Four-Minute Metadata Tool

I’ve been asked to do a four/six presentation on our metadata tool project for the OLE Regional Workshop Tuesday.  Here are my slides and presentation notes.

I like (love?) to point out that I started at Duke just over six years ago, and when I did, my job title was the only thing in the library with metadata in its name.  [See here where I pointed this out before.]

The situation has changed. Now Duke has:

Two metadata librarians (one from RMBSCL tech services, one from Cataloging)

Metadata Advisory Group (includes heads of RBMSCL Tech Services and Cataloging)

metadata support in the library’s strategic plan

Cataloging -> Cataloging & Metadata Services

Mwahahaha! My diabolical plan is proceeding according to schedule!

The change is largely driven by:

Digitization     but also …

Finding databases

First Law of Metadata:  Librarians create metadata

ILS model breaking down, but metadata continues to flow, like water to the sea

“It’s all metadata.”

Yet we have no platform for collecting metadata.

ad hoc:  spreadsheets, relational databases, structured text, markup

we secured strategic funding

committee, environmental scan, requirements, recommendations [Spring 2008]

Metadata Tool Project

Support for digitization and finding db’s (digital collections)

Hired two developers for 2-year term appointments starting in the new year

For more on the project, see here.

Big ideas. Think beyond support for dc program and

harness power of the first law?

work at consortium level?

solve everything?

For some blue-sky thinking, see here.

What are your ideas? Let us know.