PREMIS Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata

The PREMIS Editorial Committee is pleased to announce the release of the PREMIS Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata, version 2.0. This document is a revision of Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata: Final report of the PREMIS Working Group, issued in May 2005. The PREMIS Data Dictionary and its supporting documentation is a comprehensive, practical resource for implementing preservation metadata in digital archiving systems. Preservation metadata is defined as information that preservation repositories need to know to support digital materials over the long term.

This document is a specification that emphasizes metadata that may be implemented in a wide range of repositories, supported by guidelines for creation, management and use, and oriented toward automated workflows. It is technically neutral in that no assumptions are made about preservation technologies, strategies, syntaxes, or metadata storage and management. Members of the PREMIS Editorial Committee revised the original data dictionary based on comments and experience from implementers and potential implementers since its release. The Editorial Committee kept the preservation community informed about issues being discussed, solicited comments on proposed revisions, and consulted outside experts where appropriate.

The international Editorial Committee is a part of the PREMIS Maintenance Activity sponsored by the Library of Congress. The Maintenance Activity also includes PREMIS tutorials and promotional activities, and an active PREMIS Implementers Group.

Major changes in this revision include:

• Expanded rights metadata
• More extensive significant properties and preservation level information
• Mechanism for extensibility for a number of metadata units

The PREMIS Data Dictionary for Preservation Metadata, version 2.0 is available. An XML schema to support implementation is currently in draft and is available. This is an extensive revision of the earlier PREMIS version 1.1 schemas.

After a one month review, the schema will be finalized. Please send comments about the XML schema by April 24 to Ray Denenberg, rden@loc.gov.