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ADMINISTRIVIA

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Created and Maintained by: A.B. Credaro
Updated December 30, 2006

METADATA: ITS USE AND APPLICATION
IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Amanda Credaro Š1999-2006

Note: Whilst the term is most correctly written as 'metadata', it is also correct to represent it with a hyphon. However, it should not be confused with Metadata (one unhyphonated word with initial capitalisation which is an Incontestable Registered Use.

What is it? How is it Relevant to School Libraries?

i)DEFINITIONS

a)Terminology

The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (FOLDOC)(1999) defines metadata as documentation relating to information contained within an application or environment. Reduced to the simplest terms, this signifies that metadata is "information about information" (EdNA, 1998; Miller, c1998).

b) Purpose

The primary purpose of metadata is to facilitate discovery of electronic resources (Dublin Core Metadata Initiative, 1999). Although originally intended for author-generated descriptions of Web-based resources, the concept has found acceptance in museums, commercial areas and libraries as an aid to information dentification and recovery relating to all types of media.

Information retrieval techniques span a spectrum from full-text search (W3C, c1998) to knowledge-base query. This provides the return of results which vary from high-recall to high precision, giving the information user a choice between a large volume of results that might be useful, to a smaller number of result that are more likely to be relevant. However, even the most sophisticated searching tools are unable to sift the dross from the search results. Indexes are most useful in small collections within given domains, but as the scope of their coverage increases, problems are created with large retrieval sets and "cross disciplinary semantic drift" (Weibel, 1995).

By employing metadata to describe resources, information seekers are provided with a more refined search (EdNA, 1998) than is possible with conventional search
engines without the use of metadata. Additionally, the capability exists to provided
weighted search results (Michigan Library, 1998) where priority is given to terms contained in the metadata elements, rather than those contained in the document itself.

Not only does metadata allow the identification of information, but also evaluation and relevance (Tasmanian Department of Education, 1998) prior to retrieval and subsequent consultation.

b) Development

With in excess of 350 million publicly available web pages (Tasmanian Dept of Education, 1998) it became obvious some years ago that a method of indexing the information available on the Internet was required.

Library professionals, computer experts and information specialists (OCLC, c 1998) met in 1995 at Dublin, Ohio, and reached agreement on the types of data that should be provided to allow retrieval of information. The resulting list of desirable attributes became known as the Dublin Core. Designed to be embedded by the author, in documents and "document like-objects" (including images) (Tasmanian DET, 1998), this "information about information" would allow a more satisfactory indexing of resources located on the Internet.

Since that initial meeting, a further five invitational conventions have been held, the most recent being in Washington, D.C. in November, 1998 (Weibel, 1999). It is a tribute to the construction of the original Dublin Core that the fifteen original elements have persisted throughout the intervening years in an area characterised by rapid change and development.

However, there are quite a number of issues to be addressed in the continuation of the Dublin Core, including the relationship to other metadata models. Due to the
number of metadata standards that exist, the Warwick Framework was developed early in 1996 to "contain" (Cathro, 1997) the different models for metadata.

c) Significance to Libraries in General

Predating the Internet (Miller, c1998), metadata has been used by libraries to provide information such as book titles, authors, publishers, and links to other related works. The presentation of the information was on standardised card systems in manually created catalogues. However, automation of library systems has rendered this method largely obsolete in all but the smallest of libraries. Unfortunately, traditional cataloguing protocols have persisted in the electronic environment, engendering restrictive practices and complex procedures.

Within a traditional library setting, the creation of records concerning information sources has been the province of trained professional cataloguers (Miller, c1998). Metadata of the Dublin Core type was specifically developed to be incorporated into electronically accessible documents by the author of the document, without specialist training nor comprehensive knowledge of multiple knowledge domains. This has multiple benefits; not only are costs reduced through the reduction of human resources in catalogue record creation, but also the intent of the author is not open to misinterpretation, as may occur when cataloguing is undertaken by a third party.

Formal cataloguing by traditional procedures, is not only time consuming but also costly to maintain. Further, with the locational drift that characterises Internet-based information, data on these resources must be constantly updated. Unlike 'books on shelves', web sites move, links 'die' and updated information is frequently located at a different site with the obsolete information not removed. Embedded metadata will resolve many of these problems, as the embedded metadata is transferred with the document.

