A comparison of metadata in collection systems

Abstract

It is not only primary information that needs to be managedin collection systems (libraries, archives, file departments, record offices and museums), butalso secondary or metadata which serve for searching. Metadata systems constitute means ofknowledge representation and are at the same time information retrieval languages; their„vocabulary” is laid down in database schemes (communication formats). The informationretrieval languages of collection systems comprise the same types of words (authority data):names, titles, subject headings, notations. The databases of file departments and record offices(where documents are stored for a short term) and of archives (which provide long-termavailability), however, frequently include with their authority metadata considerably longerdescriptions, notes fields, usage notes, data related to history, terminology and sources than isthe case with library metadata which are relatively short. Nevertheless, the structure ofauthority metadata records of file departments, record offices and archives does not differfrom that of libraries’ records.Part of the authority metadata in the databases of museums doesnot refer to text documents but to objects. The types of these authority metadata are, however,the same as those in other collection systems. For example, the topical terms referring toequipment and technologies are exactly the same in a technical museum and in a technicallibrary. We can conclude that the various collection systems require substantially the same,harmonised authority metadata schemes or communication formats. These formats have firstevolved in the library field. It is only in these decades that the systems of file departments,record offices, archives and museums started to formulate their functional requirementsrelating to their own authority metadata for the purposes of managing electronic records. It isin this context that the exchange formats of authority metadata (database schemes of authoritydata) are formulated as well. During this process it is useful to take into consideration and relyon the experience that had been accumulated in this field since 1966.