[Dspace-general] Metadata in DSpace (beginner's questions)

[Tansley, Robert]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: dspace-general-bounces at mit.edu 
> [mailto:dspace-general-bounces at mit.edu] On Behalf Of Don Gourley
> Sent: 05 May 2005 09:30
> To: dspace-general at mit.edu
> Subject: [Dspace-general] Metadata in DSpace (beginner's questions)
> 
> I have a couple of questions about the descriptive metadata in DSpace.
> Please excuse me if these are obvious, as I am not a librarian or
> information specialist.
> 
> 1. What does it mean in the DC registry when it says:
>    "Do not use; only for harvested metadata."?
>    Is that element reserved for things harvested elsewhere or
>    is it automatically generated from other elements for OAI
>    harvesting out of DSpace...or is it something else altogether?

The "do not use" really only relates to MIT policy, which is derived
from an early draft of the Library Application Profile of Dublin Core;
it's nothing intrinsic in the system.  In fact, those comments should
probably be taken out.  It's just there so that MIT can import things
crosswalked/harvested/imported from external sources.

> 2. For documents or objects not born digital, where does one properly
>    put metadata that describes the non-intellectual aspects of the
>    original (non-digital) object?  I'm thinking of qualifying the
>    heck out of the Source element (Source.publisher, Source.extent,
>    etc.) but that somehow doesn't feel quite right.

To use Dublin Core "properly", I imagine that your digital version of
the object counts as a different resource from the original, non-digital
object.  So really it would need a separate DC record.  Of course this
isn't really supported in DSpace.  What most people tend to do is use
identifier.citation to give a citation for the original.

Hope this helps

 Robert Tansley / Digital Media Systems Programme / HP Labs
  http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Robert_Tansley/