Metadata, literally 'data about data,' provides a means of indexing, accessing, preserving, and discovering digital resources. The sheer quantity of digital information available over electronic networks has created a pressing need for standards that assist in locating, retrieving, and managing this vast and complex universe of information."Introduction to Metadata" provides readers with an overview of metadata, its types, roles, and characteristics; a discussion of metadata as it relates to resources on the Web; and a description of methods, tools, and standards, and protocols used to publish and disseminate digital collections.Also included in this fully revised and updated edition is an essay on the importance of standards-based rights metadata to the activities of cultural institutions, and an exploration of metadata harvesting and the role of Google and other commercial search engines in the rapidly evolving world of digital libraries.