MAPping metadata

Abstract

An ad hoc group at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Libraries collaborated to create a metadata application profile (MAP) to document and share information about metadata practices and content standards within each of the four Libraries’ digital repositories. The group consists of four representatives who had responsibility for metadata in each repository. This paper provides overviews of each repository, along with their challenges, to include content characteristics, metadata and description practices, differing philosophies and any limitations imposed by the platforms. The early process included researching existing MAPs and metadata working group at other university libraries and then creating and sharing individual UNL repository MAPs. Working together, the group identified commonalities and agreed upon a minimum set of required metadata elements for all their repositories. With the minimum set of metadata elements established, the group developed and published the UNL MAP as a LibGuide available to the public. This MAP for descriptive metadata is only a first step; outlined are future MAP projects that UNL or the statewide University of Nebraska library consortium could adopt.