|
|
A guide to metadata by
the Metadata Advisory Group of the MIT Libraries
VRA Core
http://www.vraweb.org/vracore3.htm
Definition in VRA’s own words:
“A single element set that can be applied as many times
as necessary to create records to describe works of visual culture
as well as the images that document them. The
Data Standards Committee followed the "1:1 principle,"
developed by the Dublin Core community, i.e., only one object
or resource may be described within a single metadata set. How
the element sets are linked to form a single record is a local
database implementation issue. The order of the categories in
the VRA Core 3.0 is
arbitrary, and local implementations are encouraged to determine
their own field sequence that will appropriately describe their
data.”
Mission: The VRA Core 3.0 is intended as a point of departure—not
a completed application. The elements that comprise the Core
are designed to facilitate the sharing of information among
visual resources collections about works and images.
Constituency:
Visual resource curators, catalogers of images. Museums.
Evolution:
The VRA Core 3.0 combines the Work (W) and the Visual Document
(V) element sets from VRA Core 2.0 into a single universally
applicable element set. 3.0 retains the same order of elements,
and where possible, the same category titles and definitions
that were used in Core 2.0.
Because work and image records use the same element set, a new
element—Record Type—was added. This element defines
the type of resource that is being described. While the Core
elements pertain to only two types of records - the work and
the image, it is understood that other types of records such
as authority records may be included in a database structure.
Like VRA Core 2.0 , VRA Core 3.0 refrains from recommending
any type of data structure. Instead, it is hoped that the core
elements will help to determine the types of data recorded in
a visual resources database and that the concepts can be used
to map between databases. However, two elements in VRA Core
3.0 - Record Type and Relation - describe or point to the record
itself. A consideration of the record and its relationship to
other records requires the acknowledgement of data structure
particularly evident in the Relation element.
VRA Core 3.0 also includes a new “Rights” element
as well as new category qualifiers.
Prerequisites:
VRA Core is structured so it can be used in a variety of databases
and encoding schemes.
Content:
The core elements can be found at:
http://www.vraweb.org/vracore3.htm#core
Experts:
CC:DA has a Task Force on VRA Core
http://www.ala.org/alcts/organization/ccs/ccda/tf-vra1.html
Examples of projects using VRA Core:
Luna Corp.
http://www.luna-imaging.com/luna-imaging.html
Penn State VIUS project
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/crsweb/vius/
Workshops:
VRA has been holding workshops on using the Core at its annual
conferences.
Reading list
Lanzi, Elisa. “The REACH and VISION Projects: Improving
Access to Art
Information.” VRA Bulletin v.25, no. 2 (Summer 1998).
Available WWW:
http://vrl3.arts.ohio-state.edu/vrab/252/
s5lanzi.htm
Meaning and Metadata: Managing Information in a Visual Resource
Reference Collection, by Judith Thomas
http://www.iath.virginia.edu/ach-allc.99/proceedings/thomas.html
Crosswalks:
VRA 3.0/MARC (from VRA)
http://php.indiana.edu/~fryp/marcmap.html
VRA 2.0/VRA 3.0/Dublin Core/EAD and others (Getty)
http://www.getty.edu/research/institute/standards/intrometadata/3_crosswalks/index.html
|
|
|
