Adding Metadata to Web Pages

In general, metadata is structured information about information. It describes content, origin, format and other key characteristics of data and is used for information management and retrieval. Just as having specific search fields in a database aids the effectiveness of a search for author, title, and subject, so IGI (Illinois Government Information) and EDI (Electronic Document Initiative) aid the online searcher by using metadata that is especially created for government publications so metadata aids web searches.

Getting Started

Using the Metadata Generator requires a login and password assigned by the Illinois State Library.  Any Illinois government employee who needs a login should email Cherryl Walker at cwalker@ilsos.net or use the Feedback link from Find-It! Illinois page

You can use the metadata generator to create metadata for any type of online publication. The metadata generator then leads you through the steps required to deposit your document in the EDI (Electronic Documents Initiative) Depository. The metadata you created can improve access to documents in mark-up languages (HTML, XML) while they’re online, not just in the depository. These instructions apply to publications written in HTML or another markup language. show you how to add the metadata created in the metadata generator to a mark-up language document.

Further documentation on the Metadata Generator is available at Using the Metadata Generator.

Steps for Embedding Metadata

If you have just created a metadata record you are on a screen displaying your new record as a table:

1. Click on View Metadata in the header of this screen to open a new window with the same metadata record formatted.
2. Copy the formatted metadata and paste it into the source code of your mark-up language document directly below .
3. Re-post your document on the web with metadata in the source code.
4. Close the window with the formatted metadata to return to your place in the metadata generator.

If you created the metadata record earlier begin at the main menu:

1. Click on View Records to display a list of the metadata records you have created. A record will remain in this list as long as you don't delete it from your login.
2. Click on View this record underneath the record you want.
3. The metadata generator will display your record as a table.
4. Click on View Metadata in the header of this screen to open a new window with the same metadata record formatted.
5. Copy the formatted metadata and paste it into the source code of your mark-up language document directly below.
6. Re-post your document on the web with metadata in the source code.
7. Close the window with the formatted metadata to return to your place in the metadata generator.