Digital repository in ceramics: a metadata study

Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to study the metadata requirements for setting up a digital repository in ceramics resources that would provide researchers and ceramic art professionals with access to the information as per their requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first reviews and analyzes various metadata standards and formats already available. Open software (Greenstone) is used to develop the repository and the paper discusses its metadata provisions. Thereafter, the paper focuses on ceramics resources and attempts to determine the metadata elements required to describe and organize ceramic resources. Existing controlled vocabularies to standardize content metadata of the repository are also reviewed.

Findings

The paper finds that selected metadata elements of Dublin Core and Categories for the Description of Work of Art can be used to describe and organize the ceramics resources. Local qualifiers are added when necessary to describe the resources. As Categories for the Description of Work of Art metadata standards are not provided in Greenstone, these were defined using GEMS to describe and organize ceramic art works. It also found that existing controlled vocabularies are not sufficient to standardize the content metadata of the repository.

Research limitations/implications

A digital repository should also contain information resources such as video and audio‐video information resources. The study has not considered studying metadata requirements to describe such information resources.

Originality/value

This paper could be useful for others who want to develop their repositories in various disciplines.

Citation

Patra, C. (2008), "Digital repository in ceramics: a metadata study", The Electronic Library, Vol. 26 No. 4, pp. 561-581. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470810893792