Metadata in the digital library: building an integrated strategy with XML

Abstract

While we as technical services librarians in charge of a variety of tangible and electronic collections are familiar with the scope of metadata in a traditional sense (still primarily MARC and non-linked data-based), we may not be as familiar with the metadata required to both manage and preserve a digital library. At the core of Metadata in the Digital Library is the use of a suite of XML-based metadata standards, including OAIS, the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), the Metadata Encoding Transmission Standard (METS), Metadata for Image in XML Standard (MIX), Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS), and the PREservation Metadata Implementation Strategies (PREMIS). While I think that Metadata in the Digital Library is a highly recommended resource for technical services librarians charged with managing digital collections and libraries, I also suggest examining and purchasing User Studies for Digital Library Development (edited by Milena Dobreva, Andy O'Dwyer, and Pierluigi Feliciati, first published in print by Facet in 2012 and in e-book form in 2018).