Matadata Interoperability for Cataloguing of E-Journals :A Comparative Study of lLibsys, MARC-21, and CONSER

Abstract

The content of digital libraries includes data and metadata that describe various aspects of the digital record that consist of links or relationships to other data or metadata, whether internal or external to the digital library. Metadata is provided in order to provide richer searching than would be possible using standard free-text indexing. In particular it was desirable to allow users to search on a number of fields including Author, Title and Description. Metadata Expand the use of data incorporated in the digital object or text, and find ways of integrating different kinds of metadata. Metadata has been defined as “data about data”. It is information about an electronic resource which may be embedded in the resource. According to Gilliland-Swetland metadata is more than description; a more deeper conceptualization of metadata is needed as information professionals consider the range of their activities that may end up in included into digital information systems. There are three main types of metadata Descriptive metadata; Structural metadata; Administrative metadata. Traditional library cataloguing is a form of metadata and MARC21 and the rule sets used with it such as AACR2 are metadata standards. Metadata is particularly useful for large collections of documents or other materials, it can be used for managing the resource and for finding specific items. A Catalogue becomes as found by some libraries an essential tool for retrieval. Increasing size and complexity of the digital information available on the web, demands for new methods of its organization. Uniform and structured meta information which can effectively be employed to achieve this goal. “LibSys for library automation” is the prime mission of New Delhi based software company - Info-Tek Consultants Pvt. Ltd. The Libsys metadata facilitates ordering receiving loose issues, recording bound volumes of journals in print medium this can be easily converted to e- Journal recording by changing the item receiving data into e-journal release data. The location metadata in libsys can be easily converted to url.. Bound volumes can give the link to Url The Library of Congress’ Network Development and MARC Standards Office is developing a framework for working with MARC data in a XML environment. This framework is intended to be flexible and extensible to allow users to work with MARC data in ways specific to their needs. CONSER(2) began in the early 1970s as a project to convert manual serial cataloging into machine-readable records. It has evolved into an ongoing program to create and maintain high quality bibliographic records for serials. In keeping with its evolution, the name changed in 1986 from CONSER (CONversion of SERials) Project to the CONSER (Cooperative ONline SERials) Program. Describing electronic access to information is another challenge for the cataloger due to the different areas of the record involved, including the new electronic location and access field (856). 3rd Convention PLANNER -2005, Assam Univ., Silchar, 10-11 Nov., 2005 © , Ahmedabad 167 Metadata as a tool to facilitate exchange of information between interoperating systems and interoperability of metadata schemas themselves which can help to facilitate systems interoperability. There are three different types of interoperability. The table provide a comparative statement of interoperability between libsys, marc 21 and conser (Cooperative Online Serials) Program