Creator Name Standardization Using Faceted Vocabularies in the BTAA Geoportal

Abstract

Digital libraries incorporate metadata from varied sources, ranging from traditional catalog data to author-supplied descriptions. The Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) Geoportal unites geospatial resources from the libraries of the BTAA, compounding the variability of metadata. The BTAA Geospatial Information Network’s (BTAA GIN) Metadata Committee works to ensure completeness and consistency of metadata in the Geoportal, including a project to standardize the contents of the Creator field. The project comprises an OpenRefine data cleaning phase; evaluation of controlled vocabularies for semiautomated matching via OpenRefine reconciliation; and development and testing of a best practices guide for application of a controlled vocabulary.