Optimizing Workflow through Metadata Repurposing and Batch Processing

Abstract

This article focuses on metadata repurposing and batch processing to improve cataloging workflow in a medium sized library. Some metadata repurposing cases at Wichita State University (WSU) Libraries are addressed, including transferring of an in-house inventory spreadsheet in Special Collections to MAchine-Readable Cataloging (MARC) records in Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) and batch import of WSU anthropological and biological image collections, Graduate Research and Scholarly Projects (GRASP), and other research papers from Excel to the libraries’ DSpace-based Shocker Open Access Repository (SOAR). The author discusses the implementation of external tools and programs to enhance the workflow. Program customization, metadata preparation, normalization, and transformation will be included in details. The article explores the possible options and decisions needed to be made in building a herbarium collection in SOAR using a combination of Dublin Core (DC) and DarwinCore (DwC) elements. These cases of metadata repurposing and batch processing promote sharing and reuse of metadata resources and greatly improve our cataloging workflow. They also demonstrate that collaboration between different departments, such as Special Collections and Technical Services, and among faculty, students, and librarians helps improve workflow efficiency in a library and beyond.

KEYWORDS:

• metadata repurposing
• metadata processing
• metadata workflow
• metadata management
• Excel
• OCLC
• SOAR
• DSpace batch import
• Google Summer of Code
• MarcEdit
• MARC
• Dublin Core
• Darwin Core

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Acknowledgment goes to Catalog and Institutional Repository Librarian Susan Matveyeva and Technology Support Consultant II and DSpace Technician Baseer Khan at WSU Libraries. The author also would like to thank Levi Wang for his Java programming assistance to the WSU projects.