Metadata

Summary

Metadata is a broad term that is used across different industries, professions, technologies, and platforms. In the context of digital collections, metadata is structured information that describes digital resources. Metadata not only identifies key data elements like Title and Creator, it can also provide context to help researchers make sense of an object. The most obvious example of this is Description, a metadata field that allows for a free-text account of an object.

The goal of adding metadata is to help researchers find, identify, select, and access objects in our collections. We share our collections online so that people can use them; without quality metadata those objects are virtually invisible.

Types of Metadata

There are different ways to categorize metadata. One way is to group it by function, such as administrative, structural, and descriptive.

• Administrative metadata helps you manage and provide access to content. It’s mainly for internal users, though not exclusively. Examples include file name, file size, dimensions, bit depth, and date digitized. You may see rights metadata included in this category.
• Structural metadata describes the relationship among parts of a multi-part resource, like books, in which you would need metadata for sequence, place in the hierarchy, page number, and so forth.
• Descriptive metadata enables resource discovery, and includes things like title, creator, description, subject, and date created. 

Metadata Schemas

Metadata is the most useful when it is applied consistently. One of the ways we achieve consistency is by using a metadata schema, which is essentially a playbook for describing a type of resource. The playbook contains things like the fields you’re allowed to use and guidelines for creating valid content to go in those fields. When everyone follows the rules of their playbook/schema, it’s easier to exchange data between systems and participate in shared digital projects. 

Metadata schemas are usually developed for specific types of resources, though some (like Dublin Core) are general purpose. The metadata schemas you may encounter in the context of digital collections include:

• Dublin Core – general use
• VRA Core – images
• MODS – Dublin Core + MARC
• DACS – archival materials
• TEI – text
• Home grown

Controlled Vocabularies

Another way we achieve consistency in our metadata is by using terms from a controlled vocabulary for fields like Creator, Subject, and Geographic Heading. Controlled vocabularies bring together different terms that express the same concept (like sofa and couch), and they disambiguate different concepts expressed by the same term (like bow the weapon and bow the looped knot). One of the largest and most popular controlled vocabularies is Library of Congress Subject Headings. Even if you don’t use a controlled vocabulary, try to be consistent about how you construct and spell names, subjects, and other values across records.

Suggested Recordings and Readings

• Digital Collections Stewardship Module 5: Enhancing. WebJunction, 2023. Self-paced slides and videos, 1 hour.
• Hitchner, Amy. “Metadata for Digital Collections.” Recorded on Feb. 18, 2026. 1 hour. Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
  • Slides
  • Note: the PPC Metadata Guidelines referenced in the presentation have since moved to Resources for Contributors
• Lhost, Elizabeth. “Focus on Metadata: Creating Simple and Specific Subject Terms.” MEAP, UCLA Libraries, February 21, 2024. Short read. 
• Baca, Murtha, ed. “Setting the Stage.” In Introduction to Metadata. Los Angeles: Getty Research Institute, 2016. Longer read.

Discussion Questions

• Can you think of examples from your own experience where poor or missing metadata hindered access to digital resources?
• Does your institution follow any metadata schemas/standards?
  • Which formatting standards (MODS, Dublin Core, MARC, EAD), content guidelines (DACS, RDA, CCO) and/or controlled vocabularies (AAT, LOC, TGM, Nomenclature for Museum Cataloging) are you using?
• Describe the factors that impact how you construct metadata at your institution. Examples could include:
  • Participation in shared digital projects (like the PPC)
  • Structures and limitations inherent in your content management system or repository
  • Local requirements and standards
  • Staff time
• Describe the workflow for creating metadata at your institution:
  • Who is involved? If multiple people are involved, how do you maintain consistency?
  • Do you add metadata to records one-by-one or through a batch loading process?
  • Is there a quality control process?
  • Have you documented your metadata standards and processes?
  • How do you balance the need for detailed metadata with the time and resources available for adding it?
• How would you describe the completeness of your metadata? What is your plan for filling any gaps?
• Have you ever had to remediate large amounts of metadata? (For instance, update a subject term or correct a misspelling across many records.) How did you approach this task and what tools did you use?
• Have you ever migrated to a new content management system? What was the impact on your metadata? Is there anything you wish you would have known or done before the migration? How much cleanup did you have to do afterwards?