Table of Core Metadata Elements for Library of Congress Digital Repository Development

This table can be printed on letter-sized paper, if the printing orientation is set at landscape.

Key to table headings: Adm=Administrative, Struc=Structural, Desc=Descriptive, Req=Required, Rep=Repeatable, Set=Set, Aggr=Aggregate, Prim Obj=Primary Object, Int Obj=Intermediate Object, Term Obj=Terminal Object

Elements			Type of Metadata			Use		Level
Element Name	Definition	Function	Adm	Struc	Desc	Req	Rep	Set	Aggr	Prim Obj	Int Obj	Term Obj
access_category	Category of access according to LC business rules, such as limited to LC, public, restricted	access management, presentation	X			X		X	X	X	X	X
access_display_message	Code for the message that should be displayed regarding the access	access management, presentation	X			X		X	X	X	X	X
access_expiration_date	Date, if any, that the access category is expected to change	access management	X			X		X	X	X	X	X
access_information	Any additional access information --NOT rights	access management, administration	X			X		X	X	X	X	X
access_rights	Information about the intellectual property owner who grants use and reproduction rights and is given credit	access management, presentation	X			X		X	X	X	X	X
archive_date_time	Date and time of archiving (i.e., time of creation of complete, secure copy)	administration, preservation (D)	X					X	X	X	X	X
archive_history	Listing of archiving events; in effect, a compendium of all archive_date_time and archive_ID data (which two fields may in the end simply be subsumed within this field).	administration, preservation (D)	X					X	X	X	X	X
archive_ID	Identifier for location of archive for primary objects, intermediate objects, terminal objects (e.g., tape volume name, physical location)	administration, preservation (D)	X					X	X	X	X	X
archive_next_date_time	Date and time for creation of additional complete, secure copy of objects.	administration, preservation (D)	X					X	X	X	X	X
archiving_profile	Identifies the file containing information used to manage the archiving of the object.	administration, preservation (D)	X					X	X	X	X	X
associated_file_name	Name of the support file, e.g., 11032.ent, cw005.ram.	presentation, preservation (D)		X			X				X
associated_file_type	Type of support file, e.g., catalog or entity file for SGML, or .ram files for streaming audio.	presentation, preservation (D)		X			X				X
audio_bits_per_sample	Number of bits per sample. Required for audio objects.	presentation, preservation (R)		X		X						X
audio_channel_configuration	Indicator for audio channel configuration, e.g., stereo, mono, surround sound, bilingual, etc., for the digital file. Required for audio objects.	presentation, preservation (R)		X		X						X
audio_channel_information	Additional information about audio channel configuration, e.g., which languages, which channels to rear speakers, etc. Required for audio objects.	presentation, preservation (R)		X		X						X
audio_sampling_frequency	Number of samples per second. Required for audio objects.	presentation, preservation (R)		X		X						X
capture_device_ID	Identifier for equipment used for digital capture, understood to include all elements in digitization production system, e.g., manufacturer and model numbers of scanners, recorders, etc. May include serial numbers.	administration, preservation (R)	X				X			X	X	X
capture_device_settings	Settings or other variables applied to equipment used for digital capture, understood to include all elements in digitization production system.	administration, preservation (R)	X				X			X	X	X
capture_entity_corporate	Identifies the organization-level producer of the "file/bitstream," i.e., the scanned image, transcribed text, audio file, etc. May also be assembler of an object comprised of multiple files/bitstreams.	administration, preservation (R)	X							X	X	X
capture_entity_individual	Identifies the individual producer, e.g. operator, scanning technician, of the "file/bitstream," i.e., the scanned image, transcribed text, audio file, etc.	administration, preservation (R)	X							X	X	X
capture_production_ID	Tracking number related to digital production information , e.g., production batch number. Proposed as a link to an offline production database with more detailed record of capture process and procedures.	administration, preservation (R)	X							X	X	X
checksum_creation_date_time	Date and time checksum created.	administration, preservation (D)	X			X						X
checksum_value	Value created by MD5 program, used to verify data integrity	administration, preservation (D)	X			X						X
creation_date_time	Date and time of creation of digital object	administration, preservation (D)	X			X		X	X	X	X	X
datastream_compression	Algorithm used to compress the terminal object	presentation, preservation (D)		X								X
deposit_date_time	Date and time deposited to repository	administration	X			X		X	X	X	X	X
description_content_list	List of segments or units within an object, similar to a table of contents, e.g. list for sound recordings in which a number of cuts or tracks are imbedded within a single bitstream/file and may employ a segment number, start time (elapsed time), performer, title, composer, recording date, original matrix number, etc.	administration, presentation, discovery			X			X	X	X
description_coverage	Spatial and/or temporal characteristics of the intellectual content of the resource, e.g, Wisconsin, 1878-1900.	presentation			X			X	X	X
description_creator	Person or organization primarily responsible for creating the intellectual content of a resource,e.g. authors in the case of written documents, artists, photographers, illustrators in the case of visual resources, or performers or composers for sound resources..	administration, presentation, discovery			X		X	X	X	X
description_subject	Topic(s) of the resource, usually keywords or phrases that describe the resource content.	administration, presentation, discovery			X		X	X	X	X
description_summary	Textual description or abstract of the content of the resource.	administration, presentation, discovery			X			X	X	X
description_title	Name given to the resource by the creator or publisher or, in the absence thereof, a title supplied by the digitizing entity.	administration, presentation, discovery			X			X	X	X
dimension_horizontal	Horizontal dimensions of an image or video object in pixels.	presentation, preservation (R)		X								X
dimension_vertical	Vertical dimensions of an image or video object in pixels.	presentation, preservation (R)		X								X
duration	Duration of audio or video object	presentation		X								X
external_descriptive_information	Pointer or citation to external descriptive information, e.g., a book, scope and content note, or web site.	administration, presentation	X					X	X	X
