Multilingual metadata for cultural heritage materials

Abstract

2015). Multilingual metadata for cultural heritage materials: The case of the Tse-Tsung Chow Collection of Chinese scrolls and fan paintings. The Electronic Library, 33(1), 136 -151. Abstract Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to explore multilingual access in digital libraries and to present a case study of creating bilingual metadata records for the Tse-Tsung Chow Collection of Chinese Scrolls and Fan Paintings. The project, undertaken at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, provides access to digital copies of calligraphic and painted Chinese scrolls and fans from the collection donated by Prof Tse-Tsung Chow (Cezong Zhou). Design/methodology/approach -This paper examines the current approaches to multilingual indexing and retrieval in digital collections and presents a model of creating bilingual parallel records that combines translation with controlled vocabulary mapping. Findings -Creating multilingual metadata records for cultural heritage materials is in an early phase of development. Bilingual metadata created through human translation and controlled vocabulary mapping represents one of the approaches to multilingual access in digital libraries. Multilingual indexing of collections of international origin addresses the linguistic needs of the target audience, connects the digitized objects to their respective cultures and contributes to richer descriptive records. The approach that relies on human translation and research can be undertaken in small-scale digitization projects of rare cultural heritage materials. Language and subject expertise are required to create bilingual metadata records. Research limitations/implications -This paper presents the results of a case study. The approach to multilingual access that involves research, and it relies on human translation that can only be undertaken in small-scale projects. Practical implications -This case study of creating parallel records with a combination of translation and vocabulary mapping can be useful for designing similar bilingual digital collections. Social implications -This paper also discusses the obligations of holding institutions in undertaking digital conversion of the cultural heritage materials that originated in other countries, especially in regard to providing metadata records that reflect the language of the originating community.

Identifying Metadata Quality Issues Across Cultures

“…Most studies that do address sociocultural themes largely attend to cataloging standards, schemas, and vocabularies, including issues around the representation of non-English languages and non-Roman scripts, non-White and/or non-Western contexts, Indigenous knowledges and worldviews, and gender and sexuality, among other issues (Adler 2017;Berman 1971;Billey, Drabinski, & Roberto 2014;Billings et al 2017;Duarte & Belarde-Lewis 2015;Ducheva & Pennington 2019;Farnel et al 2017;Mahmoud & Al-Sarraj 2018;Matusiak et al 2015;Olson 2002;Rigby 2015).…”

“…From a usability standpoint, accurate multilingual metadata provides critical access to important resources for legal, cultural, and political purposes and also promotes understanding of regional cultures and histories (Mahmoud & Al-Sarraj 2018;Matusiak et al 2015). Zeng & Qin (2016) note that authors often provide "multiple local versions" (p. 142) of metadata values for titles, authors, keywords, and glossaries through inline and external parallel metadata.…”

“…Creating consistent multilingual metadata, whether automatically or manually, is a resource intensive process. It requires significant technical development and maintenance and human resources to establish, implement, and maintain (Matusiak et al 2015;Soglasnova 2018). They also require systems to be encoded and designed appropriately for communities and researchers to benefit from multilingual metadata and access critical information (Mahmoud & Al-Sarraj 2018;Rigby 2015;Shiraishi et al 2021).…”

A collaborative digital oral history collection

“…Solutions to express multilingual metadata are generally experimental and not necessarily accommodating to projects with small staff or limited technical expertise. One solution using CONTENTdm is described in an article titled, ‘Multilingual metadata for cultural heritage materials: The case of the Tse-Tsung Chow Collection of Chinese Scrolls and Fan Paintings’ (Matusiak et al, 2015). This project was undertaken by staff at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and outlines their process for creating bilingual metadata records.…”