Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval

David Haynes' Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval provides an excellent overview that covers all of the main issues relating to metadata and controlled vocabularies. Haynes deals with key concepts such as resource description and information retrieval in clear, practical terms, with real-life examples. The section on the politics and ethics of metadata is timely and thought-provoking. This book is a valuable resource for both students and information professionals in the age of digital libraries and big data. -- Murtha Baca, PhD This is the second edition of a pioneering work originally published in 2004. It is intended as a tutorial (rather than a how-to do book) on metadata. Its basic strength is its clarity and its sound theoretical considerations based on a deep knowledge of the relevant literature combined with a comprehensive knowledge about the application of metadata in different environments. The author does not find that the definition of metadata as `data about data' sufficient. He argues that to understand this new concept it is necessary to know about how informative objects or documents have been described and catalogued by the different communities that have developed specific systems and processes for this purpose. The word `data' in `metadata' is widely interpreted as information, information resource or information containing entity. This allows inclusion of documentary materials in different formats and on different media. A basic view underlying this book is that metadata can only be defined and understood by its purposes or uses. This corresponds with a view that I have put forward in several publications: that the pragmatic approach to knowledge organization is the most important. It may sound trivial, but still this perspective has not broadly been understood and applied. The book therefore contains 6 chapters devoted to 6 different purposes of metadata. With regards to information retrieval it is argued that `metadata has a key role to play in high-quality information retrieval and is particularly important in clearly defined domains. It also plays a key role in providing users with options for searching on different attributes and for putting the search queries into context.' The book contains fine introductions to metadata modelling, models and standards and contains 4 chapters on metadata management including `big data' and a discussion of political and ethical issues. It has a valuable reference list, including references to many standards. David Haynes' book presents a highly qualified and useful introduction to metadata and deserves to be used as a text in courses at iSchools and by professionals working in museums, libraries, archives, publishing houses and other contexts. -- Birger Hjorland Metadata has evolved from being a specialist interest to become a mainstream topic of relevance to anyone concerned with accurate and efficient information management. David Haynes has produced a clear, comprehensive and timely overview of how metadata shapes our digital age, why it's a key organisational asset and how its value can be released through the use of key standards and technologies. -- Neil Wilson