METS

= Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) = toc

The Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard (METS) is an XML schema-based specification for encoding structural metadata and linking descriptive and administrative metadata to digital library objects. The standard is hosted at the Library of Congress and is maintained by the METS Editorial Board. It was initiated in 1997.

METS specifies what files constitute the content of a digital object and how these fit together into a structured whole (for example, the pages of a book, alternate views of a three-dimensional object, pages of a letter, etc.). A METS document is a "hub" document, used to preserve the structure of the digital object, not to actually describe the content of the digital object itself. No descriptive or administrative metadata elements are defined within METS, but it can be used to link descriptive and administrative metadata to the digital object. METS is used as a standard for archiving digital objects, and thus may be considered a form of preservation metadata.

Metadata Schema
There are seven top-level elements that form the METS schema:


 * 1) METS header
 * 2) Descriptive Metadata
 * 3) Administrative Metadata
 * 4) File Section
 * 5) Structural Map
 * 6) Structural Links
 * 7) Behavior Section

The **METS header** records administrative metadata about the METS document, such as author, alternative identifiers, creation and update date and times, and status.

The **descriptive metadata** section includes descriptive metadata encoded in an a descriptive schema (such as Dublin Core, MARC, EAD finding aid, etc.) which can be embedded internally within the METS document, linked to externally, or both.

The **administrative metadata** section includes metadata pertaining to technical specifications, sources or references, intellectual property rights and usage, or digital provenance. Like descriptive metadata, administrative metadata can be embedded internally, linked to externally, or both.

The **file** section records all of the files that comprise of the digital object.

While the use of all top-level elements is encouraged, the **structural map** is the only "required" element in the METS schema. METS can support simple content, wherein each division is represented by a single file (for example, image one corresponds to page one, image two corresponds to page two), or a variety of structurally complex content. For example, you may want to point to a specific portion of text within a document, a particular moment in time in a video or audio clip, or a coordinate in an image.

The **structural links** section provides for the existence of hyperlinks between different components of the METS structure or hypertext links between web pages.

The **behavior** section defines executable actions of the METS document. For example, it may tell the METS document to display a finding aid, then display a log-in prompt to authenticate access to the finding aid.

Examples

 * METS Record for a sound recording:**



**References**

 * 1) METS Official Website. Last updated December 7, 2011. []
 * 2) METS Presentations. Last updated September 16, 2011. []