Why is metadata a hot topic?

April, 1998

Here are highlights of a panel discussion on metadata presented by the Boston chapter of the Special Librarians Association (S.L.A.), a professional association for corporate and subject-oriented librarians.

What is metadata and why is it a hot topic?
A back-of-the-book index and a dictionary are both examples of metadata -- information about information contained in a document or database. Electronic examples of metadata include information encoded in the <meta> tags on Web pages and "controlled vocabularies," hierarchical lists of subject terms developed to make commercial bibliographic databases easier to search.

Today, metadata is a hot topic because:

• people need better ways to find and evaluate information on the Internet and on corporate intranets;
• knowledge management systems integrating information from multiple sources and applications need to be easier to search and maintain.

Who's concerned with metadata?
For years, specialized forms of metadata have been used in a variety of applications, such as:

• Libraries, where it is used to catalog books (i.e. assign call numbers and subject headings);
• Database publishing, where it helps users search bibliographic, contact, or transaction databases;
• Dictionary and encyclopedia publishing, where it is used to organize information on words or topics;
• Book publishing, where it is used to prepare back-of-the-book indexes and organize information in reference books.

Today, as all kinds of information migrates to the desktop via the Internet, the specialized metadata systems developed for each of these applications are merging into a comprehensive system. Increasingly, knowledge base publishers need to be familiar with all of them. The panelists on the S.L.A. program represented three of these applications.

Ellie Schwartz addressed the need for metadata in reference publishing at Pennwell Publishing, which produces a series of technology buyers' guides. As database administrator, Ellie was responsible for ensuring the quality, integrity, and usefulness of the information in the databases from which the guides were published. Her work in defining metadata elements and cleaning up database content paid off in increased revenues from the publications. According to Ellie, metadata -- a primary tool for managing intellectual capital -- is a living, evolving system, not a static snapshot that can be designed once and used forever.

Joyce Ward focused on the use of metadata in bibliographic database publishing at Northern Light, a reseller of journal articles on the Web. Her presentation described how computer programs using "controlled vocabularies" (lists of standard subject headings and index terms) can automatically create metadata at a cost of less than a cent per document. She compared this with the cost of cataloging a book ($37) or preparing a journal abstract ($1.50). For Northern Light, which acquires the rights to sell articles through licensing arrangements with journal publishers, the quality of its metadata and the speed of its Web server are the keys to its revenues.

Rita Knox, Research Director for the Gartner Group (an information technology "think tank"), traced the history of metadata from its historical roots in the dictionary, described the basic metadata "building blocks" (e.g. words, parts of speech), and introduced XML, an emerging metadata standard for use with Web documents.

A fourth panelist, Eric Miller, represented OCLC (Online Computer Library Center, Inc.) and its involvement in metadata development initiatives. OCLC's leadership in metadata for bibliographic applications is based on a computerized system developed in the 70's. Using this system, libraries could reduce the cost of cataloging books and save on buying books by facilitating interlibrary loans. The idea is to locate card catalog data (i.e. subject headings, call number, and physical description) prepared by the Library of Congress or another member library to produce a record in a shared on-line catalog.

Some people feel that a similar cooperative approach could be used to develop metadata for corporate knowledge management applications. However, what worked well for library (which have a long tradition of both national and global cooperation) may not work as well in other environments.

For more information on the benefits and costs of metadata, see "Tip of the iceberg: below the waterline in knowledge base publishing" and  "Managing your personal intellectual capital: the desktop virtual library."

Created on April 1, 1998 l Updated on July 29, 2006