Making Metadata Less Intimidating

Metadata is a word that comes up a lot when dealing with Mississippi Digital Library (MDL) collections. It is information science jargon that can sound really intimidating if your are not familiar with it. We are going to make it a lot less scary right now. Metadata is information about your items. That wasn't so bad, was it?

For our purposes at the MDL, when we use the term metadata we are simply referring to the descriptive information that should accompany the materials in your digital collection. An item's title, description, date, and file size are all examples of metadata.

If you click on this link:
http://digilib.usm.edu/cdm/ref/collection/arc/id/3035

You will be taken to an image of a USM homecoming parade. Everything that is in the "Description" Box below the image is the item's metadata.

This is all metadata!

We use this information for some essential functions at the MDL.

1. It describes your items to our website users. Any questions a person might have about your items should be answered (if possible) by the information provided in the metadata. 
2. It helps us keep your collections organized. The better organized your collections are the easier it is for users to get to and view your items and the easier it is for us to locate items when they are needed.
3. It makes the website's search functions work properly. The more information you can provide with your items, the more likely it is that your items will be found during a search.

Having detailed and accurate metadata is one of the easiest ways to ensure that you and our users get the most out of using the website.