Estimated time to complete this section: 85 minutes
2.3 Readings:
- Martin Greer and Anna Neatrour. “Using Metadata to Describe Digital Content.” Public Library Partnership Program, Digital Public Library of America, 2015 (Video time = 36 minutes)
- Recommended Reading: “Metadata” Joint Information Systems Committee, 2016 (Estimated Read time = 20 minutes)
Put simply, metadata is the structured information we use to describe content. Some forms of metadata should be familiar to us. From archival finding aids to iTunes, the descriptive information attributed to digital objects has created a context for understanding and discovering content in ways that impact our lives daily.
The holdings at your library are likely organized using a metadata schema. Structured metadata is the categories or fields, such as title, date, creator, and source that describe an item or object. Look at the item pages from the national or regional archives we explored in 2.1. For instance, this poster promoting School Gardens during World War I available at the Library of Congress. You’ll notice the structured way in which the poster is described. The item is described using consistent vocabularies:
- Title: “Follow the Pied Piper Join the United States School Garden Army”
- Contributor: the artist, Maginel Wright Barney
- Publisher: The Graphic Company, in Washington D.C.
- Genre: American War Posters 1910-1920, Color Prints 1910-1920
- Medium: 1 print : offset, color ; sheet 54.5 x 40 cm (poster format)
Using a standard language for describing this item (and all other items in a collection) ensures that they are organized and searchable.
As described in Module 1, Omeka makes it easy to describe items because it is structured around the Dublin Core Metadata Schema (though, as you will see there is some flexibility). To get started adding items to your Omeka install:
- Familiarize yourself with the Dublin Core metadata schema: As you begin to develop your own collection, it is important that you utilize controlled vocabularies. For larger projects, particularly those with multiple contributors, you may need to create a vocabulary list or style guide to maintain consistency across your project.
- Add an Item. The best way to get started is by adding an item. Take time to play on the different pages associated with an item. As you begin adding content to the fields and pages of your item, be sure to provide as much information as possible. Remember that content can be modified, updated, or deleted at any time. Be sure to include copyright and rights information (as described in 2.2).
- Utilize Item Types: Item Types make it easier to utilize the appropriate descriptive fields for certain objects in your collection (for instance, the descriptive information necessary for a sound recording will be different than that of a still image.) You may find that it is useful to edit an existing item type or to create your own item types. In these cases, be sure to add a description that explains how that item type should be used in your collections. (See, the Building Histories of the National Mall guide for an example of how a team worked together to develop a particular vocabulary for a large project.)
- Extend your Omeka installation with Plugins. Plugins are tools that extend the basic functionality of Omeka.
- Upload several items with CSV Import: The CSV Import plugin allows users to import more than one item using a CSV (comma-separated values) file. The column data from the CSV file is mapped to multiple elements, files and/or tags. In order to utilize CSV Import, you must first install and configure the plugin, and develop a CSV file with your item data.
- Information on additional plugins not available in the Omeka.net trial plan can be found on the Resources page.