LIBR 281
Seminar in Contemporary Issues
Topic: Metadata
Spring 2003

Dr. Deb Karpuk
djkarpuk@aol.com
Office hours: Virtual Classroom and Email

GREENSHEET

SLIS Mission: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/slis/mission.htm

Course Description:
Special Topic: Metadata examines opportunities for organizing digital resources in various information settings, standards development, metadata projects, metadata decision and management issues, and metadata crosswalks. Specific metadata projects and current research in resource discovery will be covered.

Prerequisite: Libr. 248

Course Objectives:

At the end of the class, the student will:
• Understand organization of digital resources in different information communities
• Be familiar with standards organizations, various metadata, and metadata crosswalks
• Understand decision issues in planning and evaluating organizational metadata

The Course Supports the Following SLIS Objectives:

Knowledge, identification and practice of major theories of information organization in a computerized environment and the effects of organization on retrieval.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING:

Mid-Term Examination: Terminology, issues in resource discovery, types of metadata, metadata standards, and material from course reading and class lectures.

Late papers are not accepted. Should there be an emergency, contact the Instructor prior to the due date on Course Calendar.

UNIVERSITY RECOMMENDED GRADING SCALE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS:

97-100 A
94-96 A-
91-93 B+
88-90 B
85-87 B-
82-84 C+
79-81 C
76-78 C-
73-75 D+

INCOMPLETES:

Students who cannot fulfill all the work for a course may be assigned an Incomplete only if arrangements are made with the instructor. If the instructor agrees to assign an incomplete, then the student must obtain an Incomplete Form from: http://slisweb.sjsu.edu/forms/nc.pdf

REQUIRED TEXTS:

INTRODUCTION TO METADATA: PATHWAYS TO DIGITAL INFORMATION. Edited by Murtha Baca. Getty Information Institute, 2000.
URL: http://www.getty.edu/research/institute/standards/intrometadata

IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions)
DIGITAL LIBRARIES: METADATA RESOURCES
URL: http://ifla.org/II/metadata.htm
[44 pages of links to metadata resources. Print the 44 page list. Resources from this list will be used throughout the semester]

Milstead, Jessica and S. Feldman.
METADATA: CATALOGING BY ANY OTHER NAME.
URL: http://www.cbuc.es/5digital/1.pdf

METS (Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard)
URL: http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets

MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema)
URL: http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods

NISO (National Information Standards Organizations)
ISSUES IN CROSSWALKING CONTENT METADATA STANDARDS by Margaret St. Pierre and William P. LaPlant, Jr.
URL: http://www.niso.org/press/whitepapers/crsswalk.html

CESSE (Centre for Economic and Social Studies on the Environment)
METADATA STANDARDS DIRECTORIES (21 March 2002)
URL: http://www.ulb.ac.be/cesse/meta/meta.html

NSF (National Science Foundation)
NSF DIGITAL LIBRARY INITIATIVE – NATIONAL SMET (Science, Mathematics, Engineering & Technology) DIGITAL LIBRARY (NSDL) – METADATA PRIMER.
URL: http://siteforscience.nsdl.cornell.edu/metadata_info/outline.html

Additional resources will accompany Metadata Modules located under Course Documents in Blackboard. Modules are set on a timer, therefore, will appear prior to class sessions or Virtual classroom sessions per the Course Calendar.

Readings and examples will also be distributed in class.

COURSE COMMUNICATION:

Between campus class sessions, addition discussion sessions will be held in the Virtual Classroom. 30 minutes prior and 30+ minutes following Virtual Classroom sessions, informal discussions regarding assignments and course material will be conducted. Special office hour sessions may be arranged if needed.

Should an individual e-mail be needed, please use: djkarpuk@aol.com
Subject line: Libr. 281

DISCUSSION FORUMS:

A Discussion Forum will be created for each topic covered in Metadata. This threaded discussion is an excellent way to discuss Metadata topics with colleagues.

The Virtual Classroom may be used to host discussion and study sessions as well.

Enjoy!