Charlotte- Metadata and Databases

 Metadata:

The term ‘metadata’ has always been thrown around, and I had always assumed it was just the specific details of data, but it is actually so much more. Metadata, to my understanding, is a deeper dive into describing information in digital media. Metadata provides information about information and serves as a resource. It is most often used, from my understanding, in libraries and records to serve as a catalog of information. Metadata in libraries contains titles, authors, publishers, places of publication, dates, and even descriptions of physical features (pg 33). Metadata is a great resource for digital humanities as it gives the researcher a deeper understanding of what they are looking for while also allowing digital humanities project creators a way to display the records in a concise manner. 

The first example of metadata that comes to mind is the UNH Libraries Website. The book mentions MARC being replaced by BIBFRAME when it was launched by the Library of Congress, which is now a standard that is used in libraries globally. An example of this is my project: the bar along the side of the ‘Close Read’ page. Here, the reader is given keywords that include art and artists' names that allow readers to easily discover content.


Database:

The concept of a database seemed pretty straightforward to me. It could be defined as an organized collection of structured information or data stored for easy access. (pg 38) Similar to when conducting scientific experiments, which oftentimes include the use of databases, the database design includes dependent and independent variables. To create a database, oftentimes tables are used as they are accessible to many and usually user-friendly. Information must be ethically sourced, sorted into subcategories, and then placed accordingly. Databases generally reduce error and improve efficiency and can be created as flat, hierarchical, relational, object-oriented, or graphed. (pg 45)

From what I’ve seen in my project, I do not have a database, but as stated before, the Close Read section has a sidebar with titles and names of artists and art that has a hyperlink connecting the written article by reporters at the Times.


Comments

  1. maliaSeptember 22, 2026 at 10:15 AM

    I agree that the concept of a database was relatively straight forward because it is a concept I have heard/ used previously.

    ReplyDelete
  2. KarlieSeptember 24, 2026 at 10:12 AM

    I had a similar understanding of metadata before reading this. I didn't realize how much more went into it, similar to many of the other terms in digital humanities. I've had very basic understandings of these and didn't realize how much more complex they were.

    ReplyDelete

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