Planning for Metadata, Article Summary #3, a LS 566 Post

Jody Perkins in her article, Planning for Metadata, gives an overview into what it takes to work with metadata. She explains that the creation of metadata requires planning. It cannot be done haphazardly. While designing metadata one has to keep in mind the interoperability issues and what to about about it without affecting the quality of the collection. Collections have to be reviewed and mapped out. Perkins, based on her experience, explains four parts of metadata design: "Evaluation of project collection and associated metadata, review of current standards,  review of other relevant collections, and documentation of decisions related to the selection and implementation of standards."

This article was written about ten years ago. Ten years is like dog years in terms of technology with how everything changes so fast. But the process that Perkins lays out in her article is still relevant today. Things have to reviewed and researched before anything can be implemented in any form. Perkins gives a list of guidelines for standards that I found very helpful (the links are still valid, another plus). There is also a checklist, 'Collection Evaluation Checklist for Metadata Planning' that is well thought out and I am planing on referring
to it for any collection I may work with in the future.