What is METS?

1

An Introduction to METS and METS Application
Profiles
Morgan Cundiff Network Development and MARC
Standards Office Library of Congress
2

What is METS?
METS is an XML Schema designed for the purpose of
creating XML document instances that express the
hierarchical structure of digital library
objects, the names and locations of the files
that comprise those objects, and the associated
metadata.
3

Who is responsible for METS?

• Initiative of the DLF
• The principle author is Jerry McDonough (New
  York University)
• LC is Maintenance Agency (http//www.loc.gov/stan
  dards/mets/)
• The METS Editorial Board is responsible for
  schema content

4

What are some characteristics of METS?

• METS is
• an open standard
• non-proprietary
• developed by library community
• (relatively) simple
• extensible
• modular

5
What are the 7 Sections of METS Document?
ltmetsgt ltmetsHdr/gt ltdmdSec/gt ltamdSec/gt
ltfileSec/gt ltstructMap/gt ltstructLink/gt
ltbehaviorSec/gt lt/metsgt
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Linking in METS Documents(XML ID/IDREF links)

• DescMD
• mods
• relatedItem
• relatedItem

AdminMD techMD sourceMD digiprovMD rightsMD
fileGrp file file
StructMap div div fptr div fptr
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Linking in METS Documents(XML ID/IDREF links)

• DescMD
• mods
• relatedItem
• relatedItem

AdminMD techMD sourceMD digiprovMD rightsMD
fileGrp file file
StructMap div div fptr div fptr
8
Linking in METS Documents(XML ID/IDREF links)

• DescMD
• mods
• relatedItem
• relatedItem

AdminMD techMD sourceMD digiprovMD rightsMD
fileGrp file file
StructMap div div fptr div fptr
9
Linking in METS Documents(XML ID/IDREF links)

• DescMD
• mods
• relatedItem
• relatedItem

AdminMD techMD sourceMD digiprovMD rightsMD
fileGrp file file
StructMap div div fptr div fptr
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Linking in METS Documents(XML ID/IDREF links)

• DescMD
• mods
• relatedItem
• relatedItem

AdminMD techMD sourceMD digiprovMD rightsMD
fileGrp file file
StructMap div div fptr div fptr
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The Structure Map
ltmetsgt ltstructMapgt ltdivgt
ltdivgtlt/divgt lt/divgt lt/structMapgt lt/metsgt
12
The File Section (fileSec)
ltmetsgt ltfileSecgtlt/fileSecgt ltstructMapgtlt/struct
Mapgt lt/metsgt
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The Descriptive Metadata Section (dmdSec)
ltmetsgt ltdmdSecgtlt/dmdSecgt ltfileSecgtlt/fileSecgt
ltstructMapgtlt/structMapgt lt/metsgt
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The Descriptive Metadata Section with mdRef
ltmetsgt ltdmdSecgt ltmdRef/gt lt/dmdSecgt
ltfileSecgtlt/fileSecgt ltstructMapgtlt/structMapgt lt/me
tsgt
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METS Extension Schemas
Two sections (dmdSec and amdSec) serve as
wrappers or sockets where elements from other
schemas, called "extension schemas can be
plugged in. This is the mechanism by which METS
is extensible. It is accomplished by using the
XML Schema facility for combing vocabularies from
different Namespaces.
METS endorsed extension schemas for bibliographic
data (MARCXML, MODS, DC), for technical metadata
for still images, and technical metadata for text.
Library of Congress AV Prototype project
developed complete set of provisional METS
extension schemas. http//lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mopic/a
vprot/metsmenu2.html
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The Descriptive Metadata Section with mdWrap
ltmetsgt ltdmdSecgt ltmdWrapgt
ltxmlDatagt lt!-- insert data from different
namespace here --gt lt/xmlDatagt
lt/mdWrapgt lt/dmdSecgt ltfileSecgtlt/fileSecgt
ltstructMapgtlt/structMapgt lt/metsgt
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Administrative Metadata Section with mdWrap
ltmetsgt ltamdSecgt lttechMDgt ltmdWrapgt
ltxmlDatagt lt!-- insert data from
different namespace here --gt
lt/xmlDatagt lt/mdWrapgt lt/techMDgt
lt/amdSecgt ltfileSec /gt ltstructMap /gt lt/metsgt
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What is a METS Application Profile?
METS Profiles are intended to describe a class
of METS documents in sufficient detail to provide
both document authors and programmers the
guidance they require to create and process METS
documents conforming with a particular
profile. A profile is expressed as an XML
document. There is a schema for this purpose.
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What is a class of documents?

• An open question
• At LC we are making a one-to-one relationship
  between a document class, or object type and a
  typical library item, e.g. a book, a photograph,
  a compact disc, etc.

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How does one get started with Profiles?

• Download the documentation
• Download the XML Schema for Profiles
• Download the example Profile document

http//www.loc.gov/mets
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How will Profiles be made available?
A registry of METS profiles will be maintained on
the METS website. All profiles can be freely
downloaded.
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How does one register a Profile?

• Send the profile document via email to
  metsprofile_at_loc.gov
• The METS Editorial Board will review the profile,
  perhaps suggest changes, etc
• Upon completion of review it will be added to the
  METS website registry.

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What are the 13 components of a Profile?

1. Unique URI
2. Short Title
3. Abstract
4. Date and time of creation
5. Contact Information
6. Related profiles

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What are the 13 components? (contd)

1. Extension schemas
2. Rules of description
3. Controlled vocabularies
4. Structural requirements
5. Technical requirements
6. Tools and applications
7. Sample document

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What are structural requirements?

1. Occurrence of elements (METS)
2. Occurrence of elements (extension schemas)
3. Structure Map model
4. Include metadata with mdRef or mdWrap
5. Embed content file data in METS document with
   Fcontent or reference using Flocat
6. Associate elements with ID/IDREF attributes

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Summary
Application Profiles

• Provide guidance for the creation on METS
  documents
• Aid machine processing of METS documents
  (software tool building)
• A step towards interoperability of digital
  libraries

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METS and MAVIS
Goal Enable MAVIS to import and export METS
documents that conform to specified METS
application profiles for particular digital
object types.
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