This paper is a discussion of the use of metadata, in its various manifestations, to access information. Information management standards are discussed. The connection between the ancient world and the modern world is highlighted. Individual perspectives are paramount in fulfilling information seeking. Metadata is interpreted and reflected upon in…

Over the past several decades, millions of digital objects of significant scientific, economic, cultural, and historic value have been published and distributed to libraries and archives on removable media. Providing long-term access to these documents, media files, and software executables is an increasingly complex task because of dependencies…

Examines Boisot's model of information processes and information economics based on information space in three dimensions (I-space). I-space is used as a framework to explain the success of computer-based tools in information scanning and dissemination, and their failure to support problem areas in the process of knowledge creation, especially…

Discusses the 1995 OCLC/NCSA Metadata Workshop that met to define a standard set of data elements for describing network-accessible information resources. These document data elements had to be simple enough for authors and publishers to use, to facilitate discovery and retrieval, and to be useful as a basis for descriptive cataloging. (JKP)

Librarians and information scientists have debated whether traditional cataloging methods can bring order to the Internet. Reviews literature on alternative strategies for organizing and accessing information resources on the Internet that incorporate some aspect of traditional library expertise, including library catalogs, subject trees,…

Presents two storage models and several other associated models for the presentation of multimedia documents. Analysis of these models reveals their capacity to synchronize various temporal scenarios while allowing users simultaneous and secure access to multimedia systems. Discusses theoretical foundations, information processing, multimedia…

The Government Information Locator Service (GILS) is a response to the need of users to be able to identify, locate, and access or acquire publicly available federal information resources. GILS uses ANSI/NISO Z39.50, the American National Standard for information retrieval, and other relevant standards to support the deployment of agency-based,…

Building on previous discussions of Federal information inventory locator systems (FILS), this report explores issues related to FILS and identifies policy and implementation options that can best meet the competing rationales and requirements for FILS. The concept of a Government-wide Information Inventory/Locator System is explored, and it is…

This study continues the research reported in "Federal Information Inventory/Locator Systems: From Burden to Benefit: Final Report" (McClure, et al., 1990). Begun May 1, 1991, and completed in August 1992, this exploratory and descriptive research was intended to improve access to and use of U.S. Government information. Its methodology…