Metadata in the Digital Library: Building an Integrated Strategy with XML

Metadata in the Digital Library is a comprehensive guide to building a digital library metadata strategy from scratch,using established metadata standards bound together by the markup language XML. It covers the range of metadata needed to run a digital library and preserve its collections,including technical details, intellectual property rights, and preservation. The book introduces the XML language and key standards for each type of metadata,and demonstrates how they can be integrated using the packaging standard METS. Two case studies from the Warburg Institute in London show how the strategy can be implemented in a working environment.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 02 November 2021
Publisher: Facet Publishing

The realm of metadata required to oversee a digital library and ensure the long-term preservation of its collections is significantly more intricate and extensive than its traditional counterpart. It encompasses the same descriptive information that aids users in locating the resources they need, but it must also supplement this with comprehensive administrative metadata. This encompasses technical details about the files that comprise its collections, the documentation of complex intellectual property rights, and the extensive set necessary to support its preservation over an extended period. To accommodate all of this, the utilization of multiple metadata standards is necessary, all of which must be seamlessly integrated into a unified whole.

Metadata in the Digital Library serves as a comprehensive guide to developing a digital library metadata strategy from scratch, utilizing established metadata standards unified through the markup language XML. The book introduces the reader to the theory of metadata and demonstrates its practical application. It outlines the fundamental principles that should underpin any metadata strategy, such as its relationship to the digital curation lifecycle, and showcases how these principles should be implemented effectively. It introduces the XML language and the key standards for each type of metadata, including Dublin Core and MODS for descriptive metadata and PREMIS for its administrative and preservation counterpart. Furthermore, the book illustrates how these standards can be seamlessly integrated using the packaging standard METS. Two case studies from the Warburg Institute in London showcase how the strategy can be implemented in a real-world environment.

The strategy outlined in this book ensures that a digital library's metadata will support all of its operations, be fully interoperable with other libraries, and enable seamless access to its collections for users worldwide. By adhering to the principles and guidelines presented in this book, digital libraries can establish a robust metadata infrastructure that will ensure the long-term viability and accessibility of their valuable resources.

Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781783304844