Metadata and Its Impact on Libraries / Edition 1

by Jean Weihs

Overview

Three mavens of the cataloging world tackle the topic of metadata, explaining fundamental concepts and their accompanying rationales, as well as exploring current developments and future innovations in the library world. Part One examines the characteristics of multiple metadata schema, the creation of metadata for both monographic and continuous electronic resources, and its integration into local catalogs and databases. Part Two explores metadata's effect on current developments in online reference, choice of metadata schema, archiving, and digital preservation, and professional education, as well as future innovations yet unborn. A must-read for sophisticated information specialists, as well as for those who aspire to similar heights of intellectual worldliness.

We believe that the community of information professionals who have organized and preserved the world's written treasures for thousands of years will not fail to continue to organize and preserve the world's digital treasures in the future, demonstrating their usual sensitivity and creativity, remembering the lessons history has taught them, and keeping in mind the interests of all their user communities, present and future, as they have always done.
With these bold words, three mavens of the cataloging world tackle the topic of metadata. Undaunted by its dominance in the lexicon and collective consciousness of the library profession, they deftly anatomize the concept of data about data into discrete aspects (Metadata), then relate those aspects to a miscellany of circumstances in which librarians may increasingly find themselves (Its Impact on Libraries). Part One examines the characteristics of multiple metadata schema, the creation of metadata for both monographic and continuous electronic resources, and its integration into local catalogs and databases. Part Two explores metadata's effect on current developments in online reference, choice of metadata schema, archiving and digital preservation, and professional education, as well as future innovations yet unborn. A must-read for sophisticated information specialists, as well as those who aspire to similar heights of intellectual worldliness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591581451
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/30/2005
Series:	Library and Information Science Text Series
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.62(d)

About the Author

Sheila S. Intner is professor and director, Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Mount Holyoke College. She has received several awards, including ALA's Margaret Mann Citation Award for outstanding contributions to education for cataloging and classification.

Susan S. Lazinger is senior lecturer, School of Library Science, Archive & Information Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.

Jean Weihs has worked in university, public, school, and special libraries as a reference librarian, a bibliographer, and a school librarian. Most of her career has involved teaching cataloguing to librarians, library technicians, and school librarians in Canada and the United States. She represented the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing for nine years on the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR, five of these as JSC Chair. She has held 45 positions on national and international committees. Jean Weihs has written 17 books, six separately published pamphlets/documents, ten chapters in books edited by others, and over 125 articles and book reviews in professional jourbanals. She is the recipient of 13 national and international awards.

Table of Contents

Metadata Concepts & Definitions
What is Metadata?
Metadata Schemas & Their Relationships to Particular Communities
Library and Information-related Metadata Schemas
Creating Library Metadata for Monographic Materials
Creating Library Metadata for Continuing Materials
Integrating Library Metadata Into Local Cataloging and Bibliographic Databases
Impact on Current & Future Collections & Services
Digital Collections/Digital Libraries
Archiving & Preserving Digital Materials
Impact of Digital Resources on Library Services
Future Possibilities
Appendix A: Glossary of Acronyms
Appendix B: Answers to Exercises
Index

Editorial Reviews

Noted catalogers Intner, Susan S. Lazinger, and Jean Weihs have written an excellent text suitable for either students or librarians on the job who need guidance in preparing metadata. The book begins with an introductory description of metadata and an overview of some schemas, but the meat is in the two chapters devoted to creating bibliographic records as metadata for electronic monographic materials and continuing resources. Some familiarity with MARC and AACR2 is imperative, but anyone with even a modicum of cataloging experience will find the explanations and examples informative….Highly recommended for catalogers and other information professionals who need to understand the relationship between metadata and traditional bibliographic control.” —Library Jourbanal

“The organization of this hard-backed book augments the clarity with which the authors present their material….[t]his is a clearly written book with several unusual aspects that make it very useful for catalog librarians.” —Technicalities

“This book is a synthesis of theory and practice surrounding metadata and its applications within particular disciplinary communities and digital library projects….Thoughtful consideration of the purposes of metadata, often illustrated through descriptions of stakeholders and motivations for the development of particular approaches, is a notable strength of the text.” —Reference & User Services Quarterly

“[A] useful book for both students….and for early stage researchers in the area of metadata….this book is easy to read and follow throughout.” —Webology

“In recent years, metadata (data about data) has been the subject of countless discussions, research projects, and articles. This useful book does much to clarify the distinctions and complexities of the subject….The writing throughout the book is clear and supported by copious citations, figures, and screen shots. Two chapters boast sample exercises with answer keys, allowing readers to try their hand at cataloging and classifying metadata. Overall, a fine work that has much to recommend it.” —Booklist/Professional Reading

From the Publisher

Noted catalogers Intner (Cataloging Correctly for Kids), Susan S. Lazinger (Digital Preservation and Metadata: History, Theory, Practice), and Jean Weihs (coauthor with Intner, Standard Cataloging for School and Public Libraries) have written an excellent text suitable for either students or librarians on the job who need guidance in preparing metadata. THe book begins with an introductory description of metadata and an overview of some schemas, but the meat is in the two chapters devoted to creating bibliographic records as metadata for electronic monographic materials and continuing resources. Some familiarity with MARC and AACR2 is imperative, but anyone with even a modicum of cataloging experience will find the explanations and examples informative. Reviewing Priscilla Caplan's Metadata Fundamentals for All Librarians, this reviewer noted, "This is not the last book on metadata a librarian will ever need, but it should be the first." For those ready to advance to the next book on the subject, this is it. The earlier work is more elementary in nature, while this text contains more detailed instructions on metadata creation, samples of bibliographic records as metadata, and exercises for practice in their creation. Highly recommended for catalogers and other information professionals who need to understand the relationship between metadata and traditional bibliographic control.-Margaret Sylvia, St. Mary's Univ. Lib., San Antonio Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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