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Synopsis In the "Wild West" of digital library metadata projects, pioneering information specialists have uncovered successful solutions, learned what to avoid, and find ways to proceed amid constant change. As administrator of the new "AskDCMI" service. Diane Hillmann has fielded hundreds of questions from implementers. This new collection of reports from the field, co-edited by Hillmann and Elaine Westbrooks, is an opportunity for librarians to learn from the experiences of others involved in technically diverse digital library projects that have metadata components.

Part one illustrates a broad range of metadata projects involving universities, statewide collaborations, image databases, geographic data and metadata aggregations, while part two moves beyond the lessons learned from the recent past and addresses future trends in metadata standards relevant to digital libraries, how these elements relate to one another and traditional library practices, how planners integrate cutting - edge metadata issues into projects planning, and what the future holds for the harvesting, reuse, and re-purposing of information.

Sharing detailed results in candid reports, the contributors provide valuable information and lessons learned that are not readily available anywhere else. This collection offers project planners, metadata librarians, systems and technical services librarians, and catalogues a problem-solving approach and real-world supplement for their metadata needs.