Metadata in ARL Libraries

1. Metadata in ARL Libraries Jin Ma Catalog/Metadata LibrarianNewman Library, Baruch College The City University of New York ALCTS CCS Cataloging Norms Interest Group ALA Midwinter, Denver January 24, 2009

2. Background The purpose of the project SPEC survey, collaborative effortwith the staff at ARL, Lee Anne George, SPEC Kits Series Editor Spring 2007, 123 ARL member libraries, 68 (55%) responses Metadata: SPEC Kit 298, July 2007

3. Starting Date of Metadata Creation

4. Metadata Related Projects/Initiatives

5. Types of Digital Resources

6. Metadata Standards MARC (MAchine Readable Cataloging) 61 91%EAD (Encoded Archival Description) 56 84% Dublin Core 52 78% Qualified Dublin Core 45 67% TEI Headers (Text Encoding Initiative) 37 55% Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS) 28 42% Visual Resources Association (VRA) Core Categories 24 36% FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM) 10 15% IEEE Learning Object Metadata (LOM) 5 8% Categories for the Description of Works of Art (CDWA) 4 6% MPEG Multimedia Metadata 4 6% ICPSR Data Document Initiative (DDI) 3 5% ONIX (Online Information Exchange) 2 3% GILS (Global Information Locator Service) 2 3% Instructional Management Systems (IMS): IMS Learning Resource Meta-data Specification 2 3% Other 20 30%

7. Metadata Standards

8. Controlled Vocabularies Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) 63 96% LC Name Authority File 58 88% Art and Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) 42 64% LC Thesaurus for Graphical Materials I: Subject Terms (TGM I) 31 47% LC Thesaurus for Graphical Materials II: Genre and Physical Characteristic Terms (TGM II) 27 41% Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names (TGN) 24 36% Getty Union List of Artist Names (ULAN) 20 30% Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) 18 27% Geographic Names Information Service (GNIS) 16 24% National Agricultural Library Thesaurus (NALT) 4 6% UNESCO Thesaurus 2 3% Other 20 30%

9. Software or Tools for Metadata Creation and Editing

10. Digital Content Management Systems

11. Metadata Sharing and Management

12. Metadata Quality Control

13. Organizational Changes Redefined librarian position(s) to include metadata activities 36 62% Created a new metadata librarian position 26 45% Incorporated metadata services into existing department(s) /unit(s) without making any name change 21 36% Incorporated metadata services into existing department /unit and renamed the department/unit 13 22% Created a separate metadata services department/unit 7 12% Metadata activities are distributed across the institution 31 53% We are now in the planning stages for reorganizing to accommodate metadata 5 9% Other 8 14%

14. Metadata Librarian Positions

15. Department/Unit Name Changes

16. Metadata Creators

17. Total Number of Individuals (Full-time)

18. Total Number of Individuals (Part-time)

19. Total FTE (both full- and part-time)

20. Metadata Librarian Qualifications

21. Metadata Librarian Qualifications(cont.)

22. Metadata Staff Training

23. Metadata Conferences and Workshops American Library Association Annual Conference 51 81% American Library Association Midwinter Meeting 46 73% OCLC workshops 31 49% Digital Library Federation Forums 21 33% Joint Conference on Digital Libraries 20 32% ALCTS Regional Institute 15 24% Metadata Applications and Standards workshop 14 22% METS Opening Day 13 21% Society of American Archivist conferences and workshops 10 16% Metadata and Digital Library Development workshop 8 13% LITA Regional Institute or National Conference 8 13% Open Repositories 4 6% Other 38 60%

24. Characteristics of the Metadata World Changing user needs and evolving information environment New models of data generation and distribution Decentralized metadata activities and organizational structure ILS - > Disintegrated library systems Paradigm shift from “metadata creation” to “metadata management”

25. Decentralized Metadata Activities Cataloging Department, Technical Services, Special Collections, Archives, Subject Librarians, Digital Initiatives… Reorganizing to accommodate metadata activities Developing policies and guidelines Implementing appropriate workflow

26. The Role of Metadata Librarian What is a metadata librarian? Where to place metadata librarian? Technical services, special collections/archives, IT, digital initiatives program… What are the core competencies? Cataloging background, IT competencies, communication skills… Work collaboratively with other staff

27. Catalogers and Technical Services “The Cataloging Department does not seem to embrace creating metadata for digital projects. Metadata responsibilities have been distributed to Digital Initiatives and Archives departments.” “We distribute metadata creation to catalogers who specialize in those formats.” “The metadata librarian reports to Technical Services but is also a member of the Digital Library Center Program.”

28. Metadata Standards, Tools, and Interoperability The proliferation of emerging metadata standards A wide range of tools, software, and platforms Interoperability becomes the most critical issue Comments: the lack of “system-wide infrastructure” the difficulty of “interoperating existing online collections with new ones on new platforms” “the cost and difficulty of creating consistent metadata across multiple formats and implementation systems”

29. Metadata Management Project-based metadata creation – large scale of metadata generation Identifying metadata relationships and processes organization-wide Promoting sharing and reuse of metadata resources

30. Many Thanks to Lee Anne George, Editor, SPEC Kit Series and other ARL staff Responding libraries