Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums.
Part 2: Survey Analysis
An OCLC Research Report by:
Karen Smith-Yoshimura, OCLC Research
Carol Jean Godby, OCLC Research
Helice Koffler, University of Washington
Ken Varnum, University of Michigan
Elizabeth Yakel, University of Michigan
Download the report (.pdf: 831KB/73 pp.)
Metadata helps users locate resources that meet their specific needs. But metadata also helps us to understand the data we find and helps us to evaluate what we should spend our time on. Traditionally, staff at libraries, archives, and museums (LAMs) create metadata for the content they manage. However, social metadata—content contributed by users—is evolving as a way to both augment and recontextualize the content and metadata created by LAMs. Many cultural heritage institutions are interested in gaining a better understanding of social metadata and also learning how to best utilize their users' expertise to enrich their descriptive metadata and improve their users' experiences.
In the first report, Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Musems, Part 1: Site Reviews, the 21-member RLG Partners Social Metadata Working Group reviewed 76 sites relevant to libraries, archives, and museums that supported such social media features as tagging, comments, reviews, images, videos, ratings, recommendations, lists, links to related articles, etc. In this second report, we analyzed the results from a survey of site managers conducted in October-November 2009. Forty percent of the responses came from outside the United States. The survey focused on the motivations for creating a site, moderation policies, staffing and site management, technologies used, and criteria for assessing success. In our upcoming third report, we provide recommendations on social metadata features most relevant to libraries, archives, and museums as well as the factors contributing to success.
Related information:
Activity page:
Sharing and Aggregating Social Metadata
Supplemental spreadsheet:
At a Glance: Sites that Responded to Social Metadata Survey
Report publication announcement:
New Report: Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Part 2: Survey Analysis
Suggested citation:
Smith-Yoshimura, Karen, Carol Jean Godby, Helice Koffler, Ken Varnum and Elizabeth Yakel. 2011. Social Metadata for Libraries, Archives, and Museums. Part 2: Survey Analysis. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC Research. http://www.oclc.org/research/publications/library/2011/2011-03.pdf. (.pdf: 831KB/73 pp.).
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