external_migration_ID	Identifier for the migration master when it is external to the repository, e.g., shelf number.	administration, presentation	X							X
external_migration_information	Information about the best copy or migration master when it is external to the repository	preservation (R)	X							X		X
external_record_ID	Identifier of external descriptive record, e.g., LCCN, ISSN, ISBN, OCLC number, EAD identifier.	administration, presentation, preservation (R)			X			X	X	X	X
external_record_type	Type of external record, e.g., LC catalog record, EAD.	administration, presentation			X			X	X	X	X
external_reproduction_ID	Identifier needed to order reproductions of an object from a source external to the repository, e.g., P&P reproduction number.	administration	X							X	X	X
external_reproduction_procedure	Information or pointer to information needed to order reproductions from a source external to the repository, e.g., to fill patron orders for an 8x10 print or a videotape.	adminstration, presentation	X					X	X	X
feature_label	The generic name that may applied to the object, e.g., "back," "front," "cover," "table of contents," etc.	presentation		X			X					X
file_extension	Digital file format, e.g..tif, .gif, .mpg, .sgm, etc.	presentation, preservation (D) (R)		X		X						X
handle	Persistent identifier	Persistent Identifier	X	X	X	X		X	X	X	X	X
image_bit_depth	Number of bits per pixel. Required for image and video objects.	presentation, preservation (R)		X		X						X
image_color_space	Indicator of color space (sometimes color mode) for a color still and moving images.	presentation, preservation (D)		X		X						X
image_orientation	Orientation of image object	presentation, preservation (R)		X								X
image_resolution	Resolution of an image, i.e., dpi. Complements but is not the same as pixels_horizontal and pixels_vertical. Required for image objects.	presentation, preservation (R)		X		X						X
intermediate_object_ID	Identifier for an instance, i.e., manifestation or expression, of a primary object, e.g., code for converted text, page image set, etc.	presentation		X		X	X				X
intermediate_object_use	Indicator for an intermediate object use, e.g., "reference," "service," "archival," etc.	presentation		X		X	X				X
internet_media_type	MIME type	presentation, preservation (D)		X		X						X
original_content_type	General physical nature of original item from which the digitized content was produced, i.e., audio, text, visual material--motion, visual material--non-motion.	presentation, preservation (R)			X					X		X
parent_object_ID	Identifier for the object above the object. This element is intended provide data to generate a tree that represents the object, identifies each component, and provides a count of the objects contained in the object.	presentaion, preservation (D)		X		X	X		X	X	X	X
presentation_profile	Identifies the file containing information about programs that manage the presentation of the object.	presentation		X						X	X
preservation_information	Information about preservation of the digital object not recorded elsewhere	preservation (D)	X							X	X	X
preservation_master_ID	Identifier of the object intended as the digital preservation master	preservation (D)	X							X		X
preservation_original_information	Information regarding the disposition of the original digital item (e.g., replaced, renamed, storage, etc.)	preservation (D)	X							X	X	X
quantity_of_intermediate_objects	Quantity of intermediate objects contained in a primary object, e.g., for text primary object: SGML + HTML + service image set + reference image set = 4 instances.	presentation		X		X				X
quantity_of_terminal_objects	Quantity of terminal objects associated with an intermediate object	presentation		X		X				X	X
reformatted_original_information	Information regarding the disposition of the original source item (e.g., discarded, condition, storage, etc.).	preservation (R)	X							X	X	X
reformatting_guidelines	Pointer to the documentation of the guidelines, policies, or standards that were followed for the digital reformatting of the	preservation (R)	X							X	X	X
reformatting_information	Additional documentation of interest to reformatting program managers pertaining to this object.	preservation (R)	X							X	X	X
reformatting_method	Approach or methods used for digital reformatting	preservation (R)	X							X	X	X
relationship_type	Nature of the relationship between objects used for presentations that mimic the behavior of the original source item, such as turning the pages of a book or moving across the grid of a map, e.g., "stand-alone", "presentation sequence" or "part of a whole."	presentation		X			X			X	X	X
relationship_value	Value of relationship type, e.g., grid indicators for multipart image primary object such as a map or large poster, a sequence number for pages.	presentation		X			X			X	X	X
responsibility_entity	Entity responsible for digital administration, i.e., the management of the digital objects	administration	X			X		X	X	X	X	X
responsibility_information	Pointer to information about current or former entity responsible for digital administration, e.g., "object acquired from UMI on 19970624."	administration	X					X	X	X
revision_date_time	Date and time of last revision	administration, preservation (D)	X			X		X	X	X		X
segment_type	Description of the function of the content of the original object, e.g., print page number or assigned cut. Indicates aspects of the object that have a sequential character but are not intended for use in sequencing presentation, e.g., "print page number" for a book, or "assigned cut" or "assigned track" on a phonograph record.	presentation		X			X					X
segment_value	Coded value associated with the segment_type, e.g., "13" for the type "print page number."	presentation		X			X					X
serial_part	Identifier for part of a hierarchical multipart item. This element is proposed to deal with serial publications that have series, issues, parts, and articles.	presentation		X						X	X	X
serial_relationship	Nature of relationships for multipart item. This element is proposed to deal with serial publications that have series, issues, parts, and articles.	presentation		X						X	X	X
size	Byte size of digital file	administration, presentation	X	X		X						X
use	Code that indicates the role an object plays in a presentation; operates in reference to the presentation_profile, e.g., service.	presentation		X		X				X	X	X
video_data_rate	Data rate in megabits per second (mbps. Required for video objects.	presentation, preservation (R)		X		X						X
video_frame_rate	Rate at which a video plays back expressed in frames per second	presentation, preservation (R)		X								X

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