The Metadata Unit is based in the W.E.B. Du Bois Library. We directly support research by maintaining the data inside the library catalog--for physical and electronic resources in all languages at Du Bois, the UMass Science and Engineering Library and for Five College shared collections, totaling approximately 10 million records. The maintenance and care we provide for the data about library resources is what allows the students, faculty, and staff at UMass to access those resources. This is a huge job and there is always something to be done! Some of our core functions include:
- Producing, creating, maintaining, enhancing and updating metadata for physical and electronic resources owned by UMass
- Producing, creating, maintaining, enhancing and updating metadata for physical and electronic resources owned by the Five Colleges
- Reviewing and providing quality control for vendor supplied metadata for electronic resources
- Creating new Name Authority Records for the Library of Congress
- Researching, creating new or updating existing Subject Authority Records for the Library of Congress
- Researching, reviewing and applying appropriate metadata standards
- Creating documentation and training for Five College metadata professionals that support national best practices and standards
