Data can be a set of facts, a collection of images, text documents (from books and periodicals to emails and tweets), audio, video, artifacts, etc. Metadata is a form of data that describes other data, providing meaningful information that facilitates discovering, identifying, understanding, handling, and preserving the primary data. Data can be “raw” (unprocessed or unstructured) and may require hardware, software, or additional documentation to understand and use. Metadata, on the other hand, is always processed and structured, usually understandable by both humans and machines, and only created for a functional purpose (such as organizing materials in a catalog or searching and retrieving resources in a database). 

The Library’s Metadata and Discovery Unit provides metadata advice and support.  To ask a question, set up a consultation, or learn more about our services, contact us.