WRLC Digital Collections Production Center (DCPC) Guidebook

Metadata Specifications

Each WRLC digital collection contains four categories of data:

  • Collection record: A bibliographic record in the shared WRLC libraries catalog, describing the archival collection and linking to the digital collection (MARC format)
  • Collection header: A home page for the digital collection providing a basic description and search options, with a durable URL which can be referenced from other websites (HTML format)
  • Item metadata: Descriptive information about each item and administrative and technical data describing the specifications for the digital item (Dublin Core format)
  • Finding aid (optional, if available): Descriptive text about the collection and its provenance, with detailed information about the contents of the collection (Encoded Archival Description (EAD) format)

Descriptive metadata template

DCPC staff will work with the library staff to define a metadata template which identifies the descriptive metadata to be entered for each item in the digital collection. DCPC staff or library staff (depending on the project) will create and enter data for which there is readily-available source information, i.e. derived from the original piece in hand, from an existing index or finding aid, or already in machine-readable form. Library staff can enter additional metadata later if they choose.

For each project or subproject, DCPC staff and library staff will identify:

  • Any metadata that may already be available in machine-readable form. DCPC staff will work with WRLC's IT staff to develop specifications and programs for loading that data.
  • Common or standard subject headings to be assigned to all items in that collection (usually two or three headings). This is to facilitate conbined searching with other collections or with the libraries' online catalog.
  • Other possible categories for other individual headings (e.g. personal names of photo subjects), the source for that data, and any controlled vocabulary that should be used. Usually only two or three additional major headings will be created for any individual item.
  • Other descriptive data that might be available or possible, such as a descriptive note or a transcription of manuscript. When feasible, DCPC will create transcriptions for very brief manuscript items such as letters. The text of existing machine readable transcriptions will be indexed for keyword searching where appropriate.

Administrative metadata

DCPC staff also create administrative metadata for each item (digital object), including:

  • Date scanned
  • Scanning location (WRLC)
  • Scan device
  • Resolution
  • Bit depth
  • Compression
  • Dimensions
  • Display file name
  • Master file name

 

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