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Metadata in the Government of

Alberta

September 20, 2017

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What is Metadata? Definition: Structured data that provides information

about other data.

Creator: Oliver Widder

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Where is Metadata?

Barack Obama

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Where is Metadata?

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Benefits of Metadata

Search and Retrieval

Ownership and Rights

Management

Managing Users

Retention and

Disposition

Resource Description

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Core Content Elements

Alternative title Creator

Date Created Date Modified

Description Extent Format

Identifier

Language Medium

Security Classification Subject

Title Type

Usage Considerations

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Mandatory Metadata

Element Definition

Creator The business entity responsible for creating or compiling the original content of an information resource.

Date Created The date, or date and time, on which the content of an information resource is created or compiled.

Date Modified The date, or date and time, on which the content of an information resource is changed.

Title The full and formal name given to an information resource.

Security Classification

An information security designation that identifies the minimum level of protection assigned to an information resource.

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Creation and Use of Metadata Core Content Metadata Application Profile (CORMAP) provides business

rules and guidance on the use and application of the 15 metadata elements

included in the GoA Metadata Core Content Standard.

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Mapping Metadata Between

Systems GoA Metadata –

Core Content

Standard

(Dublin Core)

MAchine-

Readable

Cataloging

(MARC) 21

Date Created 260$c$g

533$d

Date Modified 046$j

Title 245, 246

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Crosswalk Example

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Resources

• Government of Alberta Information Management website

• Information Management and Technology standards (Secure site):

• Core Content Metadata

• Data and Information Security Classification

• Digitization

• Etc.

• National Information Standards Organization (NISO) – Understanding

Metadata

• Dublin Core Metadata Initiative

Metadata in the Digital Library North: Culturally Appropriate and Community-

focused Approaches

Ali Shiri Professor

School of Library and Information Studies

University of Alberta

‘Metadata: what it is and why it matters’ - IM Aware, Service Alberta, September 20, 2017

Trends in Publications on Metadata

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Google Books Ngram Viewer: Search for Metadata (Sep. 7, 2017)

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Number of publications on metadata in Scopus: 39214 records (Sep. 7, 2017)

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Metadata: A multidisciplinary phenomenon

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https://web.archive.org/web/20150301095440/http:/www.theguardian.com/technology/interactive/2013/jun/12/what-is-metadata-nsa-surveillance#meta=0001100

7 A Guardian guide to your metadata

What is being captured on your digital devices?

Metadata in Google Books

Source: James, R., & Weiss, A. (2012). An assessment of Google Books' metadata. Journal of Library Metadata, 12 (1), 15-22.

36% of sampled books in the digitization project contained

metadata errors.

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Data or Metadata

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Data Types

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Facets of Big Data

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Shiri, A. (2014) Making Sense of Big Data: A Facet Analysis Approach. Knowledge Organization, 41(5), pp. 357 - 368.

Facet 6: Metadata

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Metadata in the Digital Library North: A Case Study in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region

Ulukhaktok, Inuvialuit Settlement Region 14

Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR)

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Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR)

Project focal point 16

• Identify the information needs and Information seeking behaviour of community members in the ISR

• Develop a digital library infrastructure

• Create a culturally appropriate metadata framework

• Develop requirements for Inuvialuktun multilingual user interfaces

• Devise a sustainability strategy to ensure long-term access to digital information

Objectives

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A Collaborative, community-driven project

Inuvialuit Cultural Resource Centre, March 2015.

DLN Project Team after the Open House, May 19, 2016.

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Theoretical and Methodological Frameworks

• Business and management • Organizational information systems • Social sciences • Cultural anthropology • Community informatics

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Resources at

ICRC

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Resources at ICRC

Digital Library Software

• Hydra/Fedora

• Omeka

• Dspace

• Eprint

• Drupal

• Islandora

• Greenstone

• ContentDM

• Mukurtu

• AtoM

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Culturally appropriate metadata

• Language(s) and dialect(s)

• Names of people and places

• Traditional and westernized forms of names

• Include local subjects

• Include variant forms and spellings

• Note contributor roles (individuals and organizations)

• Enable community contributions (keywords, tags or stories)

Metadata considerations

Guiding principles

• collaborative and participatory and driven by the needs of the community(ies)

