Contributing organizations can provide descriptive information (“metadata”) for materials submitted to DigitalNC.org.
Here’s a simple metadata spreadsheet that partners can use if they would like to provide us with metadata. Note that only a few fields (with an *) are required. Providing date and location information, if known, greatly improves access to your materials.
Below are the metadata guidelines we use. Each field has a brief description, as well as a Dublin Core mapping, if there is one.
- Metadata Guidelines Field-by-Field: All Non-Newspaper Items
- Additional Collection-Specific Metadata Guidelines
- Sample Metadata Records
- Equitable Metadata Practices Related to Gender, Race, and Culture
Metadata Guidelines Field-by-Field: All Non-Newspaper Items
| Field Name | Definition and Dublin Core Element |
| Title | Required. A name given to the item. Dublin Core: Title |
| Creator | Organizations or individuals that created or assembled the item. Names should be taken from the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF). If the name is not listed there, it should still be listed in LCNAF format. Dublin Core: Creator |
| Publisher | Organizations or individuals that made the original item available. May include a name and location. Dublin Core: Publisher |
| Description | Narrative description of the item. This free-text description can be as short or as long as necessary. Dublin Core: Description |
| Date | Point or period of time associated with the creation of the item. This date field can include both words and numbers as necessary. For example, “circa 1950”, or “between 1980 and 1990”. Dublin Core: None |
| Date (numeric) | Point or period of time associated with the creation of the item. This date field can contain numbers only and will be used by the system to enable searching and sorting by date. If you know specific dates (as opposed to just years), list them in year, month, date (YYYY-MM-DD) format. Dublin Core: Date.Created |
| Location | This field should list the location depicted (if the item is an image) or the location from which a document or publication originated. Contributors are strongly encouraged to list the North Carolina county, whenever known. Dublin Core: Coverage |
| Subject (Topic) | Topical subject terms that describe the item. Use Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). Dublin Core: Subject |
| Subject (Name) | This field is used for names of well-known individuals or organizations. Names should be taken from the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF). If the name is not listed there, it should still be listed in LCNAF format. Dublin Core: Subject |
| Subject (Images) | Topical subject terms that describe the image. Terms should be taken from the Thesaurus for Graphic Materials. Dublin Core: Subject |
| Subject (Local) | This field may be used for terms created for specific organizations and/or projects. Dublin Core: None |
| Type | Required. The nature or genre of the original item. Use the Dublin Core Type Vocabulary. For photographs, the term “Image” will always be included in this field. For text-based items, the term “Text” will always be included in this field. Dublin Core: Type |
| Format | Required. Describes the specific form of the item. Use the Art and Architecture Thesaurus. Contributors are encouraged to use the term “Photographs” for all photographic prints, as well as more specific terms when appropriate. Dublin Core: Format |
| Language | Language(s) of the original item. Dublin Core: Language |
| Dimensions | Size of the item. The dimensions used are up to the discretion of the contributor. Dublin Core: Format.Extent |
| Digital Collection | Required. Name of the digital collection on DigitalNC in which the item will be included, for example “Images of North Carolina” or “North Carolina Memory”. Dublin Core: None |
| Contributing Institution | Required. Full name of the organization that contributed the original item. Dublin Core: None |
| Collection in Repository | The name of any larger collections of which the item is a part. Dublin Core: None |
| Item/Call Number | Any call number or item number associated with the original item. Dublin Core: Identifier |
| Rights Statement | Required and provided by NCDHC staff. Statement describing what is known regarding the rights status of the item. Statements will be taken from RightsStatements.org. Dublin Core: Rights |
| Usage Statement | Any additional information that describes usage conditions of the item. Dublin Core: Rights |
| Contact Information | Required. Contact information for the organization that holds the original item. Contributors are encouraged to use general addresses rather than contact information for specific staff members. Dublin Core: None |
| File Name | Required. The file name for the item being described. Dublin Core: None |
Additional Collection-Specific Metadata Guidelines
| Field Name | Definition and Dublin Core Element | Applicable Formats |
| Interviewee(s) | The person or persons being interviewed. Names should be taken from the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF). If the name is not listed there, it should still be listed in LCNAF format. Dublin Core: Contributor | Oral Histories |
| Interviewer(s) | The person or persons doing the interviewing. Names should be taken from the Library of Congress Name Authority File (LCNAF). If the name is not listed there, it should still be listed in LCNAF format. Dublin Core: Contributor | Oral Histories |
| Interviewee Date of Birth | The date of birth of the persons being interviewed. Dublin Core: None | Oral Histories |
| Audio Access | Is an audio version available online? Dublin Core: None | Oral Histories |
| Transcript | Is a transcript present? Dublin Core: None | Audio |
| Duration | The playback time of a time-based media item. Dublin Core: Format.Extent | Audio |
| Physical Media | The format of a particular instantiation of a media item as it exists in an actual physical form that occupies physical space. Formats should be taken from the applicable PBCore instantiationPhysical vocabulary. Dublin Core: Format | Audio |
| Subtitles | Are there subtitles? Dublin Core: None | Moving Images |
| Credits | Names and companies, printed typically at the beginning and/or end of a film, of those responsible for the creation and production of the film. Dublin Core: None | Moving Images |
| Standard School Name | Required. Most current official name of a school. Used to group related yearbooks together in a single run. Dublin Core: None | Yearbooks |
Sample Metadata Records
Sample Image Record: Only Required Fields
| Title | Making ‘Lasses |
| Type | Image |
| Format | Photographs |
| Digital Collection | Images of North Carolina |
| Contributing Institution | Haywood County Public Library |
| Rights Statement | NoC-US, No Copyright US |
| Contact Information | 678 South Haywood Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 | 828-452-5169 |
| Filename | hcpl_017-making molasses.tif |
Sample Image Record: Fuller Description
| Title | Making ‘Lasses |
| Creator | McCanless, S. A. |
| Publisher | Cumming, Baltimore, Md. |
| Description | Making molasses in the Newfound Community. |
| Date | 1890s |
| Date (numeric) | 1890-1899 |
| Location | Haywood County (N.C.) |
| Subject (Topic) | Sugar–Manufacture and refining–North Carolina. Molasses. |
| Subject (Images) | Sugarcane Sugar industry Horses Group portraits |
| Type | Image |
| Format | Photographs; Group portraits |
| Dimensions | 8.5×6″ |
| Digital Collection | Images of North Carolina |
| Contributing Institution | Haywood County Public Library |
| Collection in Repository | Edward J. McCauley Photographs (P082) |
| Item/Call Number | P082_14_144 |
| Rights Statement | NoC-US, No Copyright US |
| Contact Information | 678 South Haywood Street, Waynesville, NC 28786 | 828-452-5169 |
| Filename | hcpl_017-making molasses.tif |
Sample Scrapbook Record
| Title | Fayetteville Technical Community College Scrapbook [1980-1981] |
| Date | 1980-1981 |
| Date (numeric) | 1980-1981 |
| Location | Fayetteville (N.C.) Cumberland County (N.C.) |
| Subject (Topic) | Education–North Carolina–Cumberland County. Universities and colleges–North Carolina–Fayetteville. |
| Subject (Topic) | Fayetteville Technical Community College–History. |
| Type | Text |
| Format | Scrapbooks |
| Language | English |
| Digital Collection | North Carolina Memory |
| Contributing Institution | Fayetteville Technical Community College |
| Rights Statement | CNE, Copyright Not Evaluated |
| Contact Information | Email: library@faytechcc.edu / Phone: (910) 678-8247 |
| Filename | ftcc_07.pdf |