Developing Semantically Enriched Digital Cultural Heritage Systems: A Study of Selected Metadata Schemas

Authors

  • Praseetha Gireesh Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
  • Kishan Vats Research Scholar, Department of Library and Information Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.
  • Dr. Somipam R Shimray Assistant Professor Department of Library & Information Science Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University) Lucknow – 226025

Keywords:

Cultural heritage, digital cultural heritage system, metadata schema, CIDOC-CRM, FRBR, VRA Core, LIDO and METS

Abstract

Metadata plays a significant role in effectively organizing, retrieving, sharing, and accessing information especially in the cultural heritage domain where the historical pasts are present in the form of inscriptions, sculptures, monuments and so on. Standardised and qualified metadata and their semantical and syntactical presentation is essential for the efficient functioning of information systems. Digitisation of heritage items is producing enormous quantity of metadata, which needs to be integrated in numerous information systems to interchange, mediate, and make the information interoperable and reusable. Metadata schemas help to render the details in a structured manner to form relationship between its different elements and to assist in the process of resource discovery in a more sophisticated way. Numerous choices for metadata schema are available in the cultural heritage domain to deal with the massive heterogeneous data associated with each item. But selecting a schema for a particular type of resource depends on its quality and the level of description. The paper discusses metadata schemas commonly used in the cultural heritage domain and their relevance in managing the huge amounts of data created by GLAMs (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Memories) and cultural heritage institutions. The study revealed that each metadata standard exhibits various strengths and weaknesses based on the nature of artefacts they deal with and the problems and specific systems they are engineered to address and that a combination of more than one schema will help the system to be more effective.

Author Biographies

  • Praseetha Gireesh, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi

    Praseetha Gireesh is presently working in the Department of Library and Information Science, Banaras Hindu University as Project Assistant. She has Master's degree in Library and Information Science and Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Application. She has also completed her one-year Internship in the University Library, Central University of Kerala. Her areas of interest are Heritage Informatics, developing information systems using open source software solution, automation of libraries, cost effective automation and digitisation solutions etc. She has few publications to her credit. 

  • Kishan Vats, Research Scholar, Department of Library and Information Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

    Kishan Vats has done Masters degree in Library and Information Science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and is presently a research scholar in the department of Library and Information Science of the university. Has also completed an Internship at the Indian Institute of Technology, BHU, Varanasi. His areas of interest are data mining, scientometrics, classification, and cultural heritage information system.

  • Dr. Somipam R Shimray, Assistant Professor Department of Library & Information Science Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University) Lucknow – 226025
    Somipam R. Shimray is an Assistant Professor of Library and Information Science at the Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (A Central University), Lucknow, India. His research includes cultural informatics, knowledge management, information seeking and research ethics.

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Published

2023-12-20

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 4 (2023): Heritage Informatics

Section

Articles

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