Metadata matters. As we've written in the past, it's the lifeblood of any digital asset management system.
Sometimes, though, it can be hard to get a handle on how best to set up your metadata. There are a lot of interests at your organization pushing and pulling things in this or that direction. How do you build a schema that works for everyone? Who should be among the stakeholders who make it happen?
To help you figure that out, we came together with Ann Childs to put together this white paper titled "Notes from the field: a successful metadata schema for your DAM." Here's an overview from the white paper itself:
This is a practical guide to a successful metadata schema for your DAM system. The schema is made up of metadata, how you describe your assets, and taxonomy, the categories of information captured. The schema is at the heart of a successful DAM. Some measures of a successful schema and a successful DAM system are:
- How easily library users can find the assets they need
- How relevantly the chosen schema describes the organization and its assets
- How flexibly Administrators can improve the schema as the organization changes over time
Much of the schema is unique to your organization, yet there is a body of practical experience and DAM industry best practices to help you create a successful indexing system. We’ll look at all of these in this guide. A DAM is an integrated system, with overlapping elements and disciplines. The common theme of this white paper is the metadata schema, but it also explores the parallel elements of the system as they relate to one another: workflow, roles and responsibilities, standards, training, and software considerations. First, we’ll look at building the schema with your core group, the Design Team. If you already have an existing DAM, this section can be a review, a pool of ideas, and a touchstone for best practices. Then, we’ll look at how to put the schema together with those other interlocking elements, how to manage the system on an ongoing basis and, finally, explore how to handle changes over time.
Want to learn more? Download the full PDF from our resource center.
Once you've gone through the white paper, feel free to get in touch and let us know what questions you still have about metadata.