Metadata Maintenance Strategies

Since 2013 the University of Houston (UH) Libraries Metadata and Digitization Services (MDS) department has been working towards the goal of improving the quality of legacy metadata in the UH Digital Library. This effort, known as the Metadata Upgrade Project, required the adoption and development of tools to coordinate staff and improve efficiency. This poster describes the tools that support MDS’s metadata upgrade work in three strategic areas: Documentation, Communication, and Automation.

First, we use a departmental wiki, powered by PmWiki, to document our workflow processes. Second, for communication we use Basecamp and Google Forms. Basecamp is useful for project management and communication with MDS members and important stakeholders. Tasks are assigned, discussed, monitored and marked as complete with this tool. We also implemented a Google Form that collection curators can use to easily report metadata problems. Third, AutoHotkey is used to automate complicated and repetitive tasks, thereby increasing productivity and decreasing errors during metadata creation and editing.

Overall, these tools have improved the cohesion and effectiveness of the MDS Metadata Unit in the areas of accuracy, quality and production. This poster will be useful for libraries and information centers that have similar metadata maintenance goals for their digital collections.