Introduction to Metadata and Linked Data eCourse

Chicago—ALA Editions announces a new iteration of our popular eCourse, Introduction to Metadata and Linked Data. Dr. Oksana L. Zavalina will serve as the instructor for a 6-week facilitated eCourse starting on July 5, 2016.

Learning outcomes



After participating in this eCourse, you will:

• Understand what metadata is and how it is used to provide access to information
• Learn the role of metadata in Semantic Web and Linked Library Data
• Gain an understanding of the principles of metadata quality and interoperability
• Understand the key metadata schemes, including Dublin Core and Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS)
• Grasp how to create descriptive metadata in major metadata schemes
• Learn to represent Dublin Core, MODS, and MARC metadata in XML syntax
• Be able to create Linked-Data ready metadata in RDF syntax

Computers increasingly collect, manage, and analyze data for scholarly research. Linked data and metadata give libraries the ability to support this eResearch, making them powerful tools. Many libraries are a tipping point in adoption of linked data, and librarians that don't learn about this topic are at risk of falling behind.

In this eCourse, Dr. Oksana L. Zavalina—an experienced instructor with extensive teaching and research experience in linked data and metadata—will provide you with the tools to get started and the resources to learn more on your own. Zavalina will cover topics such as the building blocks of metadata scheme (structure, syntax, and semantics); how metadata schemes are implemented in database records; application of several metadata schemes that are most widely used in digital libraries, including Dublin Core and MODS; and the role of metadata in Semantic Web and Linked Data environment.

About the Instructor

Dr. Oksana L. Zavalina is a faculty member at the University of North Texas (UNT). Dr. Zavalina earned both her MLIS degree and her Ph.D. degree from University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Sciences. She possesses extensive practical, teaching, and research experience in the areas of library cataloging and digital library metadata. Her introductory and advances courses on cataloging and metadata constantly receive high student ratings on teaching effectiveness. Dr. Zavalina developed and presented two special training sessions on metadata at 2012 and 2013 TLA Annual conferences.

Registration for this ALA Editions facilitated eCourse, which begins on July 5, 2016, can be purchased at the ALA Store. Participants in this course will need regular access to a computer with an internet connection for online message board participation, viewing online video, listening to streaming audio (MP3 files), and downloading and viewing PDF and PowerPoint files.

ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at editionscoursehelp@ala.org.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.

Related Links

Course Registration Purchase Page