Creating descriptive metadata for patron browsing and selection on the Bryant & Stratton College Virtual Library

Abstract

As academic libraries increasingly develop virtual collections to meet the needs of both students in online degree programs and traditional campus-based students, library-quality metadata is essential not only for automated location of digital documents across computer networks, but also for user analysis so patrons can make informed selection decisions. This paper will discuss an ongoing project at Bryant & Stratton College to prepare metadata within the DotNetNuke content management system for link-level bibliographic description on the College’s Virtual Library. Specifically, the paper will discuss the creation of metadata according to the best practices recommendations of the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative and established library cataloging standards. The paper will also consider the nature of browsing as a search strategy for academic information and user preferences for content notes.