Using the Metadata Generator

Overview and Notes

What is EDI?

The Electronic Documents of Illinois (EDI) stores state agency documents and makes them accessible for the long-term. Agencies benefit because they don’t need to maintain servers or access. Agencies simply need to submit each document with its description to the depository. The Illinois State Library (ISL) will take care of maintaining the servers and keeping older documents accessible. In addition, the ISL provides a common portal for all online state agency documents – Find-It! Illinois.

Since 1967 the State Library has preserved state agencies’ documents and made them accessible to the public through the Illinois Documents Depository Program (IDDP). The State Library Act (15 ILCS 320/21) requires State Agencies to deposit their public documents with the Illinois State Library. The Library sets standards for agencies to follow, stores documents for the long-term, and maintains access for the public. The Administrative Code (Sections 3020.110 and 3020.120) outlines procedures for complying with the State Library Act. State Agencies are required to deposit 40 copies of all public documents produced and distributed in a tangible format, such as print, CD or cassette. State Universities are required to deposit three copies and University Presses two copies. Agencies must include a contact name, address, and phone when submitting the documents. If you have questions regarding the depository program for tangible items, please contact: Joe Natale, Illinois Documents Coordinator, 217-558-4185, jnatale@ilsos.net

Now the program includes electronic documents. The State Library developed EDI to handle the electronic component of state government documents, including electronic copies of tangible items and documents “born” digital. Metadata, information about the document being deposited, is required. EDI was developed as a prototype by the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Illinois State Library with partial funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

NOTE: Depositing electronic documents with EDI does NOT replace requirements from the Illinois State Archives.

What to deposit?

While the depository accepts all file formats, long-term readability of some files, especially those containing scripts, cannot be assured. Web files should comply with Illinois Web Accessibility Standards. Pages that meet these standards are in compliance with tier I of W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) Standards and Federal Section 508.

Standardized, consistent and complete coding and will help keep your pages readable as software(s) evolve. For instance, include beginning and ending marks for paragraphs. Use the same title in the <title> field, at the top of the document, and in the Publication title field of the metadata. W3C provides an html syntax checker that will help you catch errors in your files before you post them (http://validator.w3.org/).

Section 508, or Bobby, sets accessibility standards. You can computer check your files to see that they meet handicap accessibility standards (http://webxact.watchfire.com)

There are provisions in the depository to prevent free distribution of copyrighted documents or documents for sale by your agency.

Here is a summary of which documents to add to the depository:

Deposit	D	Do NOT Deposit

		Web pages displaying solely menus of links
Public Documents	D	Documents Exempt from the Freedom of Information Act
		Internal memorandums
Final version for release to the public		Working drafts not “published”
		E-mail
		Individual forms
Copyrighted documents
Documents for sale by your agency
		Ephemera
	Examples
Annual Reports
Newsletters
Bulletins
Brochures
Fact Sheets
Press Releases from Constitutional Officers
		Conference announcements
Approved Budget	D	Working budgets or drafts
IL-1040 Tax Booklet with forms and instructions	D	IL-1040 Forms

Avoid depositing duplicates. Deposit modified files or new versions of publications, but duplicates of the same file will only create more matches and confusion for the future user of the depository.

What and Why of Metadata?

Metadata is data about data, usually data that describes electronic files. Metadata:

· Assists in organizing files;

· Allows search engines to use more selective search strategies;

· Helps maintain data files over time;

· Facilitates data migration; and

· Facilitates management of copyright issues.

Because metadata facilitates Web searching, the ISL recommends that agencies embed metadata in the <HEAD> portion of the main Web page for each document. This will improve searching on Illinois Government Information (IGI) and public search engines. The ISL requires metadata for each document submitted to the depository. In addition to improving searching, metadata also facilitates copyright management and maintenance of hardware and software access over time.

The Metadata Generator

The Metadata Generator, created by the Illinois State Library, allows you to create metadata by filling in the blanks of a form. The Generator properly tags and codes your information, creating metadata that can be pasted into a mark-up language document or submitted with a document. The Generator also walks agency staff through the steps required to submit a document to the EDI depository.

