Digitisation, Knowledge and Metadata: The National Library of New Zealand as a Case Study

This paper describes the National Library of New Zealand's development of a Metadata Standards Framework to guide its cataloguing/indexing/description activities as it increases its presence online. The National Library is one of the key organisations in New Zealand's culture and heritage sector, and the rapidly developing communications and technology environment has required the Library to establish a position as a prime provider of cultural and heritage materials online. Central to the ongoing viability of the Library's online initiatives is adherence to standards and ongoing compliance with interconnectivity and interoperability requirements. This paper describes the initial goal of the Library with respect to metadata, its growing appreciation of the breadth and depth of metadata initiatives worldwide and its decision to focus on resource discovery metadata as the initial output of a continually evolving Metadata Standards Framework.