Week 3 Reading Notes

I could have used you…

What a great thing progress is.  Back in the day, when I was in high school and college, programs like EndNote did not exist.  One of the worst parts about a research paper was not the research-although the process was vastly different from the process today.  For me, the worst part was completing the bibliography.  It seemed to take more time than the research itself-making sure each period and comma were in the correct spot and the correct words were in italics.  EndNote would have made the process much easier.  Again, progress is a wonderful thing and speaks to the value of programmers creating programs that allow users to work more efficiently.

Progress not Perfection

An Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model was an interesting perspective on the challenge that is faced when trying to standardize the descriptive practice.  At the same time, the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative recognizes that there will “never be one ‘true’ declarative set of semantics.”  It is hard to imagine working on a project that can never be recognized in its purest form.  However, I admire the ambitious goal to also support interoperability across programs.  In this new footing of the digital environment, these types of initiatives will prove successful in advancing a common language to enhance metadata.  It is important to recognize the enormity of the undertaking and applaud the progress rather than be soured on its inability to achieve perfection.

Fluid and Organic

After reading Anne Gilliland’s chapter, Setting the Stage, I realize that while metadata is a relatively recent term-it has been around since the beginning to time.  Humans have always sought to categorize objects and provide a description so that the same object can be found at a later time.  Metadata strikes me as a fluid and organic system, one that continues to grow and morph based on those who are “writing” the metadata.  In my mind, one of the most important achievements of metadata is the ability to authenticate and validate information about an object.  In a world in which tremendous amounts of information are available with a few clicks of the mouse, it is imperative that metadata provide not only the correct context but knowledge that the information object itself is valid.  It’s kind of like reading the National Enquirer or the Wall Street Journal-and being able to readily discern the difference between the information contained within both sources.