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Metadata is the core of any information retrieval system and so its implications for any digital library are profound: the choice of a metadata scheme underpins any such library's ability to deliver objects in a meaningful way, and greatly affects its long-term ability to maintain and preserve its digital assets. The necessity for common approaches to metadata have been acknowledge in the library community for as long as inter-institutional co-operation has been practised. Without consistency of metadata practices, the often-stated ideal of a hybrid library, which integrates traditional and electronic resources, remains a remote possibility.

This book provides librarians and archivists with step-by-step guidance for defining and implementing a successful metadata strategy in their institutions. It provides an introduction to metadata, and outline key steps in system implementation, design and interoperability, as well as forward-looking insight into he future of the field. Readers will find tools to improve the usability of digital resources in this invaluable guide on metadata creation and management.