METS Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard

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METSMetadata Encoding and Transmission Standard

• Metadata Working Group Forum
• April 19, 2002

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METS

• MOA II project
• Concerned with the metadata necessary for the
  management and exchange of digital objects
• An XML framework or container for metadata
• Applicable to OAIS model, and CUL digital library
  projects

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A METS Object
ltmetsgt ltmetsHdrgt File Header ltdmdSecgt Descript
ive ltamdSecgt Administrative ltfileSecgt File
Inventory ltstructMapgt Structure
Map ltbehaviorSecgt Behaviors lt/metsgt
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metsHdr
ltmetsHdrgt ltagentgt ltnamegt ltnotegt lt/agentgt lt/m
etsHdrgt Attributes ID, CREATEDATE,
LASTMODDATE, RECORDSTATUS
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dmdSec
ltdmdSec ID1234gt ltmdRef /gt and/or ltmdWrapgt
ltbinDatagt or ltxmlDatagt lt/mdWrapgt ltdmdSecgt
examples best viewed with IE5 browser or
higher example 1 example 2
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amdSec
ltamdSecgt lttechMDgt Technical ltrightsMDgt IP
Rights ltsourceMDgt Original source ltdigiprovMDgt
Digital provenance lt/amdSecgt example 3
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A METS Object
ltmetsgt ltmetsHdrgt File Header ltdmdSecgt Descript
ive ltamdSecgt Administrative ltfileSecgt File
Inventory ltstructMapgt Structure
Map ltbehaviorSecgt Behaviors lt/metsgt
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fileSec
ltfileSecgt ltfileGrpgt ltfilegt ltFContentgt
and/or ltFlocat /gt lt/filegt lt/fileGrpgt ltfile
Secgt example 4
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structMap
ltstructMapgt ltdivgt ltdivgt ltdivgt ltmptrgt
external ltfptrgt internal lt/divgt lt/div
gt lt/divgt lt/structMapgt example 5
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structMap

• Heart of the METS object
• Only required element in METS schema
• Hierarchy can be represented within a single METS
  object (fptr) or through a series of related METS
  objects (mptr)
• fptr has child elements for sophisticated linking
  between structMap and fileSec

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METS

• Dependence on extension schema
• The need for digital standards development
• Permissiveness
• The need for profiles
• Complexity
• The need for tools

http//www.loc.gov/standards/mets
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Advantages

• A common metadata format
• Flexible, modular, extensible, expressive
• Open

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Uncertainties

• Where should certain data live in METS?
• dmdSec vs. amdSec
• amdSec vs. fileSec
• For text page vs. textual unit conundrum
• Relationship with TEI?
• Need for timestamps on xxSec and structMap
  elements