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Metadata Guidelines

Documentation about metadata for digital resources.

Islandora Application Profile

Islandora Repository Metadata Application Profile

2022 January

Written by: Nicole Critchley and Lauren Goodley

Consultation from Texas State University Libraries Metadata Advisory Committee: Mary Aycock, Susannah Broyles, and Laura Waugh

Required Metadata Fields

Islandora Field title
Obligation Required
Mappings dc:title
Standards DACS 2.3
Allowed Values Uncontrolled text (not faceted)
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Will aggregate and display

DEFINITION

  • A word, phrase, character, or group of characters, normally appearing in a resource, that names it or the work contained in it.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Enter the title of the resource. All items must have a title.
  • Include the date when multiple items have the same or similar title, as in a series of periodicals (see MODS). This will cause the title to display as title, date at the top of the item page and in any search list. In addition to helping the user by identifying the date, including the date in the title differentiates any serial titles such as magazines.
    • Use "Untitled" only when the item is specifically names "Untitled."
    • If no title exists, construct one using accepted standards (RDA 2.3; DACS 2.3)
    • The title should describe the item in basic terms, but should not attempt to supply an exhaustive description.
    • If available, use information provided on or with the original materials.
    • Do not use periods.
    • It is up to the discretion of the archivist/metadata creator to decide if using quotation marks to signify a formal title or brackets for devised titles are needed.

DISPLAY NOTES

  • Titles will always appear first in an item's displayed metadata
  • Titles are used by the system to order items in collections. The repository will order items within a collection alphabetically by their main title, using the ASCII values of the characters in the title.
  • Capitalization and punctuation will change the filing order. To avoid unintended sort order results in your collection, be consistent with the use of capitalization and punctuation; carefully consider how dates are used as portions of titles; and when using numbers in titles, add leading zeros so that all numbers have the same amount of digits.

EXAMPLES

  • Action Magazine, July 2009
  • "Sam and John," January 3, 1991
  • Ace Cannon (center) performing at an unknown venue
  • A Conversation with Keith Carter
  • Hillviews, 2004 Spring
  • U.S. Fish Hatchery, with Southwest Texas Normal in background

 

Islandora Field field_edtf_date
Obligation Required
Mappings dc.date
Standards DACS 2.4; EDTF
Allowed Values Extended Date Time Format (LOC EDTF)
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Displays in DPLA; Recommended by DPLA

DEFINITION

  • The date that the resource was created, published, released, or issued.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Do not use the following fields:
    • field_edtf_date_created
    • field_edtf_date_issued
  • Include partial dates only if the year or only the month and year are known (e.g., YYYY-MM)
  • If a resource is about a specific time period, include the date in the optional "Time Period" field (field_temporal_subject).
  • Date ranges are acceptable, but a single date (YYYY-MM-DD) is preferred. If needed, see EDTF standards to input variations in dates.
Date Ranges

Date ranges are inclusive (e.g., a scrapbook or collection of items compiled over a period of time).

Follow the same basic format for EDTF, but separate the dates with a slash mark.

YYYY-MM-DD/YYYY-MM-DD     

1941-12/1945/08
  If part of the date range is unknown, one date can be replaced by a double-dot to designate an "open" range.

../YYYY-MM-DD

../1941-06-02
Seasons

For seasonal dates (rather than months), us the following codes:

  • 21 = Spring
  • 22 = Summer
  • 23 = Fall
  • 24 = Winter

1991-23

1926-21

EXAMPLES

  • Single date: 1912-09-18
  • Date span: 2003/2012
  • Circa date: 2000~
  • Circa date span: 1999~/2010~
  • Season based date for winter: 2006-24
Islandora Field field_linked_agent
Obligation Required; repeatable
CSV Entry [local] Relators: ROLE: TYPE:
Mappings dc.creator; dc.contributor.author
Standards DACS 2.6
Allowed Values Typed relation; Controlled vocabulary preferred
Controlled Vocabulary Yes
DPLA

Displays in DPLA; Recommended by DPLA

NOTE: Only first entry displays.

