Curves Ahead! A Sunday Driver’s Tour of Metadata, Metasearch, and Open Linking Karen Calhoun Cornell University Library Prepared for the Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Retreat March 18, 2005

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 2 Four Easy Lessons 1.Why you should care about metadata 2.What metadata is 3.Where metadata comes from and how it’s shared 4.Metadata and information discovery systems

1.Why You Should Care: Strategic Decisions and Actions

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 4 A Strategy for Libraries Internal and external pressures –External: library user communities have many choices for discovering the info they need –Internal: lost opportunities because library staff skill sets lag behind Mandate: Carry forward the library’s role to organize the world’s information –Apply this role in the digital age –Embrace metadata as a sustainable strategic advantage (the one with the best metadata, wins)

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 5 Benefits of Metadata Overcomes chaos and infoglut (makes stuff easier to find and manage) Saves time Lowers costs Complements what search engines, lists and directories do Can be shared, reused, and redistributed

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 6 2. What Metadata Is Definitions Evolution: Before and After the Web (B.W. and A.W.) Thematic charts of metadata types and functions Recognizing metadata when you see it Examples: metadata record displays

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 7 Definitions “Data about data” (what?) ALA CC:DA studied 46 definitions! “Structured, encoded data that describe characteristics of information-bearing entities…”

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 8 A Functional Definition* Helps you find and/or manage information Serves particular purposes Can be used by people or by machines Often has structure and/or content rules Can be created by people or by machines *With thanks to Tom Turner, former Metadata Librarian, Mann Library, Cornell University

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 9 Evolution: Metadata B.W. and A.W. B.W. –For finding and managing library materials (mostly print) –Catalog records (AACR and MARC) –Shared cooperative cataloging systems –Usually handcrafted, one at a time –Highly structured and content-rich –Expensive A.W. –For finding and managing many types of materials, for many user communities –Many types of records –Many metadata repositories (most not shared or sharable) –Sometimes handcrafted, sometimes machine-made, sometimes both –Varied structure and content –Can be less or more expensive than library cataloging

MARC, Dublin Core, TEI EAD FGDC VRA ICPSRMPEG Describes or identifies info resources Facilitates navigation, retrieval, display Facilitates managing, using info resources

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 11 Recognizing Metadata When You See It (and When You Don’t) Embedded in HTML document Database records Many ways to display metadata records Examples

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March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library Where Metadata Comes From and Where It Can Go Metadata projects Creation and tools Mapping and crosswalks Interoperability

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 18 Metadata projects: a checklist of questions to consider Who will be using the digital collection, and how? How large is the digital project? What software and hardware will you use? What is the role of metadata in the project, and at what point will it be created? What is the workflow? What is the desired scope and depth of the metadata records? Who will be creating the metadata, and how? Is there existing metadata? Is staffing adequate? Can you afford the metadata you want? What standards will you use or adapt? Who needs to be involved in decision-making? How will this metadata be integrated into the library’s other collections, databases or catalogs?

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 19 Metadata creation and tools Manual Using templates –DC-dot ( Re-using existing metadata –Cornell “sleek” records

What do we know about this image? Bowdoin College baseball team, c MMN item number Brunswick, Cumberland County, Maine Photographic print 25 x 34 cm Contributed by Maine Historical Society Digitized by Maine Memory Network Manual Metadata Creation -1-

What do we know about this image? Hedge Laboratory – Bates College Photograph taken circa 1900 MMN item number 7394 Lewiston, Androscoggin County, Maine Photo transparency 2.25 x 3.5 cm Contributed by Lewiston Public Library From Gridley Barrows Collection Digitized by Maine Memory Network Manual Metadata Creation -2-

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 22 Manual Metadata Creation: Sample questions to discuss What kind of metadata content do you want to be searchable in your system? What is your policy regarding the form of corporate names? What is your policy regarding the formatting of dates?

Automated Generation of Metadata / Reuse of Metadata

Automated Generation of Metadata: A “Sleek” Catalog Record

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 25 Mapping and Crosswalks Basis for sharing, reusing, redistributing metadata Basis for integrating multiple metadata types for federated searching (simultaneous searching of multiple collections) Example of a crosswalk: MARC to Dublin Core (

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 26 Interoperability Defined by CC:DA as: –“The ability of two or more systems or components to exchange information and use the exchanged information without special effort on either system.”

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library Metadata and Information Discovery Systems Key problems and issues Next generation library systems –ENCompass (Endeavor) –MetaLib (Ex Libris) –Others Metasearching and open linking under the hood Metadata’s role

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 28 Key Problems and Needs PROBLEMS –Countless information resources, little time –Searchers on their own to be aware of collections, know how to link, know how to search – WE NEED TO HELP USERS QUICKLY AND CONVENIENTLY… –Learn what collections are available –Learn which collections are relevant to their needs –Find the particular parts of collections that meet their needs

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 29 A Next Generation Library System Manages metadata diversity Integrates heterogeneous metadata types for searching Provides federated searching of local and remote collections Open linking: Provides seamless linking among related information objects (e.g., a citation and the full text of the article)

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library st Century Cataloging Libraries need to combine robust shared cataloging systems with new forms of metadata and with tying multiple forms of metadata into a single system.

Federated Searching (Metasearch) Under the Hood Web client displays! Metadata “lingua franca” Metadata mappings Descriptive metadata definitions XML data Dinner is served! Mixing bowls, cooking, and serving dishes Recipes Characteristics of ingredients and how they are packaged Raw ingredients

Open Linking & Link Resolvers Source Link Resolver Metadata OPAC Link Full Text ILL Link Open linking introduces a “resolver” into the linking process OpenURL standardizes this part of the communication

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 38 Metadata’s Role West Quoddy Head Lighthouse Maine

March 2005Calhoun, Cornell University Library 39 Your Turn to Work