Using a Web browser go to the login screen of the Metadata Generator (http://www.finditillinois.org/metadata/index2.html)

A login and password are required to use the Metadata Generator. To obtain a login and password contact Bill Echelbarger -- wechelbarger@ilsos.net

Enter your login and password in their respective boxes, then click . If you successfully login you will go to the Main Menu Screen.

DO NOT SHARE LOGINS AND PASSWORDS. Each account in the Metadata Generator is customized for an individual user.

The Main Menu

The main menu is the pivotal screen of the Metadata Generator. Buttons on the left control metadata records, or the metadata created for an individual document. Buttons on the right side of the screen allow you to create and change templates, which you decide to store in your account. Templates contain partial metadata that can be used repeatedly as the basis for individual records. Buttons along the bottom allow you to maintain your account, submit documents to the depository, access online help or logout from the main menu.

Templates are available to only their creator, and they can make your work much easier. If you click or you’ll find access to the templates you’ve stored as well as a blank record from which you can create an individual record or a new template.

What is a Document?

Documents will exist in the depository as cohesive units. Each unit will have a metadata record describing it. Information in the metadata will aid in accessing and preserving the file(s) that comprise the document.

Staff of the publishing agency will determine which files comprise a document. Current Web links will not work in the depository. Instead, files will need to be deposited together so the user can retrieve them together and reconstruct the document. For example:

· A Web page needs to be deposited with all of the files needed to construct the page, including graphics files, banner and style sheets. It is easiest to use Adobe Acrobat Distiller to create a PDF file of a Web page and deposit the PDF file. Otherwise it’s very complicated to get all of the files that compose the page and modify the file addresses so that the page will reconstruct.

· Postings of traditional print publications that have been broken down into multiple PDF files need to be deposited together.

Here are some examples:

Bicycle Rules of the Road is complete in one PDF file,

Illinois Handbook of Government consists of several html pages that serve as navigation menus for the PDF files that compose the electronic version of this document. There are also banner and picture files that display as part of the Web pages.

Investment Advisers consists of several html pages linked together, their banner, style sheets, and PDF files of forms

Collecting all of the files that need to be deposited together is an important first step. It also helps to gather information about your document – such as the date it was issued to the public (published), the software used to create the file, and an understanding of the contents of the document. This information will make it much easier and faster to fill in the blanks of the Metadata Generator.

Why Begin With a Template?

Templates save inputting time. Whenever fields are the same from record to record you can begin with a template where the repeated fields are already completed. Templates only appear in the account in which they are made, so create them in your account as you feel they will assist you.

Begin on the main menu. Click or . Since this is the first template or record you’re creating you’ll be taken directly to an empty data form. Otherwise you could choose one of the templates in your list (click on below the template you want to use) as the basis for your new template. Creating one template from another will result in two templates.

Frequently the information in Section 2 is repeated from one metadata record to the next, so using a template to store contact information for your agency will save you time.

Agencies complete this Section differently depending on their structure. Some agencies assign responsibility to a person while others have an office responsible for all publication requests. Your organization’s name and a phone number, preferably one answered by a person able to answer questions regarding the publication, are the only two required fields. Provide as much information as possible. At larger agencies where responsibility is divided between several individuals, you could create a template for each person.

Fields marked (*) are not required for templates but must be completed before you can create a metadata record.

Section 3, Issuing Agency is also frequently repeated from one document to the next. Use the pull down menu to select the correct name for the publication. The list is customized for each login to keep it from getting too long.

Create a Template – Agency Information

Begin on the main menu. Click or . Since this is the first template or record you’re creating you’ll be taken directly to an empty data form. Scroll down to

Choose the name that appears on a prominent part of you publication such as the title page, masthead, or top of the document. If the name you need doesn’t appear in your list, e-mail the ISL Technical Services Division to request that the name of an agency or one of its divisions be added to the list in your account. Click for a pre-addressed email form. Attach to the e-mail the file where the name appears. This will help the State Library add the correct form of the name to your account.

