Metadata for Digital Content (MDC)
Developing institution-wide policies and standards at the Library of Congress
Individual Profiles
Metadata profiles for different digital library projects and initiatives at the Library of Congress are linked to below. These profiles use the framework of the "Master List of Data Elements." The objective is to use these profiles to work towards compatibility of metadata usage throughout the institution, support the metadata use cases, and point to areas where metadata remediation for improved consistency or enhanced interoperability might be beneficial.
Profiles Currently Available:
Library of Congress Web Archives (LCWA)
The Library of Congress Web Archives is composed of collections of archived web sites selected by subject specialists to represent web-based information on a designated topic. The early development project for Web archives was called MINERVA. Each archived site has a metadata record using the Metadata Object Description Schema (MODS).
- View Profile for LC Web Archives [102 KB, Word Document]
American Memory (AmMem)
American Memory was built using heterogeneous sources of metadata, with a common indexing approach.
- View Profile for American Memory -- MARC [120 KB, Word Document]
For many collections, the source records are in the MARC format, maintained in different systems at LC. They may be records that are (a) maintained in the Library of Congress Integrated Library System (ILS), (b) maintained in Minaret (a MARC-based cataloging system), or (c) generated automatically from fields maintained in a relational database. - View Profile for American Memory -- non-MARC [202 KB, Word Document]
The American Memory nonMARC metadata scheme was developed for use for materials not usually cataloged at the level of individual items (such as correspondence within archival collections of personal papers) and/or content for which the MARC format was inadequate (e.g., because machine-processable dates to the accuracy of a day were essential for chronological sorting).
Peforming Arts Encyclopedia (PAE)
Performing Arts Encyclopedia (PAE) was a guide to performing arts resources at the Library of Congress. The PAE provides information about the Library's unsurpassed collections of scores, sheet music, audio recordings, films, photographs, and other materials. Users can find digitized items from the collections; special Web presentations on topics and collections; articles and biographical essays; finding aids to collections; databases for performing arts resources; information on concerts at the Library; and a special Performing Arts Resource Guide which contains entries for hundreds of Library collections, Web sites, databases and exhibits. The resources have metadata reflecting a wide variety of practices in terms of completeness and content.
- View Profile for Performing Arts Encyclopedia [135 KB, Word Document]
Other Profiles Under Development:
- National Digital Newspaper Program
- Library of Congress Web pages
- World Digital Library
- Metadata embedded in PDF files
- Library of Congress Experience
- LC Webcasts
- Digital reproductions of serial and multivolume publications (Ser2Dig)
Last Updated: 07/22/2021