DEFINITION

  • The name of the entity related to the resource, such as the person primarily responsible for creating the resource. 
  • May be a person, organization, institution, corporate body, or government agency.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Enter all creator(s)/contributor(s) in the linked agent field; repeatable.
  • The role of each Linked Agent is required. Type the linked agent (person, organization, etc.), then the name, each separated by a colon.
  • NOTE: The creator will noted as "cre" in the field (e.g., relators:cre:person:Walker, Jerry Jeff)
  • Separate repeated entries with a vertical bar (e.g., |)
  • The repository itself should not be listed as a creator.
  • Use name authority control records when possible:
    • Library of Congress Name Authority Files
    • Handbook of Texas
    • Getty Name Authorities
    • Local authority file (e.g., found in ArchiveSpace)

DISPLAY NOTES

  • Only the first field entered displays in DPLA. Users will need to click through to item-level pages to view all other attached Linked Agents.
  • Islandora roles (attached to Linked Agents) display under the Creator metadata field.

EXAMPLES

  • relators:cre:person:Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
  • relators.ive:person:Craddock, Emmie, 1915~
  • relators:cre:person:Walker, Jerry Jeff
  • relators:pbl:corporate_body:D. McNaughton & Sons Publishers and Proprietors
Islandora Field

field_identifier; or

field_oclc_number
Obligation Required; repeatable
Mappings dc:identifier
Standards  
Allowed Values Uncontrolled text (not faceted)
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Does not display in DPLA

DEFINITION

  • A unique reference to the resource within the institution.
  • This field can also be used (repeatable) to store file name(s), item numbers, OCLC numbers, or other types of identifiers.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Use the item number, file name, or call number.
  • Digitized items should follow a file naming convention.
  • Born digital, and digitized items, without a file naming convention may need to be assigned an identifier.
  • Do not use spacial characters (@, $, %, etc.)

EXAMPLES

  • AQS_031
  • Hillviews_2019-03
  • RA058b

 

Islandora Field field_resource_type
Obligation Required
Mappings dc:type
Standards  
Allowed Values Entity reference
Controlled Vocabulary Yes
DPLA Displays in DPLA

DEFINITION

  • The nature or genre of the resource, at a very high level. Generally used to search or filter for types of materials, such as Text, Sound, Moving Image, etc.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Use one of the following from the DCMI Type Controlled Vocabulary:
    • Moving Image
    • Physical Object
    • Sound
    • Still Image
    • Text
  • As with all fields, make sure you are describing the content of the original item. For example, a PDF can be Text (if it's a PDF of a textual document), or Still Image (if it's a scan of a photograph. Also, in these cases, the document or photograph would go in the Physical Format field.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON IMAGE VS STILL IMAGE

  • Image is defined as: a visual representation other than text. This includes photographs of physical objects, moving animations, diagrams, or maps.
  • Still Image is a more granular description that is defined as: a static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps.

DISPLAY NOTES

  • Type: Still Image
    • Format: Photographs
  • Type: Text
    • Format: Transcripts
  • Type: Sound
    • Format: Audiocassettes
Islandora Field field_rights_txstate
Obligation Required; repeatable
Mappings dc:rights; DACS 4.4
Standards Local, use what was decided on ArchiveSpace. OR Use URI for rightsstatemente.org
Allowed Values Uncontrolled text (not faceted)
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Displays in DPLA. Standardized statement strongly preferred.

DEFINITION

  • Statement about the rights held over the resource, such as copyright or intellectual property rights. Can also include information about reuse or applicable licenses.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Enter two rights statements: one with natural language, and one from RightsStatement.org.
  • Enter the same .csv file field, using a | to separate the two values.
  • Always put the local statement first.
  • Use URI for RightsStatements.org.

EXAMPLES

  • The Wittliff Collections
    • https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en|Materials from the Wittliff Collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user assumes responsibility for determining copyright status, obtaining permission to publish, and abiding by U.S. copyright laws. https://www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu/research/visit/policies/publication.html
  • Public Domain
    • https://rightsstatements.org/page/NoC-US/1.0/|Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States.|
  • For University records:
    • Copyright held by Texas State University. Educational reproduction is allowed without permission. Authorization to publish must be obtained from the University Archives. Please contact univarchives@txstate.edu.|http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0
Islandora Field field_subject
Obligation Required; repeatable
Mappings dc:subject
Standards  
Allowed Values Entity reference (faceted)
Controlled Vocabulary Yes
DPLA Displays in DPLA. Recommended by DPLA. Some subject formatting may be normalized by DPLA.

DEFINITION

  • Focus on main topics of item.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Look up options from controlled vocabularies:
    • Library of Congress Name Authority File
    • Library of Congress Subject Headings
    • Handbook of Texas
    • Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus
    • Library of Congress Thesaurus of Graphic Materials
    • Faceted Application of Subject Terminology
    • Medical Subject Headings
    • Local authority file found on ArchiveSpace
  • When adding to spreadsheet, separate with vertical bar |. See examples.
  • CSV Entry: Use vertical bar | between entries. Be sure not to use spaces anywhere except within the subject terms themselves. No space before or after or after the vertical bar or colons.

