We have notes! Now what?

Thank you for your contributions to the lively session at DLF, and for your patience as we recorded the results.  Notes are now available on the DLF website. Now we need your help again.

Are there next steps that we, collaboratively, can take to help fill some of the gaps that have been identified?

Should this blog be continued to discuss transforming metadata in libraries, archives and museums?

One idea is to create regular posts, each opening a discussion about a particular need, tool, barrier or dataset, with the goal of people using the comments to ask questions, share expertise and learn from one another.  We could solicit posts from experienced tool users or inquiring minds to get the ball rolling on a given topic and see where that takes us. An initial post could be rich or stubby, but would serve as a foundation for comments.

Would that be useful to you? Would you participate? Would you consider authoring a post? Are there other, better ways this blog could be used to support the LAM metadata community?  Or should we just call this a wrap and rely on existing listservs and other venues to share this kind of information? 

Our inquiring minds want to know what you think.  Thanks.

Thanks for A Great Workshop

Dear All Who Came to DLF Workshop,

It was great - and that was because of the participation of all who attended.  For those who could not be there, we are gathering up the notes (Robin is an angel!) and we should have things up soon (ish).

What would help you improve your metadata?

At the Digital Library Federation Forum coming up in Baltimore, there will be a working session “Moving Forward: Examining the Needs to Re-tool the LAMs Data.”  (That’s “LAM” as in libraries, archives and museums.)   It is part of a track of four related sessions to explore the how the movement to web-friendly metadata will affect libraries, archives and museums.  The results of this session will feed into CURATEcamp immediately following the DLF Forum.

The intent of this workshop is to identify needs to manipulate or repurpose metadata that 1) require a bit more scripting or programming savvy than many metadata librarians have, 2) could benefit staff at multiple institutions and 3) can be developed and used uncoupled from specific local infrastructures. The full description of the session is on the DLF web site.

The organizers would like your help in three ways, whether or not you are in a DLF-member institution or can come to the meeting:

·         Identifying use cases – Are there situations where you know how you would like to change your metadata, but lack the tools or experience to make those changes happen? Tell us about them.

·         Inventorying tools – What tools have you found helpful in manipulating your metadata (for example, people have suggested MARCedit, ImageMagick, and Oxygen.)

·         Listing pools of data – What databases would you like to draw on to enrich your data? For example, VIAF and id.loc.gov.  


      Help us make the most productive use of the energy at this gathering of catalogers and coders! If you work with metadata, we want to hear from you.  Please add your thoughts to the posts here on each topic, and we'll bring them to the meeting on November 1, 2011.

Data sources

What databases would you like to draw on to enrich your data?  For example, VIAF and id.loc.gov are great sources. Which others are important to you?  


Are there barriers to accessing them, such as charges for access, limits on how often you can access them or how much data you can use?


Are there concerns about availability or persistence?


Please tell us what data you want to be able to draw upon and what pitfalls you see.

What tools help you manipulate metadata?

What tools have you found helpful in manipulating your metadata?  (For example, people have suggested MARCedit, ImageMagick, and Oxygen.)  


 Are there barriers to using them effectively, such as cost, scripting skills, or technical support?


Let's pool our information about what works and identify potential hurdles to be overcome.

Metadata Use Cases

Are there situations where you would like to change your metadata, but lack the tools or technical expertise to make those changes happen? 


Please tell us what are you want to accomplish. If you can, include what kind of environment (organizationally, technically) you'd be working in, along with anything else that you think would help other understand what you need.


Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Welcome to the L(ibraries) A(rchives) and M(useum)s Metadata Discussion

This blog was initiated in attempt to gather ideas for the upcoming DLF Forum 2011 in Baltimore. Robin Wendler and Suzanne Pilsk are running a workshop to discuss what metadata librarians need to move their data forward in a more open and share able environment (whatever that might be - linked/open data or other ways).

Check out the workshop description here