Managing metadata for digital projects

Metadata plays a key role in digital projects. This article introduces the six steps of metadata implementation for digital projects at the Pennsylvania State (Penn State) University Libraries: analyzing metadata requirements, adopting metadata schemes, creating metadata content, delivery and access, evaluation of metadata, and sustaining metadata maintenance. An array of technical, managerial, and organizational questions and issues of metadata implementation are discussed in the context of digital initiatives. The author proposes a coordinated metadata management approach based upon Penn State's experiences and best practices.