Interoperability of Metadata for Thematic Research Collections

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln coordinated a demonstration project to create a model Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) Profile for thematic research collections, using the Walt Whitman Archive as a model. The Whitman Archive, which uses TEI, EAD, TIFF, and MODS, is a complex project that offers an outstanding means of exploring the promise of METS to encourage interoperability of metadata standards. Contracting with the University of Virginia and Brown University, UNL tested the use of METS to manage the submission and retrieval of collection materials into two different open sources catalogs. METS Profiles for digital thematic research collections have been developed and will be added to the METS Implementation Registry, and reports are below.

Project Directors

Katherine L. Walter, UNL
Kenneth M. Price, UNL

Project Team at UNL

Brett Barney
Stacey Berry
Mary Bolin

Consultants

Terence Catapano, Columbia
Julia Flanders, Brown University
Daniel Pitti, IATH

Open Source Library Catalog Experts

Patrick Yott, Brown University
Thornton Staples, University of Virginia
Ross Wayland, University of Virginia

Selected Project Files:

Interoperability of Metadata Final Narrative Report
Metadata Redundancy Chart
Interoperability of Metadata Brown University Report
Interoperability of Metadata for Thematic Research Collections: A Model Based on the Walt Whitman Archive
Mapping from METS to Fedora/UVa
Sample XML Documents
Issues Raised For Scholars in Contributing All or Part of a Thematic Research Collection Into Library Catalogs

Selected Presentations:

Terry Catapano, Mid-Atlantic Archives Conference, 2006.

Katherine Walter, Brett Barney, Julia Flanders, Terry Catapano, and Daniel Pitti, Digital Humanities 2007 (Juried).