Metadata. By Marcia Lei Zeng and Jian Qin. Chicago: ALA Neal-Schumann, 2016. 555 p. $84.00 softcover (ISBN: 978-1-5557-0965-5).
The second edition of Qin and Zheng’s Metadata is a welcome and thorough update of an already valuable text. The authors have expanded on the first edition in a way that reflects a detailed understanding of an often complex subject. Metadata are a constantly shifting landscape with new schema and tools emerging and fading at an amazing pace. Qin and Zheng deal with the subject deftly, providing content that is clearly situated in its own context that will serve as ample reference material even in such a fast-paced landscape. In addition, the book is complemented by valuable online content that includes a metadata tutorial, chapter outlines, and exercises. The website includes a section with similar content to the first edition of the book, allowing users to compare the structure of both editions and to benefit from additional practice exercises. Additionally, the links available in the online appendixes are invaluable for readers, providing an extensive reference source for further research and work in metadata.
One of the best features of the text is that it is highly structured. This reflects the authors’ thorough understanding of the subject matter; the book is as navigable as any strong metadata record. Chapters are subdivided frequently, making them easy to reference and creating digestible sections for readers that may be encountering this highly technical subject for the first time. Metadata provides a strong introduction to the subject of metadata in general and its role with the library and information community. Terms are explained thoughtfully, with special attention to why they matter to library and information science professionals. Broad concepts are complemented by detailed examples. Definitions are presented clearly and reviewed in further chapters, enabling each section to stand on its own while the text can still be taken as a whole without feeling redundant. It is refreshing to see authors use such a wide variety of schema in their examples; discussions of library metadata often mention any number of schema while continuing to provide concrete models of only one or two. Qin and Zheng tackle Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS), Metadata and Encoding Transmission Standard (METS), Categories for the Description of Works of Art (CDWA), and Dublin Core, just to name a few. Their discussion of the difference between a schema and how it is encoded is also one of the clearest and detailed that this reviewer has ever encountered. In addition, significant attention is paid to Resource Description Framework (RDF), including its evolution from a standard for describing web content to its current role in describing and encoding information about almost any person, place, or concept and the relationships it has with others. The authors also devote an entire chapter to interoperability, which is a growing concern for institutions looking to integrate various schema without having to start from scratch. Qin and Zheng provide a detailed examination of the challenges and opportunities that occur when trying to integrate data from multiple schema into a cohesive repository. Again, discussions of these concepts often attempt to explain the various complications while failing to provide examples that illustrate them; Metadata, in contrast, balances the two exceedingly well. The visualizations employed by the text are useful and build on one another and provide examples using real objects. Metadata texts for libraries and archives can sometimes default to using print book examples to illustrate how schema work, and while that is somewhat useful, it does not illustrate the real complexity of using various metadata schema to describe museum objects or digital files. Qin and Zheng include multiple demonstrations of how to apply various schema to different types of resources, which creates a more holistic understanding of the subject.
The text is not only valuable for those looking for an A-to-Z examination of the role and use of metadata in library and archival communities. It is a valuable reference tool, providing an entire chapter on various schema and their implementations. The authors provide cogent discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of each, along with ways different schema can and should be used together to produce useful and standardized metadata statements. The book goes beyond a discussion of metadata as the next iteration of library cataloging and classification, and instead presents it in its larger context as part of the Semantic Web and all of the potential that that entails. Metadata is a welcome addition to the growing body of work on the potential and importance of moving resource description in libraries and archives into a new age: one that is more visible, more flexible, and more focused on integration with the Semantic Web and information landscape as a whole.—Elizabeth Miraglia (miragliaelizabeth@gmail.com), UC San Diego, San Diego, California