The various metadata standards are an attempt to bridge the gap between the comprehensive cataloguing undertaken by information professionals in a library context, and the ad hoc document creation which proliferates on the Internet.

Encouragement of "any initiative which seeks to implement standard metadata schemas" is stated by the National Library of Australia (NLA, 1999). Providing links to metadata creation tools, the NLA promotes the use of 'editors' which provide a template and 'generators' which extracts metadata form existing HTML encoded documents. However, the ease of creation of metadata (Paxton, 1998) using an on-line editing facility, is demonstrated in Appendix 1 (Sample Dublin Core Metadata with EdNA conventions).

ii) RELEVANCE TO SCHOOL LIBRARIES

Internal Procedures

School Local Area Networks

Much valuable information exists within the school network. Student records, curriculum information and of course library catalogues. As information technology becomes more firmly entrenched within Australian schools, particularly at the secondary level, it would be expected that many staff would maintain databases in numerous electronic locations.

With use of metadata to describe the contents of individual databases, a whole school approach to information management can become a reality. The ability to locate and retrieve appropriate information, with subsequent additions to the database by other members of staff, reduces the workload of individual teachers and administrators in addition to ensuring currency of information. The resulting benefit for school libraries is an improvement in library management procedures.

School Web Pages

Technological advances in society, and their reflection in educational practices, have transformed school libraries from a "document depository" (Hakala, 1996) to an information gateway by virtue of being network information access providers.

As information technology competency levels are improved within the school system, the construction and 'publication' of school web sites may be expected to undergo rapid expansion. Late in 1998, the NSW Department of Education and Training distributed Internet Publishing Guidelines, indicating the departmental expectations in regard to schools establishing a 'web presence'. It is noted, however, that the document does not include any reference to metadata.

Whilst many of the existing school "homepages" contain little more than promotional material, a much more utilitarian aspect exist. Students with home internet access may be able to access not only their school library catalogue through the school's website, but also may access other school-based information if appropriately 'tagged"' with metadata.

Library OPACS

Unlike other machine-readable records, metadata does not use qualifiers (EdNA, 1998) so is able to be interpreted electronically by systems that are not specifically programmed for information analysis. However, the use of metadata to describe electronic resources may be more pragmatic than the generation of MARC records due to the greater flexibility created through less restrictive practices than those which characterise AACR2. Records created using one system are easily converted to another , a characteristic known as interoperability (NLA, 1999). This 'vendor independence' (Harvey, 1998) creates a freedom from reliance on any single library automation software package, and a subsequent platform independence.

Appendix 2 ( Mapping Between Formats) demonstrates the ease of conversion between formats. Dublin Core metadata may be expressed as USMARC, the most commonly used electronic cataloguing system in Australian schools, as reflected by the record types provided by SCIS. Paxton (1998) notes that the SCIS subject headings are the standard searching language of teacher librarians and students in Australia.

The evolution of new formats of electronic media, such as DVD and MiniDisk, will not create the same difficulties for a teacher librarian who catalogues with metadata. Although specifically developed for Internet-based documents, metadata may be generated for numerous objects (see Appendix 3, Draft Thesaurus of Information Type Terminology).

External Procedures

Internet Applications

With the exponential growth of information available on the internet, many valuable sources of reference are available to all academic institutions, including schools. Not only does this represent data complimentary to that contained in a school library, but also many valuable collections only exist in electronic format (Weibel, 1995) and are made available via the Internet. Scholarly discussions on listservs, satellite imagery, and many other examples of 'high-tech' resources are accessible through the Internet alone.

Keyword searching with search tools may produce many hundreds of thousands of irrelevant results (Moody, 1998). For example, a search using the term "Shakespeare" will produce not only information about the Elizabethan author, but also publishers who include Shakespeare-related works, booksellers, festival organisers, educational institutions who offer courses with the word "Shakespeare" in the title, and completely irrelevant information with visible connection to anything remotely Shakespearian. Although the development of appropriate search strings will refine the search, this requires a reasonably high degree of information literacy, which primary level students, and few lower secondary students have developed.

