Quick-Start Metadata Guide
PAGE CONTENTS 34 minute read.
Introduction
If you’re new to metadata or to the UNT Libraries (UNTL) system, this document gives a brief overview of the guidelines for records in the UNT Libraries’ Digital Collections. This introduction covers only the most basic information about formatting while the full guidelines give in-depth instructions and examples to cover any names, places, etc. that do not fit the general rules. To see the full guidelines, click here. Additionally, links within the overview connect to more specific portions of the guidelines.
Overview
The primary goal when we create metadata in the Digital Collections is to help users find items that they will find interesting or useful. We do this by:
- Describing an item as accurately as possible
(e.g., not describing a clipping as a whole newspaper, or using a title that only applies to part of the content) - Including any information that is relevant to explain what the item is
- Limiting duplication of information, unless it serves a purpose
- Following formatting and usage guidelines so that information matches across items
Questions or Issues
If you are working on metadata and discover that you have questions or come across a different kind of item than you have described before, you have a few options to find more information:
- For formatting or usage questions (e.g., how to enter an unusual name or whether you should include certain information), use the “Help” link on the field in the editing system – or the links on this page – to see suggestions, guidelines, and examples for different kinds of situations
- If you find an unusual item, it may be helpful to search in the Digital Collections for similar items to see how they have been described before or check to see if there are project-specific guidelines
- To get more context about an item, you may be able to find other records or information online by looking in the library catalog or WorldCat (for formally published books, reports, pamphlets, etc.), by searching finding aids or similar documentation (for archival materials), or by using a search engine (if you want contextual information about an artist, personal collector, etc.)
Title
What Do You Need to Know About Title?
This field is required. |
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Formatting Information
- Write out the title as it appears on the item or in accompanying information
- If the item does not have a title, create a short, descriptive title in square brackets
- It is preferred that titles are more descriptive than just a proper name
- To make titles unique, we sometimes add numbers to when there is not another way to distinguish content (e.g., near-identical photos)
Examples:
Book |
Reminiscences of the Terry Rangers |
Photograph |
[Portrait of Bernice P. Lewis] |
Newspaper clipping |
[Clipping: State Group Supports Memorial] |
Traced copy of map |
Map of Horton & Williams Subdivision of Lot 5, Block 23 of Harris Addition to the City of Abilene, Texas [#3] |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for titles, see the Title page
- For more information about where to find the title on an object, see Where Can the Title Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding basic titles, see General Title Rules
- For information about other kinds of titles and whether or not they should be used for an item, see Special Titles
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a glossary of title types, see the Comments section
- For a list of useful links for titles, see the Resources section
Creator
What Do You Need to Know About Creator?
This field is optional -- if the creator is unknown, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- Only specific individuals or organizations should be included as creators
- Include as many creators as you need to, in order of importance (or the order that they appear in on the item)
- Personal names should be inverted (Last, First Middle)
- Suffixes (Jr., Sr., etc.) can be added at the end but titles (Dr., Rev., Mr., etc.) should be left off unless it is required to accurately represent the person
- Organization names should be written out as they appear
- Hierarchical organizations and government agencies should be written from the highest level to the lowest
- Choose a type (person or organization) and a role from the drop-down menus for each creator
- Optionally, you can include alternate names or information about the creator that is directly related to the item in the “Information” text field
Examples
Personal name |
Blackburn, J. K. P. |
Personal name requiring a title |
Morris, Mrs. Harry Joseph |
Personal name with a suffix |
Roberts, Frank H. H., Jr. |
Organization name |
R. L. Polk & Co. |
Government agency |
Texas. Adjutant General's Office. |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for creators, see the Creator page
- For more information about where to find creator(s) on an object, see Where Can the Creator Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding creator names, roles, and information, see How Should the Creator be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for creators, see the Resources section
- For more information about when to use the Creator or Contributor field, see our definition page
Contributor
What Do You Need to Know About Contributor?