• iterative and based on real user stories

• look toward sustainability and interoperability

High-level categories

• type/format/genre

• topic/keyword

• language

• audience

• collection

• season

• names (people, families, organizations)

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Subject metadata

• For images: – CSH (Canadian Subject Headings)

– TGM (LC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials)

• Audio/Video/Text: – CSH (Canadian Subject Headings)

– AANDC (Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Subject Thesaurus)

– FAST (Faceted Application of Subject Terminology)

– Canadiana Authorities

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Local vs. English name 26

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Key conclusions

• Metadata is the cornerstone of the organization of and access to digital records, information and objects

• Community engagement and input is key • Diversity of metadata creation approaches and methods is

not just a necessity; it is a social and professional responsibility

• Metadata practices should reflect the communities they serve by including diverse worldviews, perspectives and populations.

• The DLN metadata approach provides a framework for developing holistic and community-driven digital libraries, records management and repositories systems.

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Thank you!

https://alberta.ca/information-management-branch.aspx Page 1 of 2 September 2017

Service Alberta Enterprise IM Update

September 2017

Standards Update Every year, the IM Branch reviews enterprise IMT standards. Currently the Metadata

Core Content Standard is undergoing its annual review.

The Data and Information Security Classification standard, which describes the four

levels used to classify all Government of Alberta data and information assets (Public,

Protected A, Protected B, and Protected C), was ratified this past May.

One recommendation from the review of the Metadata – Core Content Standards is to

make information security classification a mandatory element.

Policy Instruments for the Management of Information Project

The Policy Instruments for the Management of Information project is underway. One

important component of this project is to develop recommendations for amendments to

the Records Management Regulation, which is set to expire in March 2018.

Proposed amendments to the regulation are intended to help minimize duplication,

improve the ability to find information for FOIP requests, and help manage the increasing

volume of digital information.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this project, the proposed amendments

are being presented to the Minister of Service Alberta in late September.

Schedule Reengineering Work continues on building out the centralized approach to the records retention and

disposition schedule development process.

The final stages of the project include stakeholder review and approval of process maps;

an appraisal report – a dynamic form which will collect the necessary data required to

generate a retention schedule and populate an information registry; a pilot plan outlining

transition, short term and long term implementation activities; and business requirements

for a new supporting enterprise application are being developed.

https://alberta.ca/information-management-branch.aspx Page 2 of 2 September 2017

Enterprise Resource Planning The Government of Alberta has recently launched a set of cross-department corporate

services transformation initiatives. The foundation of these initiatives is the

implementation of a modernized Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) toolset, which will

replace IMAGIS and other existing legacy systems.

The information management branch has been supporting the development of the

project to ensure that good information management practices are established. This

work will ensure the integrity, authenticity, and reliability of records in the ERP.

Alberta Records Centre The Alberta Records Centre is currently seeking information (RFI) on commercial

software which will enhance or replace the current inventory and tracking programs.

The aim is to procure software that will provide the following:

o Efficient and effective management of the inventories of the ARC;

o Validation of inventory holdings;

o Chain of custody tracking of all items sent out and returned to the ARC with the

most current and intuitive tools available; and

o Trend analysis and statistical reporting.

These benefits will provide all clients of the Alberta Records Centre a more streamlined

ordering and tracking program for box/file retrieval as well as a more comprehensive

inventory of all ARC holdings, which can then be validated against IRIS.

ECM Solution Planning Project The ECM Solution Planning Project has the following objectives:

o Describe the current state of ECM implementation in the Government of Alberta,

which will require the gathering of information on current ECM implementation

and use from all Government of Alberta departments, as well as initiatives that

have been undertaken in the past, are currently underway, or are planned for the

future. This objective will require significant stakeholder involvement beginning

late September into October 2017.

o Identify current ECM trends and best practices.

o Develop a comprehensive business case for acquisition and implementation of a

government-wide ECM solution. A government-wide ECM solution may take one

or a combination of several forms:

A single tool to be used government-wide or;

A combination of tools that are connected to a central tool through

interoperability.

An RFP to select a vendor to assist Service Alberta in meeting the above objectives was

recently awarded (to KPMG).