1. Metadata Quality Assignment
Leslie Yurocko
INFO 662 - FALL 2011
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Metadata Quality
University of Louisville Digital Collections
The University of Louisville digital collection records are created using DC metadata
schema in conjunction with a local guide entitled “CONTENTdm Cookbook: Recipes for
Metadata Entry of UofL Digital Initiatives”. The guide can be found in the “about” section located
on the digital collection homepage (http://digital.library.louisville.edu/cdm4/cookbook.pdf).
According to the creator of this document, Rachel Howard, it is “intended as a guide to data
entry and descriptive cataloging for UofL digital projects using CONTENTdm software.” Also,
some of the field names were changed benefit the searcher and “fields were put in an order that
highlighted the descriptive metadata at the top of the record while relegating the more
administrative and technical information at the bottom.” The local guide (or data dictionary) goes
on to advise, “Dublin Core qualifiers are interspersed with the elements they qualify, but are only
to be used as applicable”. Thus, locally added elements are part of the Kate Mathews collection
(http://digital.library.louisville.edu/collections/matthews/index.php) within the UofL digital
collections as shown in table 1 below.
Table 1.
Completeness
The UofL local guide states the title element is mandatory, thus all records examined
include the title element. Similarly, the creator, subject, and description fields are all mandatory
per the guide, they also can be found in all Kate Mathews records examined. The DC elements
most frequently used in this collection are title, creator, subject, description, source, and format.
Kate Mathews
Collection – Locally
Added Elements
People Pictured
Location Depicted
Collection Website
Citation Information
Ordering Information
Image Number
2. Some locally added elements are mandatory according to the guide. Some of these
elements include: citation information, people pictured, and location depicted, if they are
available. The most frequently used locally added elements in this collection are: location
depicted, people pictured and ordering information. The records examined in the Kate Mathews
collection are complete in terms of using the local guide and DC element usage guidelines. All
examined records include the mandatory elements as recommended in the local guide for the
UofL collections.
Accuracy & Consistency
The Kate Mathews collection records examined are accurate and display correct
information for each element. There are no notable typographical errors in the records
examined. The DC elements type and format are consistently used correctly per DC usage
guidelines in the records examined in this collection. The terms “photographic prints” are used
to describe the type of each record of the photographs. Also, “image/jpeg” is used to describe
the format in each record. Controlled vocabularies are consistent in the records examined.
DePaul University Digital Collections
After examining the digital collections at DePaul University (http://digicol.lib.depaul.edu/
cdm/), it appears the metadata creators do not utilize a local guide or set of guidelines to create
records for all of the collections. At least there is not a local guide to be found on the website.
Therefore, the records examined in the Lincoln Park Architectural Photograph collection were
compared to the DC element usage guide. After reviewing records in this collection, it is obvious
some local terms or elements are used as shown in table 2 below.
Table 2.
Completeness
The records examined in this DePaul University collection utilize the DC elements as
intended and in the proper form. As mentioned, the records examined also have several locally
added elements, such as “Chicago Landmark Status” and which “Neighborhood Association” to
which the building shown belongs. These two elements mentioned are the most frequently used
local elements. The records are complete in terms of using DC elements.
One notable item is the extensive use of vocabulary in the subject element. If searching for a
specific type of architectural style or term, such as entablatures, the searcher can easily located
Lincoln Park Collection –
Locally Added Elements
Chicago Landmark Status
Style (architectural)
Neighborhood Association
Date Constructed
3. several photographs with such a term. As recommended by DCMI (http://dublincore.org), the
subject elements in these records do not use general terms.
Accuracy & Consistency
After examining records in the Lincoln Park Architectural Photographs collection, it
appears the records are free of typographical errors. No notable data entry mistakes are found
when reviewing these records. With the amount of subject terms listed on each record it would
appear this is the area where any inconsistencies may occur. After examining these terms, the
format in which they are listed is consistent in the records reviewed. The second word is
consistently lower case.
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Table 3 below illustrates the top five metadata elements used in each collection.
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Table 3.
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Listed below are records retrieved from each collection.
The Kate Mathews Collection
Collection Top 5 Metadata Elements Used
Kate Mathews Collection Title, Creator, Subject, Description, Publisher
Lincoln Park Architectural
Photographs
Title, Identifier, Language, Subject, Type
Title Betty Lewis.
Creator Matthews, Kate, 1870-1956 (photographer)
Description Elizabeth Matthews Feagin sits in a large wooden chair with a book in her
lap, her right elbow on the arm of the chair and her chin in her hand. The
pose resembles that in a rather famous photograph taken of Elizabeth
decades earlier when she portrayed the character Betty Lewis in the Little
Colonel books written by Annie Fellows Johnston (see ULPA image
1980.24.02). Handwritten on verso in Kate Matthews' handwriting: "'Betty
Lewis' To Cherry 1951", "Photo. Kate Matthews", and "'Clovercroft'--July".
Subject Women
Older people
People Pictured Feagin, Elizabeth Matthews, 1886-1958
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4. !
***Here is the link for the local guide for UofL collections: http://digital.library.louisville.edu/
cdm4/cookbook.pdf
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Lincoln Park Architectural Photographs Collection
Location
Depicted
Pewee Valley (Ky.)
Oldham County (Ky.)
Date Original 1951-07
Object Type Photographic postcards
Source 3.25 x 5.5 in. b&w photographic postcard (Item no. ULPA 2000.96.043.p) in
the Kate Matthews (1870-1956) Collection, University of Louisville
Photographic Archives.
Citation
Information
See http://digital.library.louisville.edu/collections/matthews/
about.php#conditions for guidance on citing this item. To cite the digital
version, add its Reference URL (found by following the link in the gray
header above the digital file).
Collection Kate Matthews (1870-1956) Collection
Collection
Website
http://digital.library.louisville.edu/collections/matthews/
Digital
Publisher
University of Louisville Photographic Archives
Format image/jpeg
Ordering
Information
To order a reproduction, inquire about permissions, or for information about
prices see: http://louisville.edu/library/ekstrom/special/fees.html; please
cite the Image Number when ordering.
Image Number ULPA 2000.96.043
Identifier ARCHIVES-LPNC1-1054
Title 2646 N. Halsted St.; 2-3 Flat
Photographer Harold, Wanda
Style Victorian
Country United States
State Illinois
City Chicago
Original
Address
1271 N. Halsted St.
5. !
Records reviewed for completeness
Sanborn
Number
Chicago 1905-1951, vol. 9, 1923, sheet 28
Description Exterior front façade of Victorian style apartment house in Chicago's Lincoln Park
Neighborhood with mansard roof and three-sided bay window.
Neighborhood
Association
Wrightwood Neighbors Association
Chicago
Landmark
Status
No
National
Registry
No
Date
Photographed
2000
Date
Constructed
Late 1800s
Language eng
Subject United States--Illinois--Chicago--Apartment houses
Flats (Apartments)
Masonry
Porches
Entablatures
Pediments
Mansard roofs
Awnings
Shingles
Three-sided bay
Wrightwood Neighbors Association
Type Still Image
Format JPG
Logical Object
Size
274.035 kb
Color 36 bit
Rights For rights information please contact DePaul University Library, Archives
Source 4 X 6 in. color photograph
