How is metadata used in libraries?
Today there are many structures to describe the different types of information resources that exist.
Today, the steps involved in acquiring, processing and dispersing information mean that librarians are required to have greater knowledge and specialisation.
It is important to note that the origin of metadata came from the field of information and documentation as a way to describe resources and optimise the search for information on the Internet, as information systems at that time were becoming obsolete.
In libraries, the main functions they perform on the use of metadata are twofold:
- Interconnecting information
- Avoiding misinformation
Therefore, this metadata will allow us to collect three aspects of the information resources:
- Information on its content.
- Information about its context: agents and circumstances of creation.
- Information about its structure: relationship between resources or parts of them.
With regard to tools for creating and editing metadata, it is important to note that metadata can be generated either internally or externally by creating documents that are, for example, databases.
In short, metadata, both now and in its early days, is used to describe the type of information resource that gives the possibility of being shared and allows us to delve deeper into the nature and intent of the documents generated.