[March 13, 2001] UMN Digital Library Data Model: "To maximize use of disparate and distributed digital collections across campus, the University of Minnesota Libraries is building an aggregator that collects key descriptive information (metadata) about each object in distributed databases across campus. Such a gateway will be promoted as the digital content search engine for the entire campus, and will greatly enhace the odds of discovery of any object or database on campus. Once the resource is discovered through this metadata aggregator, users will be directed to its home site. The Libraries anticipate increased usage of each site that contributes/shares metadata to the aggregator, and will further expand potential audiences for digital collections by sharing metadata collections with other off-campus harvesters and Web search engines. In the first phase of this approach, the Libraries are constructing the IMAGES (Image Metadata Aggregation for Enhanced Searching) digital library module. IMAGES will be the metadata aggregator for digital visual resources both within the Libraries and for units across campus."

References:

• University of Minnesota Digital Libraries

• UMN Digital Library Data Model

• XML DTD [University of Minnesota Libraries IMAGES Project]

• Sample XML document, [source]

• Posting from Chuck Thomas (UMN Digital Projects Coordinator)