DISPLAY NOTES

  • Agents listed in the "Agent/Creator field will NOT be linked to the Subject field. If the same person is listed as a creator (Agent) on one item and a subject on another, they will not show up on the same.

EXAMPLES

  • LCSH: College campuses
  • Subject:Texas State University|subject:Southwest Texas State College -- Periodicals|subject:University and colleges -- Alumni and alumnae - Texas
  • Local Term: Subject:Aquarena Springs (San Marcos, Tex.)
Islandora Field field_source
Obligation Required; repeatable
Mappings dc:relation
Standards  
Allowed Values Natural language or reference, such as URL or URI
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Does not display in DPLA.

DEFINITION

  • The name of a collection or series, or group of thematic works, as well as the name of the repository.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Enter the name of the repository the materials belong to.
  • Optional: Add in the collection name.

EXAMPLES

  • University Archives, Texas State University|Postcard Collection
  • Sam Kindrick Papers|The Wittliff Collections, Texas State University
  • Sam Kindrick Papers, The Wittliff Collections, Texas State University|Collection 134, Box 2

Recommended Metadata Fields

Islandora Field field_description
Obligation Recommended
Mappings dc:description
Standards  
Allowed Values Uncontrolled text (not faceted)
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Displays in DPLA

DEFINITION

  • Used to record a succinct summary of some aspect of the content of the resource.
  • Can include abstract or table of contents.
  • What the resource is "about."

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Incorporate keywords in order to provide additional access points for searching.
  • This element provides end users with information about the digital resource that assists them in making a judgement about its likely usefulness, and also provides context for controlled vocabulary used in other fields of the record.
  • Enter the description in sentences when possible; use more grammar than a list of keywords, for example.
  • Use periods at the ends of sentences, but not phrases.
  • Prefer item-level content descriptions rather than collection-level.
  • For images/photographs, provide a detailed description of the visual image.
  • Add contextual information if available.
  • Periodical descriptions can have contextual information about the serial, such as why it exists and what it is about.

DISPLAY NOTES

  • The contents of the Description Field are included in the view of search results.

EXAMPLES

  • Recordings include the songs "I Can Still Make Cheyenne," "Easy Come, Easy Go," "Love Without End Amen," and "Baby Blue."
  • Johnny [no known last name] talks about an old girlfriend named Evelyn [no known last name] and the first time they met. He gives a description of her physical appearance and a romantic instance in a car. There is additional audio that is difficult to decipher, as the volume is low in the recording.
  • Betty Dressen discusses growing up on a farm. Betty shares memories of going into the town of Lockhart, Texas with her father once a month. She describes responsibilities in her early life such as curing meat, making cheese, canning, and growing a garden.
Islandora Field field_language
Obligation Recommended
Mappings dc:language
Standards ISO 639-3
Allowed Values Entity reference
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Displays in DPLA. Strongly recommended by DPLA for text materials.

DEFINITION

  • The language or languages used in the resource; repeatable field.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Provide the English name of the language as provided in the ISO standard.
  • Do not use for non-linguistic content, such as a photographic image, even if the text does appear on the image.
  • If language is unknown, leave field blank. Do not use place holders such as "Unknown."

EXAMPLES

  • English
  • Spanish
  • German
  • Korean
Islandora Field field_physical_form
Obligation Recommended
Mappings dc:format; dcterms:medium
Standards  
Allowed Values Entity reference
Controlled Vocabulary Yes
DPLA Displays in DPLA. Recommended by DPLA.

DEFINITION

  • Describes the genre, medium, or materials of the resource. This is a more granular description than the Resource Type field.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Use controlled vocabulary:
    • Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus
    • Library of Congress Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
  • Use the most detailed term as possible. For example, Photographic prints instead of Photographs.

EXAMPLES

  • Photographic prints
  • Transcripts
  • Audiocassettes
  • Newspapers
Islandora Field field_publisher
Obligation Recommended
Mappings dc:publisher
Standards  
Allowed Values Uncontrolled text (not faceted)
Controlled Vocabulary Yes, if possible
DPLA Displays in DPLA. Recommended by DPLA.

