The CARL metadata harvester and search service
| Published date | 01 April 2006 |
| Pages | 197-210 |
| Date | 01 April 2006 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378830610669574 |
| Author | Mark Jordan |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
INSTITUTIONAL REPOSITORIES IN
CANADA
The CARL metadata harvester
and search service
Mark Jordan
WAC Bennett Library, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada
Abstract
Purpose – To explain the background, functionality, and content of the CARL metadata harvester
and search service, http://carl-abrc-oai.lib.sfu.ca/, and to outline plans for improving the service.
Design/methodology/approach – This case study employs simple statistical analyses to a set of
harvested metadata.
Findings – This paper documents the use of unqualified Dublin Core (uDC) elements in the metadata
harvested from the repositories participating in the CARL harvester, and identifies patterns in the use
of that metadata. It also compares these findings with a similar study, and identifies areas for further
research.
Research limitations/implications – This paper is limited to discussion of the characteristics of a
relatively small set of metadata collected using the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata
Harvesting. However, analyses reveal some patterns in the use of this metadata that are valuable in the
development of best practices for repository implementers.
Practical implications – This paper documents the use of uDC elements by a specific community. Its
findings will form a basis for developing mechanisms for improving the effectiveness of the metadata
generated by that community and therefore the services built around that metadata.
Originality/value – While there are several other studies that take an approach similar to that taken
in this paper, no one has yet studied this specific data set. More generally, this paper contributes a
valuable case study to research on the implementation of the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for
Metadata Harvesting.
Keywords Canada, Researchlibraries, Data handling, Digitallibraries
Paper type Case study
Introduction
The Canadian Association of Research Libraries/Association des bibliothe
`ques de
recherche du Canada’s Institutional Rep ository Metadata Harvester[1] collects
metadata from nine repositories hosted at Canadian universities and provides a
search interface to the aggregated metadata. Seven of the nine repositories are general
institutional repositories (IRs), and the remaining two are dedicated to electronic theses
and dissertations (ETDs). Not all repositories are at CARL members; any collection of
scholarly information is eligible for inclusion and as new collections become available
they will be added to the harvester.
This paper describes the harvester, analyzes the metadata being contributed to it,
and explains the steps CARL is taking to improve the usefulness of this service.
Scope and history of the harvester
The harvester, which is hosted at Simon Fraser University Library, was originally
established in March 2004 to enhance access to CARL members’ IRs, and was
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
www.emeraldinsight.com/0737-8831.htm
The CARL
metadata
harvester
197
Received October 2005
Accepted February 2006
Library Hi Tech
Vol. 24 No. 2, 2006
pp. 197-210
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0737-8831
DOI 10.1108/07378830610669574
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