This field is optional -- if there are no contributors or the contributors are unknown, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- Only specific individuals or organizations should be included as contributors
- Include as many contributors as you need to, in order of importance (or the order that they appear in on the item)
- Personal names should be inverted (Last, First Middle)
- Suffixes (Jr., Sr., etc.) can be added at the end but titles (Dr., Rev., Mr., etc.) should be left off unless it is required to accurately represent the person
- Organization names should be written out as they appear
- Hierarchical organizations and government agencies should be written from the highest level to the lowest
- Choose a type (person or organization) and a role from the drop-down menus for each contributor
- Optionally, you can include alternate names or information about the contributor that is directly related to the item in the “Information” text field
Examples
Personal name |
Sonneck, Oscar George Theodore |
Personal name requiring a title |
Bower, Mrs. Orren J. |
Personal name with a suffix |
Boyles, C. S., Jr. |
Organization |
Bendix Field Engineering Corporation |
Government agency |
United States. Navy. Training Division. Bureau of Aeronautics. |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for contributors, see the Contributor page
- For more information about where to find contributor(s) on an object, see Where Can the Contributor Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding contributor names, roles, and information, see How Should the Contributor be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for contributors, see the Resources section
- For more information about when to use the Creator or Contributor field, see our definition page
Publisher
What Do You Need to Know About Publisher?
This field is optional -- if there is no publisher or the publisher is unknown, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- Individual names should not be inverted (First Middle Last)
- Organization names should be written out as they appear
- Hierarchical organizations and government agencies should be written from the highest level to the lowest
Examples
Personal name |
Roberta Wright Rylander |
Organization |
Lewis Publishing Company |
Government agency |
United States. Department of Agriculture. |
- If known, include the location where the item was published (e.g., Austin, Texas)
- Optionally, you can include alternate names or information about the publisher that is directly related to the item in the “Information” text field
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for publishers, see the Publisher page
- For more information about where to find publisher(s) on an object, see Where Can the Publisher Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding publisher names, locations, and information, see How Should the Publisher be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for publishers, see the Resources section
Date
What Do You Need to Know About Date?
This field is optional -- if the creation date is unknown, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- Dates use the form YYYY-MM-DD including a year and any additional parts that are known (i.e., YYYY or YYYY-MM or YYYY-MM-DD)
- A date range can be created by separating dates with a slash: YYYY-MM-DD/YYYY-MM-DD
- If the date is uncertain a question mark can be added to the end: YYYY-MM-DD?
- Use an “X” to stand in for unknown digit(s): YYYX-MM
- For “circa” dates, add a tilde at the end: YYYY-MM-DD~
- To represent a single date within a series of dates or date range,
use “one of a set”:
- Series of non-consecutive dates: [YYYY-MM-DD,YYYY,YYYY-MM]
- Consecutive date range: [YYYY..YYYY]
- After a known date: [YYYY-MM..]
Examples
Basic date |
1879-03-29 |
Date range |
1941-12/1945-08 |
Date with only a decade known |
189X |
Approximate date |
1865-05~ |
One of a set |
[1975-08-07..1975-08-10] |
"Before" a known date |
[..1909] |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for dates, see the Date page
- For more information about where to find creation date(s) on an object, see Where Can the Date Information be Found?
- For formatting instruction for all types of dates, see General Date Rules
- For additional guidelines regarding creation dates (including special instructions for postcards and items that are derivations), see Creation Dates
- For examples of when various kinds of dates would apply, see Special Dates
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for dates, see the Resources section
Language
What Do You Need to Know About Language?
This field is required. |
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Formatting Information
- Choose the relevant language from the drop-down menu
- If there is no language content, choose “No Language”
- If the item is in multiple languages include all that are relevant
Examples
A book written in English |
eng - English |
A photograph with no written text or visible words in the image |
nol - No Language |
An opera in French and Italian |
fre - French |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for languages, see the Language page
- For more information about where to find language(s) on an object, see Where Can the Language Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding languages, see How Should the Language be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for languages, see the Resources section
Description: Content Description
What Do You Need to Know About Content Description?
