The Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC) has announced a two-part Open Metadata 101 webinar series focused on developments in open metadata and the adoption of institutional policies. The sessions are intended for professionals working in libraries, knowledge organizations, and cultural heritage institutions.
Metadata supports a wide range of library operations, including acquisitions, discovery, access, collection management, storage, and preservation. Making metadata openly accessible and reusable can help libraries reduce costs, improve services, and support open research and education. The webinar series aims to help institutions understand the legal, practical, and economic considerations involved in adopting open metadata practices.
The sessions are being organized in collaboration with Tom Cramer and Rochelle Lundy, co-directors of the Stanford Center for Open Metadata at Stanford University Libraries. The first session will introduce the foundations of open metadata, while the second will examine institutional policy development and implementation. Presentation recordings will be made available after each session, although discussion and question-and-answer segments will not be recorded.
The first session, Open Metadata Foundations, is scheduled for November 9, from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time (12 to 1 p.m. Pacific Time). Cramer and Lundy will discuss the principles of open metadata, which refers to metadata that can be accessed and reused without copyright, contractual, or licensing restrictions.
The session will examine the role of metadata in information services, common legal questions involving copyright and contracts, and the economic considerations associated with establishing and maintaining an open metadata ecosystem. It will also use practical examples to explore how open metadata can support research, education, and cultural heritage organizations and outline steps institutions can take to adopt open practices.
Registration for the first session is available through the SPARC webinar registration page.
The second session, Adopting an Institutional Policy, is scheduled for November 30, from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern Time (11 a.m. to noon Pacific Time). Speakers include Karen Estlund, dean of libraries at Colorado State University and chair of the Open Metadata Task Force at the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries; Mark Paris, dean of libraries at West Virginia University; Carol Smith, dean of libraries at the University of Kansas; and Simeon Warner, associate university librarian at Cornell University.
The session will address the rationale for institutional open metadata policies, their potential benefits, and approaches to developing and implementing them. It will also introduce the Open Metadata Policy Toolkit, which is designed to help libraries develop their own policies. Representatives from institutions that have adopted such policies or are working toward implementation will share their experiences.
According to SPARC, institutional open metadata policies can help address barriers associated with the commercial control of scholarly communication infrastructure. Such policies may dedicate institutional metadata to the public domain and establish practices that support broader access and reuse.
Both sessions are open to interested professionals, and SPARC membership is not required. Participants can register for individual sessions based on their interests.
Registration for the second session is available through the institutional policy webinar registration page.
Click here to read the original press release.