DEFINITION

  • Organization responsible for making the original resource available including a publishing house, corporate body, government agency, university, etc.
  • Used for published materials such as books, magazines, and journals.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Do not use this field for the entity making the digital version available.
  • Leave blank if a publisher cannot be accurately determined, or if there is no publisher.
  • Do not include the role or relationship designator, unless it is included in the authorized form of their name.
  • Use name authority records when possible:
    • Library of Congress Name Authority
    • Handbook of Texas
    • Getty Union List of Artist Names
    • Local authority file found on ArchiveSpace

EXAMPLES

  • Fresh Ideas Publishing Co.
  • Von Boeckmann-Jones Company
Islandora Field field_finding_aid
Obligation Required, if available
Mappings dc:source
Standards  
Allowed Values URL
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Does not display in DPLA.

DEFINITION

  • Link to finding aid on ArchiveSpace.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Copy and paste a link to, preferably, the archival object in the finding aid.
  • It is up to the archivists' discretion to add links to the top-level if linking to the archival object does not make sense.

EXAMPLES

  • Link text: Retta Murphy collection finding aid
  • Link text: Item in "Retta Murphy collection finding aid"
  • Finding aid: https://archivesspace.library.txstate.edu/repositories/4/resources/534 
  • Item record: https://archivesspace.library.txstate.edu/repositories/4/archival_objects/135553
  • Examples: https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:72236

Optional Metadata Fields

Islandora Field field_alternative_title
Obligation Optional
Mappings dc:alternative
Standards  
Allowed Values Uncontrolled text (not faceted)
Controlled Vocabulary No
DPLA Does not display in DPLA

DEFINITION

  • An alternative name for the resource.
  • The distinction between titles and alternative titles is application-specific.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Use for formal titles in lieu of displaying incorrect or sensitive/offensive language in the object title or for alternative spellings.
  • Use for translations or to include variations in special characters or diacritics.

EXAMPLES

  • Title [Field]: The Normal School Bulletin, Volume IX, No. 5, July 1920
  • Alternative Title [Field]: 1920-1921 Undergraduate Catalog
Islandora Field field_extent
Obligation Optional
Mappings dc.format.extent
Standards DACS 2.5
Allowed Values Uncontrolled text (not faceted)
Controlled Vocabulary Yes
DPLA Does not display in DPLA

DEFINITION

  • A physical description that includes the size, length, or duration of the resource.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Extent field is used to describe the original physical resource, rather than the digital facsimile.
  • Enter a statement of size or dimensions number and specific material of the units and/or duration of the item.
  • Extent field statements may include:
    • size or dimensions (e.g., 8.5 x 11 inches)
    • number of specific material of the unit (e.g., 3 pages)
    • duration (e.g., 1 audio disc (1 hr., 30 min.)
  • These can be combined as needed, such as: 1 audio disc, 1 hr., 30 min.

EXAMPLES

  • 1 audio disc (2 hr., 43 min.)
  • 13 pages
  • 1 audiocassette (46 min.)
  • 1 open reel audiotape (1 hr., 25 min.)
Islandora Field field_geographic_subject
Obligation Optional; repeatable
Mappings dc.coverage; dcterms:spatial; dc:subject
Standards  
Allowed Values Entity reference
Controlled Vocabulary Yes
DPLA Does not display in DPLA. Recommended by DPLA.

DEFINITION

  • Geographic location or place the resource is about. Not necessarily where it was published or disseminated.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Look up options from controlled vocabularies:
    • Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names
    • Library of Congress Name Authority File
    • Handbook of Texas
    • Local authority file found on ArchiveSpace
  • When adding to a spreadsheet, separate with vertical bar |.

EXAMPLES

  • San Antonio (Tex.)
  • Seoul, South Korea
Islandora Field field_temporal_subject
Obligation Optional; repeatable
Mappings dc.coverage; dc:subject
Standards  
Allowed Values Entity reference
Controlled Vocabulary Yes
DPLA Does not display in DPLA

DEFINITION

  • Time period the resource is about. Not necessarily where it was published or disseminated.

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Look up options from controlled vocabularies:
    • Library of Congress Subject Headings
    • Getty Art and Architecture Thesaurus
    • Handbook of Texas
    • Faceted Application of Subject Terminology
    • Medical Subject Headings
    • Library of Congress Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
    • Local authority file found on ArchiveSpace

EXAMPLES

  • United States Civil War, 1861-1865
  • Colonial Mexico, 1540-1810
  • New South, Populism, Progressivism, and the Great Depression, 1877-1939
  • 20th century
    • Note that spelled out, twentieth century is used for subdivisions only.