A state agency is defined in the Illinois Administrative Code as any organizational entity that “expends appropriations of state funds.” Examples of state agencies include:

· Chicago Area Transportation Study

· Illinois Arts Council

· Illinois Department of Public Health

· Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs

If the structure of your agency changes, or its name changes, contact the Illinois State Library (islcat@ilsos.net) for a new form of the name to use on documents issued after the change.

When you have finished entering all of the data you will use repetitively, go to the top of the data input screen to assign a name to this template. This template will only appear in your account, so assign a name you’ll recognize. Fill in:

To store your template for later use scroll to the bottom of the data input screen and click .

Another great use for a template!! Save a partial record when you’re interrupted. You can then use the template to complete the record at a later time. When you’re finished you can delete the template from your account if you no longer want it.

Customize the remaining fields in a metadata record, Sections 1 and 4, to match the document you’re submitting. If you have a series of documents where much of the information is the same in each field, you can create a template for that series. Templates only exist in your account. Customize them to serve your needs.

Creating a Metadata Record – Describing the Document

Section 1 of the metadata record contains data describing the document. Although you may want to store some of these fields in a template to reuse from one title to the next, fields in this section will often vary from document to document.

It is very important that the information in Section 1 describe the specific document you are submitting with the metadata record. If you have an ongoing publication like Securities Bulletin (example below), make sure you describe the contents of the specific issue you’re submitting.

Open a template with the correct agency and contact information. Then proceed to fill in the fields of Section 1

Clicking on ? at any point on this form will take you to context sensitive help regarding that specific field of the metadata generator.

Document Title

Enter the title as it appears on the document. This is the title by which the user will know the document. If your document is in a mark-up language make sure the title tag matches what actually appears on the document and what you have entered for the document title in the metadata. This consistency will facilitate access to your document because search engines use data fields differently.

Some titles include numbering. When the number is not an integral part of the title, such as in the Educational Mandates example, you may leave the numbering out of the title. However when the numbering is an integral part of the title, as in the Adams County 2004 Taxing Districts, include the numbering in the title.

Keywords

Keyword searching is a primary method of access for all users. Certain data fields are automatically included in the keyword access for any document, such as title and description. Enter in this field other keywords or key phrases for your document. Include:

· Common subject terms in your publication as well as their synonyms.

· Alternate titles by which your document is known, but which are not in the title field.

· Personal author names or other important personal names that appear on your document.

· Alternate spellings and common misspellings.

· Acronyms connected with your document. For instance,

For instance, for a document about mule deer you would want to enter its scientific name, Odocoileus Hemionus, as a keyword as well.

a document issued by the Illinois State Board of Education should be accessible by its acronym, ISBE.

Description

The description summarizes the content and purpose of the publication. It should be 2 to 4 sentences, less than 100 words. Feel free to copy and paste the description from another source. The EDI search engine does not index the complete text of the publication, but it does index the description. A concise, yet complete, description of your publication is important.

Date Created and/or Modified

Dates are critical for sorting different versions of documents. Date Created is when the document was officially released to the public. It corresponds with publication date for a printed document.

Date Modified will be the same as date created except when the contents of the document are revised and reissued. Two different dates in these fields means that the content of the documents is different or the file format has changed.

Open the Document Properties by right clicking on the document

OR

choosing “Properties” from the File menu.

Find the Date Created.

Find the Date Modified.

If one is missing, use the same date for both.

Be sure to use 2 digits for the month and 2 digits for the day.

Use 4 digits for the year.

Finding Dates for a PDF file.

NOTE: Dates are entered in MM/DD/YYYY format. Only a year is required, but the more specific the date the easier it will be to separate different versions of documents in the future. Consistent date format is very important.

Time Period Covered

If your document covers information during a specific time period, enter the time period here. Often this information is part of the title, but it may be included in preface material. Examples:

Submission Choices

There are two methods for submitting a document to the depository. Which one you choose depends on your document.

Documents composed of multiple files will need to be uploaded after you create metadata. That process is explained below. At this point you only need to indicate that you will upload the document file(s) after you create the metadata record. Software and version information are supplied individually for each file as you upload it.

A document that is self-contained in one file and is posted on the Web can be harvested by a spider. All you need to do at the time you create metadata is give the URL along with the software and version information needed to maintain the document for the long-term.