By utilising the functionality enabled by the employment of metadata, a simple term addition is possible for search purposes, permitting school students to identify information appropriate to their needs.

EdNA

EdNA has defined its own set of elements, based on the Dublin Core, but adapted for educational use in the Australian context. Employing the use of SCIS subject headings, EdNA also defines 'user levels' according to relevance in the school systems (see Appendix 4: EdNA Metadata Elements). It is interesting to note the implication that Australia is at the forefront in this area of educational information retrieval, with the Alliance of Remote Instructional Authoring and Distributions Networks for Europe (ARIADNE), working with the US funded Educause IMS Project, still developing an educational metadata set (ARIADNE, 1999).

The employment of metadata by EdNA also has enabled education documents to be entered into the EdNA database (EdNA, 1998), allowing searching by other OPACs including those in school libraries with Internet capabilities.

CONCLUSION

Thus, metadata has multiple relevance for school libraries for both their users and in administration. Metadata permits the library databases to become part of broader network search services (Lynch, c1998), which in turn allows students and staff to access material through both library and non-library databases. Also, metadata may be employed to describe new resources that cannot be cost-effectively supported through traditional cataloguing approaches. Further, the provision of more accurate and relevant internet searching will assist students to achieve their research objectives.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ARIADNE (1999). Latest Update January 1999. ARIADNE's Work in Educational Metadata. Online. Available.
Accessed May 11, 1999.

Cathro, W. (1997). Metadata: An overview. National Library of Australia . Online.
Available. Accessed May 11, 1999.

Dublin Core Metadata Initiative (1999). Metadata for electronic resources. The Dublin Core: A Simple Content Description Model for Electronic Resources.
Online. Available. Accessed May 11, 1999.

EdNA (1998). Background on Metadata and EdNA. Education Network Australia.
Online. Available.
Updated August 31, 1998. Accessed May 11, 1999.

Free Online Dictionary of Computing (1999). Metadata. Online. Available.
Accessed May 12, 1999.

Hakala, J. (c1996). Cataloguing, indexing and retrieval of digital documents. Description of the Nordic Metadata Project. Online. Available.
Accessed April 30, 1999.

Harvey, R. (1998). Technical Standards. Organising Knowledge In Australia . Wagga Wagga, NSW: Centre for Information Studies, Charles Sturt University.

Lynch, C. (c1998). The Dublin Core Descriptive Metadata Program: Strategic Implications for Libraries and Networked Information Access . Online. Available.
Accessed May 11, 1999.

Michigan Library Consortium (1998). Metadata and the Dublin Core: Harnessing the Internet through Bibliographic Control. Online. Available.
Accessed May 11, 1999.

Miller, P. (c1998). Metadata for the masses. Get Tooled Up. Online. Available.
Accessed May 11, 1999.

Moody, G. (1998). A new dawn. New Scientist Planet Science . Online.
Available.
Accessed May 12, 1999.

National Library of Australia (1999). Tools. Meta Matters . Online. Available.
Accessed May 11, 1999.

NSW Department of Education and Training (1998). Internet Publishing Guidelines .
Sydney: Information Technology Bureau, Department of Education and Training.

OCLC (1998). Metadata Meetings. Organising the Global Digital Library II. Online.
Available. Accessed May 11, 1999.

Paxton, E. (1998). EdNA adopts SCIS metadata standard. Connections 27.

Tasmanian Department of Education. (1998). What is Metadata? School Library Bulletin -027.8 . Library and Information Centre, Department of Education.
Online. Available. Updated Sept 3, 1998. Accessed May 11, 1999.

Weibel, S. (1995). Metadata: The foundations of resource description. D-Lib Magazine. Online. Available. Accessed May 11, 1999.

Weibel, S. (1999). The state of the Dublin Core metadata initiative April 1999.
D-Lib Magazine. Online. Available. Accessed May 11, 1999.

W3C (c1998). Catalogues: Resource Description and Discovery . Online. Available. Accessed May 11, 1999.

Updated April 22, 2001. Reformatted and moved to this site December 28, 2006.

METADATA: ITS USE AND APPLICATION IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES