Introduction to Metadata

Pathways to Digital Information

Reaction: This information was best explained by Wayne Hodgins in his wine epiphany. I am looking forward to putting this info. To use in creating my own metadata schemas.

Introduction

The standards discussed were compiled by a source from academia, one from the cultural heritage information field, and from a practicing librarian.

Setting the Stage

Three features of all information objects that can be reflected in Metadata:
• Content
• Context
• Structure

Metadata accrues over the lifespan of the object, and is not merely descriptive or necessarily digital.

Introduction to Imaging: Part II: Workflow

Response:

Unlike Part I of this intro., which I thought was informative and useful, I didn’t get much out of Part II. The information in this section was obvious and nothing was said that isn’t standard managerial practice.

NOTES:

Why Digitize?

Consider your institutions needs and goals before digitizing; don’t expect a digital surrogate to suffice for the original.

Project Planning

1. Choose your collection
a. Consider its conservation and access needs
2. Consider Legal Status
3. Assemble a team
4. Determine standards ie: file format, resolution
5. Digital asset management: DAM: depends on quality of metadata
6. Determine user needs
7. Ensure longterm access to and preservation of digital files.

Selecting Scanners

Scanners use CCD technology, depend on object to be scanned.

Image Capture

Create Master archival and Access (derivative) files.

Selecting a Metadata Schema

Based on your needs, creates uniform, searchable databases.

Quality Control: Do It.

Delivery

Almost all digital databases are now delivered via the web. Should be accessable, easy to navigate

Security Polocies and Procedures

Be aware of hackers and ensure protection for private data.

Long-Term Management and Preservation

Four goals for digital preservation: (1) bit identity, ensuring files are not corrupted and are secured from unauthorized use and undocumented alteration; (2) technical context, maintaining interactions with the wider digital environment; (3) provenance, maintaining a record of the content’s origin and history; and (4) references and usability, ensuring users can easily locate, retrieve, and use the digital image collection indefinitely.

The Getty: Introduction to Imaging Part 1

Introduction to imaging
By Howard Besser Edited by Sally Hubbard with Deborah Lenert

This “guide” is extremely relevant and helpful for those concerned with digital imaging. Since I come from a high-end digital imaging background, I was familiar with this material, however I don’t have the nitty gritty technical specks memorized, and found this guide extremely readable/useful. The visual examples are very helpful. Also, I feel this guide is something I will keep bookmarked for future reference. Once I’m actually working in the field, I’m sure I’ll need to recall figures and specs and terms more often.

Another good point to this guide is that it is written by museum people for museum people, so the specifics of what they are saying is totally relevant, as opposed to getting digital advice from a scientist. It’s important to keep abreast of technology within the field, making sure the information is applicable.

NOTES

Introduction
• Digital technology is like a public service. Standards needed for universal accessibility.
• Creating digital image collections is now integral and expected part of museum workflow
• Variety of metadata standards, complicating user ability, no best way to do it.
• Integration with other information resources is a trouble area.
• Curators need to ensure longevity of digital assets.

Part I: Key Concepts and Terms

The Digital Image Defined
• Digital image composed of pixels; master files are the highest quality images. (The images I shot at the Library of Congress using a Sinar 54 digital scanning back were usually 50 megabyte master files.) From these smaller access files (derivatives?) are made and used for websites etc.
• Digital images are vulnerable to media decay.
• Searched via their metadata, created with indexing software
• Digital image and metadata managed together for simplicity, value, and described as a digital object or asset.

Standards
• Needed for universal accessibility between and within institutions and public.
• There are national, international and private standards
• They evolve and need to be kept up with to ensure proper migration of data between platforms/standards.

Metadata
• Information collected in lists (fields) called metadata schemas
• XML (Extensible Markup Language) format is a popular metadata system.
• Quality and Consistency are most important for metadata
• Controlled vocabularies = good metadata
• Three types of Metadata:
• Descriptive
• Administrative
• Structural (relationships between files or objects)
• Legal metadata also used
• CBIR: Content Based Information Retrieval: criteria can be color, shape, position
• Crosswalks allow access of metadata, make different metadata schemas to work together

The Image
• Color depends on monitor calibration, projectors, printers, etc.
• Dynamic range of a capture of display device is its ability to capture very dark or light sections in an object.
• 4-bit color= 16 possible colors per pixel
• 8-bit color= 256 possible colors per pixel
• 16-bit color= 65,000 “ “
• 24-bit color= every pixel within image may be represented by three 8-bit values (r,g,b)
• 16 million colors: This is called “True Color” or millions of colors on macs
• 48-bit color is now used in creating master archival digital files. This mostly allows for a more thorough capture of light and shade (luminance)
• Output devices are the weakest link in the image-quality chain.
• Screen resolution= # pixels on screen best described as ppi
• SPI= samples per inch in a capture resolution
• Lossless compression ensures retention of image data during compression
• Master files= TIFF; derivative= JPEG
• Be consistent when choosing TIFF & JPEG formats
• JPEG2000 & PNG formats support both master and access functions.

Networks, System Architecture, and Storage
• Networks = Series of linked, communicating computers
• No one has a best preservation for digital media strategy; therefore have multiple copies on cd’s, hard drive, internet.

Wayne’s wine epiphany: Notes

Here are my notes from listening to Wayne Hodgins’ Podcast about metadata. I was happy to find Hodgins very interesting. I now have a more concrete understanding of what metadata is. The wine storage issue was a good anecdote for making his point clear. I like his voice.

Implementing the use of Metadata is mandatory for a sucessful database. Why the hec wouldn’t an organization use it?

Notes

• Metadata: anything, anyone, anyplace, anytime….first name, address, author of book…fundamental principles for living.

• Critical for approach for paradox of choice in age of abundance.

• Epiphany: As high school teacher in Germany, wanted to bring home (to Canada) hordes of fine European wine.

• Bought wine racks and organized them by region, make of wine. Ended up with more of one kind of wine than others, due to preference, and ran out of storage room.

• Began playing with school computers and keeping track of wine collection on the computer.

• Spreadsheet managed inventory, as opposed to actual storage space. Spreadsheet contained data: in the end he had tons of metadata about where, when, wine came from, how it tasted etc.

• Accessibility is “Magic” of Metadata.

• “A Place for everything and everything in its place”

• Computer desktops still use files and directories, icons of files still used, yet not practical.

• Best filing system is no filing system at all. Let computer programs organize for you. • You simply create metadata for items.
• Queries for items using metadata terms/ taglines is extremely efficient.
• More and more metadata created automatically (date, time, location of photo).

• Metadata = Less time searching, more time finding, no time filing.

Website

My website for class is:

www.imagearts.ryerson.ca/ahackman/firstsite

1/10/08: Introduction Class

Looking forward to creating databases and learning about MARC.