This field is required. |
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Formatting Information
- Describe what the item is about using proper grammar and punctuation
- Start the description with a statement of the item type (e.g., “Photograph of…”)
- Be descriptive about the object but only include details helpful for users
- For names that are often abbreviated (organizations, schools, military installations, etc.), be sure to have the full name somewhere in the record
Examples
Photograph from Cowtown Coliseum |
Photograph of a cowboy riding a brown bull in an arena. A rodeo clown is standing in the right side of the image; behind him, people are watching from the other side of a red fence. |
Postcard with text |
Postcard of the Custom House building in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. The back of the postcard includes a thank you note addressed to Capt. Elmer C. Croom from L. R. de la Peña. |
Genealogy Newsletter |
Quarterly publication containing genealogical information about families in East Texas including fifth generation charts, family histories, and lists of records (births, deaths, etc.). |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for content description, see this section of the Description page
- For more information about where to find content information on an object, see Where Can the Content Description Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding content descriptions (including information for specific kinds of items), see How Should the Content Description be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
Description: Physical Description
What Do You Need to Know About Physical Description?
This field is VERY strongly recommended. |
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Formatting Information
- Whenever possible, include a physical description using the format: extent : physical details ; dimensions
Note: leave out ‘physical details’ if they do not apply or are not readily available
- Specify units for dimensions (cm., in., etc.) and always round up to the next full centimeter (the only exceptions are “standard sized” photographs, A/V recordings, and born-digital materials)
- Physical descriptions are based on item type:
Extent | Physical Details | Dimensions | Example(s) |
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Books and printed text: number of pages (# p.) |
illustrated? (ill.) |
height in cm. |
30 p. ; 28 cm. iv, 320 p. : ill. ; 23 cm. |
Photographs and 'graphic' items: number and kind of items |
negative/positive? color? (col. or b&w) born-digital? (digital) |
height x width in cm. 'standard size' dimensions* |
1 postcard : col. ; 9 x 13 cm. 1 photograph : negative, b&w ; 4 x 5 in. |
Maps: number and kind of item |
special kind (like 'blueprint')? color? (col., hand col.) |
height x width in cm. |
1 map : blueprint ; 41 x 29 cm. 1 map : col. ; 26 x 20 cm. |
Manuscripts (handwritten items): number of pages (# p.) |
illustrated? (ill.) |
height in cm. |
25 p. : col. ill. ; 36 cm. |
Music (printed): number of scores/parts and page numbers |
illustrated? |
height in cm. |
1 cello part (5 p.) ; 36 cm. |
Sound recordings: number and kind of items with playing time |
digital or analog? playing speed? |
diameter of disc in in. gauge of film in mm. |
1 sound disc (80 min.) : digital ; 4 3/4 in. |
Motion pictures and videorecordings: number and kind of items with playing time |
sound (sd.) or silent (si.)? color (col.) or black and white (b&w)? |
gauge of film (mm. or in.) or diameter of discs (in.) |
1 video disc (1 hr., 45 min.) : sd., col. ; 8 in. 2 film reels (ca. 55 min. each) : si., b&w ; standard 8 mm. |
Three-dimensional objects: number and kind of items |
material (when known) color? |
height x width x depth in cm. |
1 saucer : porcelain, col. ; 18 cm. in diam. 1 niddy noddy : wood ; 29 x 46 cm. |
* Note: for photographs that are ‘standard sizes’ (as defined by UNTL guidelines) dimensions can use measurements other than cm.
