Striking a Balance : Metadata Creation in Digital Library Projects

Abstract

As institutions develop digital libraries, the work of describing these collections is increasingly taking place outside the library. Content creators and resource authors catalog digital content, yet may not have experience with descriptive metadata standards. One central library repository for metadata has been replaced by multiple collections managed within and outside the library. Librarians act as metadata consultants to digital projects, providing guidance in selecting standards, assistance in metadata creation, and provision of services for resource discovery. Issues affecting quality metadata generation and research in author-generated metadata are reviewed. Successful cases of collaborative and distributed metadata generation are presented, along with strategies implemented with success to achieve quality metadata.