Metadata Trends

Developments in Cataloging and Metadata by Shirley Hyatt, an e-print version of an article forthcoming as a chapter in International Yearbook of Library and Information Management (Facet Publishing).

This chapter examines some of the transformations occurring in the metadata environment that are impacting libraries, collection managers, and online information providers. After a brief synopsis of some legacy issues, I discuss a few of the trends that are near-future givens. These include growth in the shared networked space and proliferation and movement of communities using that space; an emphasis on simplification; a renewed interest in and ability for collocation; and an increase in modularity and recombination of metadata. I close with a high level overview of research that OCLC is presently exploring related to these trends.