1. Definitions and scope Information resources Resource description Metadata Elements, values, format and transmission Managing metadata The contemporary information environment Information organization Overview of this book References 2. Information resource attributes Introduction Describer and user contexts Information resource contexts The functions of metadata From attributes to elements References 3. Tools and systems Introduction Arrangements Indexes and databases Bibliographic databases Library catalogues Periodical databases Federated search systems Archival finding aids Museum registers Digital collections Search engines Online directories Bibliographies Citation databases References 4. Metadata sources Introduction Resource creators Publishers Information professionals Library cataloguing Metadata librarianship Indexing and abstracting Archival description Museum documentation Records management Information architecture End-users Computers References 5. Metadata quality Introduction Functionality Comprehensiveness Accuracy Clarity Consistency Vocabulary and authority control Principles of best practice Quality assurance Cost-benefit analysis References 6. Sharing metadata Introduction Library catalogue records Metadata for search engines Interoperability References 7. Metadata standards Introduction Web publishing Libraries Digital libraries Archives Museums Book publishing Book indexing Database indexing E-research Education Audiovisual industries Business Government Registries References 8.

Vocabularies Introduction Controlled subject vocabularies Subject headings Subject thesauri Subject classification schemes Taxonomies and ontologies Non-subject vocabularies Vocabulary mapping Identification systems References 9. The future of metadata Introduction Three approaches Content-based information retrieval Social metadata Professional description Conclusion References Further reading Metatadata standards.