The METS document format accommodates institutions' needs to set local
practice with regards to descriptive and administrative metadata by allowing
people to use their own XML extension schema to specify descriptive and
administrative metadata, rather than specifying particular metadata element
sets within the METS format itself. However, this flexibility is to
some degree in tension with the desire to have different digital library
systems
interoperate and to have METS objects be freely exchangeable. To help
promote the interoperability of METS objects, the METS editorial board will
on occasion endorse particular extension schema for use with METS, particularly
in cases where a variety of XML schema exist providing alternate encodings
of the same metadata set.
The Dublin Core Metadata Initiative has released an XML schema for encoding
unqualified Dublin Core metadata in XML. This schema is available from the
DCMI website at:
http://www.dublincore.org/schemas/xmls/
The METS editorial board has provisionally endorsed the use of this schema
for encoding Dublin
Core metadata within METS documents, and at this time invites feedback from
the METS
community on this endorsement, which may be submitted either the to the
METS mailing
list, or directly to the board by e-mailing [log in to unmask] If
there are no
objections voiced to this endorsement, it will become final two weeks after
this announcement.
The Library of Congress' Network Development and MARC Standards Office has
released
an XML schema for MARC21 metadata, which is available at:
http://www.loc.gov/standards/marcxml/
The METS editorial board has also provisionally endorsed the use of this
schema for encoding
MARC21 metadata within METS documents, and invites feedback from the METS
community
on this endorsement. As with the unqualified Dublin Core schema, if no
objections are voiced,
the endorsement will become final after two weeks time, and comments may be
sent to
either the METS mailing list or to [log in to unmask] for
distribution to the METS
editorial board directly.
Jerome McDonough
Digital Library Development Team Leader
Elmer Bobst Library, New York University
70 Washington Square South, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10012
[log in to unmask]
(212) 998-2425
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