con’t • There are degrees of compliance with Can. Core (or any metadata standard) • The more of Can. Core (elements and guidelines for their use) that can be utilized, the greater the seamlessness of resource use can be expected & greater discoverability

Next Steps • Finalize draft of element descriptions and guidelines • Establish subject vocabularies for K-12, university, and technical institutions in the province • Establish advisory & maintenance roles for metadata

Athabasca Digital Library In a Box Norm Friesen Athabasca University normf@athabascau. ca http: //adlib. athabascau. ca

Web Server Software: • Web-based; no software to download/install • Portable, self-contained, linked • Create, store and search metadata • Open Source • Open protocols for sharing records • Browser-independent • Based on open source software • Create XML record, submit to a database, submit to AD LIB

Metadata creation: • Upload or link to resources • Simplified interface based on Can. Core best practice recommendations • Future features: – multilingual interface – Customizable appearance – Accessibility for those with disabilities (Section 508, W 3 C)

Technology: • Front-end: PHP - open source "Hypertext Processor" programming language • Back-end: Object-relational Postgres database • Simplified interface based on Can. Core best practices recommendations • Object-oriented, modular, extensible, design • Minimal client side functionality required (no cookies, etc. )

Support: • CANARIE Inc: Canada's Internet Development Organization • The NETERA Alliance • Alberta Learning • Athabasca University