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for physical description, see this section of the Description page
- For more information about where to find physical information on an object, see Where Can the Physical Description Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding text materials, see Books, pamphlets, and printed sheets
- For additional guidelines regarding graphic materials, see Photographs and other “graphic” materials
- For additional guidelines regarding maps (including atlases), see Maps and other cartographic materials
- For additional guidelines regarding manuscripts, see Manuscripts (maps, musical scores, and other documents that are handwritten)
- For additional guidelines regarding sheet music, see Music
- For additional guidelines regarding audio recordings, see Sound recordings
- For additional guidelines regarding video recordings, see Motion pictures and videorecordings
- For additional guidelines regarding physical objects, see Three-dimensional objects
- For additional guidelines about multiple kinds of items that belong together in the same record (a book with an insert, for example), see Accompanying material
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
Subjects and Keywords
What Do You Need to Know About Subject?
This field is required. |
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Formatting Information
- There is no limit on the number of subjects/keywords, but they should be useful for finding the item
- Keywords should be lowercase and plural (except for proper names)
- Records for The Portal to Texas History must have at least one subject string from the UNT Libraries Browse Structure (UNTL-BS)
- People visible in photographs can be included as named persons (names are inverted and may include titles, suffixes, and nicknames)
- When readily available, prefer standardized terms from vocabularies
Examples
Keywords |
horseback riding |
UNTL-Browse Subject |
Business, Economics and Finance - Transportation - Railroads - Trains |
Named person |
Steever, Col. Edgar Z. |
Named animal |
Doc Persnickety |
Library of Congress Subject Heading |
Wild west shows |
Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms |
Portraits |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for subjects, see the Subject page
- For more information about where to find subject(s) on an object, see Where Can the Subject Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding all subjects and keywords (including instructions by subject type), see How Should the Subject be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for subjects, see the Resources section
Primary Source
What Do You Need to Know About Primary Source?
This field is optional - if you are unsure whether something is a primary source, choose "N/A" (not applicable). |
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Formatting Information
- Mark “Yes” using the form radio button if the item is a primary source
- Mark “No” using the form radio button if the item is not a primary source
Examples
Primary sources |
maps |
Not primary sources |
yearbooks |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for primary sources, see the Primary Source page
- For additional guidelines regarding primary sources, see How Should Primary Source be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
Coverage
What Do You Need to Know About Coverage?
This field is optional -- if the coverage information is unknown, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- Coverage places should be entered using hierarchical formatting from the largest to the smallest level (i.e., United States - [State] - [County] County - [City])
- Use the hierarchy found in the GeoNames unless it falls into our list of exceptions
- Coverage dates can be entered, if known, as a single date or date range using the same formatting as creation dates
- Records in The Portal to Texas History can also include relevant
time periods chosen from our list of “eras”
- When choosing eras, always use the most generic time period that includes the year(s) unless a specific topic is relevant
- To add geocoordinates, choose the correct qualifier and then use the map interface in the edit system
Examples
Coverage place in Texas |
United States - Texas - Denton County - Denton |
Coverage place outside of Texas |
Germany - Lower Saxony - Region Hannover District - Hanover |
Coverage place that is an exception to the rules |
United States - New York - New York City |
Single coverage date |
1862-05~ |
Coverage date range |
1905/1922 |
Coverage time period |
rep-tex - The Republic of Texas |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for coverage, see the Coverage page
- For more information about where to find coverage information on an object, see Where Can the Coverage Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding coverage places, dates, and eras (including a list of exceptions to the place name rules), see How Should the Coverage be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for coverage, see the Resources section
Source
What Do You Need to Know About Source?
This field is optional -- if there is no source or the source is unknown, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- Include the major information about the source object including: title, author, publication/creation date, identifier (if applicable)
- Separate information with commas or appropriate punctuation
- If relevant, choose the kind of source from the drop-down menu
Examples
Map from a book of plats |
Source (book): [O. K. Hobbs Plat Book], [Abilene (Tex.)] City Engineering Department, 1930 |
Clipping from a newspaper |
Source (newspaper): Dallas Morning News, March 3, 1999. p. 26A |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for source, see the Source page
- For more information about where to find source information on an object, see Where Can the Source Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding source, see How Should the Source be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for source, see the Resources section
- For more information about citing textual source items, see the Citation page
Relation
What Do You Need to Know About Relation?
