Database-- Wikipedia
This might just be me, but I never knew there were so many different classifications of databases before-- operational database, warehouse database, analytical database, end-user database, hypermedia database... I will never be able to keep them all straight. Databases index data just like paper indexes, but probably more effectively for the user because they can just type in a keyword and something will pop up. Will we learn how to make databases, at least in a program like Microsoft Access?
Introduction to Metadata
Metadata is data about data. Information objects, like articles for example, all have content, context and structure. The metadata reflects this so that the object in question will be easier to find. Each branch of information professionals from archivists to museum registrars has its own way of encoding metadata. But metadata isn't just for information professionals anymore. Now with sites like Flickr anyone can create their own metadata. The general public is becoming more aware of how information can be organized because they are doing it themselves. But something that worries me on the professional side of things is that there are so many programs you can use to deal with metadata....MARC, EAD, and others. Will we get to learn how to use any of these? Because I feel like we keep reading about them in our classes, at least references to them, but I am confused about what they look like and how they actually work. And I feel like that would be a good skill to have for the job market.
An Overview of the Dublin Core Data Model
All I took away from this article is that this model supports "richer" description in metadata. But I wasn't sure if the author was saying this means there should be greater specificity within individual fields for describing things, or if there should be more general vocabulary used. Any thoughts?
Christy, I had a similar reaction to the article about the Dublin Core set of metadata elements. I think that the idea is providing a framework for consistency, not of the actual words used but rather of the fields that the words fill. I visited Wikipedia to clarify:
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin_core
I have no doubt that it's far more complex than this, but it's a start!