Cataloging for the 21st Century -- Course 2 Metadata Standards & Applications Instructor Manual Developed by the Association of Library Collections & Technical Services and the Library of Congress This Catalogers Learning Workshop (CLW) version is the official Cataloging for the 21st Century (Cat21) version of this course Library of Congress Catalogers Learning Workshop Washington, DC February 2009 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK FOR DOUBLE SIDED COPY Instructor Manual Workshop Schedule Cataloging for the 21st Century Course 2: Metadata Standards and Applications Schedule Day 1 Sessions / Topics 9:00-9:30 Registration. Breakfast 9:30-9:45 Getting started; Introductions, Orientation and Background 9:45-10:30 1. Introduction to Digital Libraries and Metadata • Discuss similarities and differences between traditional and digital libraries • Understand how the environment where metadata is developing is different from the library automation environment • Explore different types and functions of metadata (administrative, technical, administrative, etc.) Exercise: Examine three digital library instances, discuss differences in user approach and experience, and look for examples of metadata use 10:30-10:45 Break 10:45-12:30 2. Descriptive Metadata Standards • Understand the categories of descriptive metadata standards (e.g., data content standards, data value standards, data structure standards, relationship models) • Learn about the various descriptive metadata standards and the communities that use them • Evaluate the efficacy of a standard for a particular community • Understand how relationship models are used Exercise: Create a brief descriptive metadata record using the standard assigned. 12:30-1:30 Lunch 1:30-3:00 3. Technical and Administrative Metadata Standards • Understand the different types of administrative metadata • Learn about the metadata needed for supporting digital preservation activities • Understand the importance of technical, structural and rights metadata in digital libraries Exercise: Provide technical metadata for the same resource used in the descriptive exercise. 3:00-3:15 Break 3:15-4:30 4. Metadata Syntaxes and Containers • Overview of syntaxes, including HTML/XHTML, XML, RDF/XML • Overview of containers, including METS and MPEG-21 DID • Discover how container formats are used for managing digital resources and their metadata Exercise: Encode a simple resource description in Dublin Core, MARC, and MODS using XML 4:30 Conclusion of Day 1 Day 2 Sessions / Topics 9:30-11:30 5. Applying Metadata Standards: Application Profiles (with break • Learn about the concept and use of application profiles, including examining specific types (e.g., 10:30-10:45) Dublin Core Application Profiles, METS Profiles) • Learn how different metadata standards are used together in digital library applications Exercise: Analyze descriptive metadata application profiles 11:30-12:15 6. Controlled Vocabularies • Understand how different controlled vocabularies are used in metadata • Introduction to vocabulary encodings, including MARC 21 and the Simple Knowledge Organization System (SKOS), an evolving encoding for thesauri Cataloging for the 21st Century 1 Course 2: Metadata Standards and Applications Instructor Manual Workshop Schedule 12:15-1:15 Lunch 1:15-2:30 7. Approaches to Metadata Creation, Storage and Retrieval • Understand the differences between traditional vs. digital library metadata creation • Examine metadata creation management models • Investigate standards and methods of information retrieval and discovery Exercise: Using example websites, determine the underlying models for each 2:30-2:45 Break 2:45-4:30 8. Metadata Interoperability and Quality Issues • Understand interoperability protocols (OAI-PMH for harvesting, OpenURL for references) • Introduction to crosswalking and mapping • Discuss the criteria that can be used to determine quality in metadata Exercise: Evaluate a small set of human and machine-created metadata OR Examine the MARC to DC crosswalk and DC to MARC crosswalk and discuss where metadata loss occurs. Cataloging for the 21st Century 2 Course 2: Metadata Standards and Applications Instructor Manual Instructor's Notes Introduction and Notes for Instructors Introduction Metadata Standards and Applications has been designed for those with a background in traditional libraries (particularly, but not solely, cataloging) who need additional background in metadata and digital libraries. An optimum class size of 25-35 is suggested, with two trainers preferred (at least one should have some strong experience with technical applications like XML and OAI). Two days is preferred to address all the material with sufficient time for exercises, but it is possible to shorten the class to a day and a half by shortening the specific metadata sessions and/or shortening or omitting the vocabulary portion. It is virtually impossible to do this course without Internet access for the instructor. The order of presentation is not necessarily cast in stone, and instructors should feel free to change the order of presentation to suit their needs. The introductory material can be speeded up, depending on the audience and its familiarity with how websites are constructed. The exercises in parts 1 & 7 can be shortened, rearranged or different sites used if instructors desire. There are certain assumptions inherent in this course, the most important being that the students have some experience with the traditional “culture” of libraries, and the way traditional libraries organize and present their materials to users. Those without some exposure to library cataloging practices will be at a distinct disadvantage in this course without some preparation. Two good resources to prepare anyone for this course would be: 1. Understanding Metadata (http://www.niso.org/standards/resources/UnderstandingMetadata.pdf). It is short, introduces some relevant standards, and also has a good reading list, and a glossary. 2. Arlene Taylor's The Organization of Information, 2nd ed. (Libraries Unlimited, 2004), particularly Chapters 4 ("Encoding Standards"), 6 ("Metadata"), and 7 ("Metadata: Description"). As is generally the case, those who “know what they don’t know” and have a good background in traditional libraries should find most of this course accessible. The course tries to maintain a balance between abstract concepts and experiential understanding, with some attention to technical concepts that have likely been encountered before but incompletely understood. Throughout there is strong attention to relating what attendees already know about traditional library practice to what they desire to know more about in the metadata world. Oftentimes this is done by approaching what they do know in a more abstract manner than they are used to (MARC is a good example) and showing the similarities and differences to other metadata schemas they need to know more about. Cataloging for the 21st Century 1 Course 2: Metadata Standards and Applications Instructor Manual Instructor's Notes Because there is generally not much of an opportunity for “hands on” work in this course, it is not sufficient for those who will need to create metadata immediately upon their return to their jobs, but it should allow them to incorporate the learning necessary to do that fairly quickly, and certainly with more confidence. In that sense, it is (and is not) what we might term a “basic course.” It assumes a basis for learning new concepts, but does not (and cannot) take attendees directly into metadata practice. The References document and the Ongoing Learning document provide suggestions for how to move on from the course materials towards increased knowledge. Preparing to Teach this Course Even for those well prepared to teach the material, this course requires a fair amount of preparation to do well. Instructors should study the exercise answer sheets before teaching the class. The schedule provided is only a sample, since times may differ. Other preparation time consists of exploring the sites chosen for discussion in Sections 1, 5 & 7 to the point where the notes can be used smoothly (or modified). The instructor should familiarize him/herself with the preservation metadata examples in session 3, as this may be new material. Preparation is also recommended for the OAI demonstration, although slides are included that can take the place of a live demonstration if necessary or preferred. If a live demo is done, those slides can be eliminated from the presentation, though they are still helpful for the handout. It is helpful to do an assessment of student needs before the class. Please make sure the class fills out the evaluation provided at the back of the manual. Detailed Notes on Course Components The notes below are general in nature and focus particularly on the exercises. Additional notes are included with slides. Session 1: This section can be managed in a short period of time, leaving more time for the more challenging material coming later. Exercise: Examine three digital library instances, list differences in user approach and experience and contrast with student’s home library Note: This and the exercise for Section 2 works best as a full group exercise, lead by the instructor. Below are notes to assist in leading the exercises. Any search suggestions can be substituted with others of more interest to the instructor. 1. Alsos: Digital Library for Nuclear Issues (http://alsos.wlu.edu/default.aspx) Note: This site is distinctive because it provides combined