RLG Programs Metadata Tools Forum

May 8, 2008
Boston Public Library

As a follow-up to the successful 2006 RLG Forum on the economics of description, the RLG Programs Metadata Tools Forum showcased some tools for creating "more, better, faster, cheaper" metadata. We brought together developers and implementers, allowing tool developers to showcase their tools and implementers a chance to consider which tools might be usefully employed in their institutions. The forum also provided guidance and feedback to the research community and identify areas where further tool development is needed.

Respondents to the 2007 RLG Descriptive Metadata Practices survey (.pdf: 99K/13 pp.) cited more than 260 tools used for creating, editing, and storing metadata. This forum is focusing on tools that expedite metadata creation or editing that can be used by multiple institutions and do not require purchasing a new system—tools that rely on commonly available software most institutions would already have in-house or that are based on open source components.

Tool Presenters

• Jim LeBlanc, Cornell University. Tool: "LS Tools" to extract, import, export, modify, reload MARC records in batch using a Web interface.
• • LS Tools Summary (.pdf: 59KB/1 pp.)
• Michael Park, Brown University. Tool: A metadata tool for creating and editing MODS records using XForms technology which can be used with many different types of digital asset management systems.
• • MODS Editor Summary (.pdf: 189KB/2 pp.)
• Mark Phillips, University of North Texas. Tool: Metadata analysis tools to identify various types of problems.
• • Metadata Analysis Tool Summary (.pdf: 44KB/1 pp.)
• Terry Reese, Oregon State University. Tool: MARCEdit, an application for database maintenance including a MARC validator and URL checker.
• • MarcEdit Summary (.pdf: 32KB/2 pp.)
• Scott Schwartz, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Tool: Archon, a Web-based tool for archivists and manuscript curators that publishes archival descriptive information and digital archival objects to a Web site.
• • Archon Summary (.pdf: 32KB/2 pp.)
• Brad Westbrook, University of California, San Diego. Tool: Archivists' Toolkit, an open source archival data management system.
• • Archivists' Toolkit Summary (.pdf: 32KB/2 pp.)
• David Williamson, Library of Congress. Tool: WebCat Assistant, an application that converts an abstract page on the Web for a PDF paper into a MARC record, with an automatic notification service when Web sites change.
• • Web Cataloging Assistant Summary (.pdf: 21KB/1 pp.)
  • Web Cataloging Assistant Demonstration Videos:
  • • The Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta (.avi: 7.4MB/1:14min.)
    • The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (.avi: 7.24MB/1:08min.)
    • The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (.avi: 7.62MB/1:07min.)
    • The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) (.avi: 15.51KB/1:35min.)
• Raphael Villena, University of California, Los Angeles. Tool: UCLA's version of LC's WebCat Assistant to create records for series of papers deposited in the e-Scholarship Repository at California Digital Library.
• • Web Cataloging Assistant (UCLA Version) Summary (.pdf: 60KB/2 pp.)
• Wan Wong, National Library of Australia. Tool: Web-based tool for subject heading and classification selection.
• • Subject Suggester Summary (.pdf: 33KB/1 pp.)

RLG Partners were invited to join us in Boston and share their ideas and experiences; meet new colleagues and help identify areas for further development.

For a recap of this meeting, see the Metadata Tools Forum Discussion Summary (.pdf: 20KB/1 pp.)

Merrilee Proffitt proffitm@oclc.org
Karen Smith-Yoshimura .
Roy Tennant tennantr@oclc.org
RLG Programs, OCLC Programs and Research

Agenda

Thursday, May 8, 2008
Boston Public Library

Area Details:

• Boston Public Library is located at 700 Boylston Street, right at Copley Square. Guests should enter the Dartmouth Street entrance (between Boylston and St. James).