This field is optional - if there is no relation or the relation is unknown, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- Generally, an object will have relation(s) that point to every related object (a map that has 4 additional copies would have 4 relation fields, each pointing to a different copy)
- Include the title, identifier (optional), and ARK of the related item
Examples
Index to a series of volumes |
(References): Experiment Station Record Volume 1, ark:/67531/metadc5053 |
Map blueprint that has a non-blueprint copy |
(Has format): Map of North Park Addition to Abilene, Texas [#2], OKHPB_0470, ark:/67531/metapth77939 |
Report from a soil survey |
(Has part): Soil map, Texas, Wilson County, ark:/67531/metapth19658 |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for relation, see the Relation page
- For more information about where to find relation information on an object, see Where Can the Relation Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding relation (including additional kinds of relationships), see How Should the Relation be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- For a list of useful links for relation, see the Resources section
Institution and Collection
What Do You Need to Know About Institution and Collection?
These fields are required. |
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Formatting Information
- If it is appropriate to change this information, be sure to choose the correct institution and collection(s) from the drop-down menus based on the information you are given about the project
Examples
Institution |
ACRM - Amon Carter Museum |
Collection |
HSUY - Hardin-Simmons University Yearbooks |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for institution, see the Institution page
- To see additional institution examples, see Other Examples
- If you want to see the full guidelines for collection, see the Collection page
- To see additional collection examples, see Other Examples
Resource Type and Format
What Do You Need to Know About Resource Type and Format?
These fields are required. |
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Formatting Information
- Choose the most specific resource type that is relevant from the UNT Libraries list, based on the glossary (in the Comments section)
- For “format”, choose the corresponding, more generic form of the resource type from the format list
Examples
Photograph |
Resource type: image_photo - Photograph |
Map |
Resource type: image_map - Map |
Letter |
Resource type: text_letter |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for resource types, see the Resource Type page
- To see additional resource type examples, see Other Examples
- To see the full list of resource types, see the Comments section
- If you want to see the full guidelines for formats, see the Format page
- To see additional format examples, see Other Examples
- To see the full list of formats, see the Comments section
Identifier
What Do You Need to Know About Identifier?
This field is optional - if there is no identifier or if the identifier is unknown, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- Include as many identifiers as are relevant (they may be written on the item or come from a catalog record)
- Some identifiers are assigned by the institution that owns the objects (accession or local control number); some may be found in related records (call numbers, OCLC accession numbers, Library of Congress Control Number, etc.); and some can be found on the item (report numbers, ISBN, etc.)
- For accession numbers assigned by the holding institution, the institution code may be added to the front (e.g., OKHPB_0185)
Examples
Call number |
M1500.G68 A4 |
OCLC number |
50684665 |
Library of Congress Control Number |
sn86088968 |
Local control number |
ELPL_B650 |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for identifiers, see the Identifier page
- For more information about where to find identifiers on an object, see Where Can the Identifier Information be Found?
- For additional guidelines regarding identifiers, see How Should the Identifier be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
- To see a glossary of identifier types, see the Comments section
- For a list of useful links for identifiers, see the Resources section
Note
What Do You Need to Know About Note?
This field is optional -- if there are no notes, leave it blank. |
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Formatting Information
- This is a free-text field, so information should be formatted in any way that is clear for users
- Put information taken directly from the item in quotation marks, and include a citation (e.g., page number) if appropriate
Examples
Display note containing information from a title page |
"Issued May 11, 1918." |
Display note for pagination issues |
Missing pages 15 and 16. |
Non-display note about internal metadata decisions |
Shortened title was chosen for official title to facilitate discovery. |
Additional Information
- If you want to see the full guidelines for notes, see the Note page
- For additional guidelines regarding notes, see How Should the Note be Filled in?
- To see additional examples, see Other Examples
Degree Information
What Do You Need to Know About Degree?
This field is optional — these fields should be used for products of the UNT community, only |
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Formatting Information
- If you are working on items created at UNT, read the full guidelines for this field on the Degree Information page.