1. Lifecycle Metadata for Digital Objects
November 6, 2002
Usage Metadata

2. What is Usage Metadata? Internal users (with respect to the creator
External users (with respect to the creator)
Internal users (with respect to the repository)
External users (with respect to the repository

3. Creator Usage The creator’s actual use of the object
Version control
The creator’s colleagues’ use of the object
Object function
Object used for reference, model
The creator’s customers’ use of the object
Object function: mediates relationship

4. Repository Usage Management usage Designated user community
Object maintenance and preservation
Object analysis
Designated user community
Object viewing
Object acquisition

5. Why and whether track usage I (external)
Observe what individuals use
Library/archives ethics
The law (FBI access—but thwarted by mere IP addresses in logs)
Serve users better
Who
Designated user community
Everyone
How
Give ‘em what they want
Adjustments to acquisition policies, schedules
Adjustments to preservation policies, schedules

6. Why and whether II (internal)
Manage the repository
Expansion of capacity
More efficient use of capacity
Protect the repository
Detect malicious intrusions
Detect suspicious activity
Manage dissemination better
Manage objects better in the repository
Monitor user trends for storage management
Monitor user trends for preservation management

7. So is this metadata?
Some of this log material is metadata with respect to the objects being managed
Popular objects will get fat
Popularity and selection may define new classes of “archival bond” and hence new metadata for objects
Some of it is data with respect to the management task

8. How to track usage The system can do it for you
OPACs
Web server logs
Firewall logs
Depends on what the logs track and how deeply they identify individual resources