On 26 Jan 2001, at 17:48, Rachel Heery wrote:
...
Then there is the added value a registry might offer by mapping between
vocabularies (this is one of the things we started looking at in the
DESIRE registry and that the HARMONY project is looking at now). This
seems to me only scaleable if one considers particular 'communities of
use', in that the intellectual effort required to do the original mappings
is potentially huge, and the maintenance above a certain scale is
similarly difficult.


Hi,

I agree with Rachel that mappings between vocabularies are quite
important. The Metadata Server in Goettingen provides a number of
such mappings in the database MetaForm. In case you want to
look at it:
www2.sub.uni-goettingen.de

Roland Schwaenzl has mentioned our server already, but it seems
to be appropriate to introduce it to the members of this list in more
detail.
MetaForm is a database for metadata formats with a special
emphasis on the Dublin Core and its manifestations as they are
expressed in various implementations. The formats are registered
with their elements and definitions. Whenever possible or
accessible, both the current date and location of the reference
specification are given.
The functionality of this database allows for crosswalks between
the DCMES and its various dialects as well as for crosscuts of a
particular Dublin Core element through all of the formats (in order to
trace its usage across the implementations). As a third option, you
may also take a look at mappings between DC applications and
other formats.
In addition to the DCMES and a number of dialects, some related
formats with a similar philosophy and appropriate extractions from
complex library formats are included.
As Rachel says, it requires a lot of work to maintain such a
database, and I apologize for not having been able to update some
of the entries for lack of time. Comments and requests are very
welcome. Also, we would be happy to enter new formats upon your
notice; please use our notification form or contact me.

The second part of the Metadata Server is MetaGuide, an internet-
based subject gateway to information resources on metadata
issues and developments. Special emphasis has been laid upon
the development of the DCMES. Each resource is described with a
set of Dublin Core metadata in order to make records browsable in
the Subject Catalog or the Source Type Catalog as well as
searchable with local Search.

Greetings
Carola


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Dr. Carola Wessel
Projekt META-LIB
Niedersaechsische Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Goettingen
37070 Goettingen
Tel. +49 551/395827
Mail: [log in to unmask]