Is Dublin Core Dying?Is Dublin Core Dying?

Kayla Willey – Brigham Young UniversityKayla Willey – Brigham Young UniversityCheryl Walters – Utah State UniversityCheryl Walters – Utah State University

Utah Library Association Annual ConferenceUtah Library Association Annual ConferenceSt. George, UtahSt. George, Utah

May 17, 2006May 17, 2006

What is Dublin Core?What is Dublin Core? TitleTitle CreatorCreator SubjectSubject DescriptionDescription PublisherPublisher ContributorContributor DateDate TypeType FormatFormat IdentifierIdentifier SourceSource LanguageLanguage RelationRelation CoverageCoverage RightsRights Dublin CoreDublin Core http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/

Title (mandatory)Title (mandatory) Creator (mandatory if available)Creator (mandatory if available) Subject (mandatory)Subject (mandatory) Description (mandatory)Description (mandatory) Date Digital (mandatory)Date Digital (mandatory) Date Original (mandatory if applicable)Date Original (mandatory if applicable) Format (mandatory)Format (mandatory) Digitization Specifications (mandatory)Digitization Specifications (mandatory) Resource Identifier (mandatory)Resource Identifier (mandatory) Rights Management (mandatory)Rights Management (mandatory) Publisher Publisher ContributorContributor TypeType SourceSource LanguageLanguage RelationRelation CoverageCoverage Contributing InstitutionContributing Institution CDP Metadata Working Group Dublin Core Metadata CDP Metadata Working Group Dublin Core Metadata

Best PracticesBest Practices http://www.cdpheritage.org/cdp/documents/http://www.cdpheritage.org/cdp/documents/

CDPDCMBP.pdfCDPDCMBP.pdf

UALC – Where have we been?UALC – Where have we been?

Adopted Dublin Core Metadata Best PracticesAdopted Dublin Core Metadata Best Practices Just completed an extensive document with Just completed an extensive document with

examples of how to apply Best Practices by examples of how to apply Best Practices by formatformat

CONTENTdm based on Dublin CoreCONTENTdm based on Dublin Core Aggregating server search fields (mapped to)Aggregating server search fields (mapped to) Creator DateCreator Date

Title TypeTitle Type Subject Full textSubject Full text Description IdentifierDescription Identifier

Dublin Core: An ObituaryDublin Core: An ObituaryJeffrey Beall, Library Hi Tech News, Nov 8, 2004, pp. 40-41Jeffrey Beall, Library Hi Tech News, Nov 8, 2004, pp. 40-41

Dublin Core metadata standard rapidly become Dublin Core metadata standard rapidly become obsolete, never caught on, outlived usefulnessobsolete, never caught on, outlived usefulness

Google essentially put it out of businessGoogle essentially put it out of business Profit motive on the part of OCLC created by Profit motive on the part of OCLC created by

managers rather than practitionersmanagers rather than practitioners Tried to be all things to all metadata users and Tried to be all things to all metadata users and

lacked sufficient specificity to function as an lacked sufficient specificity to function as an operative descriptive schemaoperative descriptive schema

Weaknesses of Dublin CoreWeaknesses of Dublin Core

Simple systemSimple system

““Its fundamental flaw is that it is designed as a lowest common Its fundamental flaw is that it is designed as a lowest common denominator system. Thus, converting from anything else (especially denominator system. Thus, converting from anything else (especially MARC) into DC results in a loss of specificity (and thus data) and MARC) into DC results in a loss of specificity (and thus data) and converting from DC into anything else (especially MARC) results in converting from DC into anything else (especially MARC) results in woefully substandard data.” --J. Hahnwoefully substandard data.” --J. Hahn

Scores low on interoperability Scores low on interoperability (hard to crosswalk)(hard to crosswalk)

Examples: Initial articles in titles, single subject fields to multiple 6XX subject Examples: Initial articles in titles, single subject fields to multiple 6XX subject fields in MARC, No subfields (Young, Brigham, 1801-1877 – Family – Portraits)fields in MARC, No subfields (Young, Brigham, 1801-1877 – Family – Portraits)

Lack of standardization of entering dataLack of standardization of entering data No authorized forms of names, LCSH, no required fields in GENERIC formNo authorized forms of names, LCSH, no required fields in GENERIC form

Why are we still using Dublin Core?Why are we still using Dublin Core?

SimplicitySimplicity Cost, training requirements, personnel, diverse institutional base of participants, Cost, training requirements, personnel, diverse institutional base of participants,

digital production numbers expecteddigital production numbers expected

Common denominator base for federated Common denominator base for federated searchsearchMany disciplines, interest groups, and professions now developing standardsMany disciplines, interest groups, and professions now developing standards

Digital Library Tools haven’t supported other Digital Library Tools haven’t supported other standards until recentlystandards until recently

What’s the Answer?What’s the Answer? MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema)MODS (Metadata Object Description Schema)

Jeffrey Beal’s answerJeffrey Beal’s answerStrength: Intended to be able to carry selected data from existing MARC21 records and uses Strength: Intended to be able to carry selected data from existing MARC21 records and uses language-based tags rather than numeric oneslanguage-based tags rather than numeric ones

http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/http://www.loc.gov/standards/mods/

METS (Metadata Encoding and Transmission METS (Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard)Standard)Strength: Allows for multiple standards to exist within a single metadata record. Employs Strength: Allows for multiple standards to exist within a single metadata record. Employs XML schema language.XML schema language.““A new infrastructure would therefore be needed to support the hierarchical representation of A new infrastructure would therefore be needed to support the hierarchical representation of data required in a METS environment” -- Final Report, CDP Metadata Standards Working data required in a METS environment” -- Final Report, CDP Metadata Standards Working Group Task Force on METS (May 2006)Group Task Force on METS (May 2006)

http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/http://www.loc.gov/standards/mets/

For the present, current tools in use point to DC For the present, current tools in use point to DC (Dublin Core), but as tools mature, more is possible(Dublin Core), but as tools mature, more is possibleEncourage DiMeMa to offer other standards? Move? Require more machine Encourage DiMeMa to offer other standards? Move? Require more machine produced metadata?produced metadata?