NISO Plus Baltimore 2025

This two-session event will examine the intersection of cultural heritage, digital preservation, and metadata. Across the globe, archives hold ephemeral treasures—images, recordings, manuscripts, oral histories, and similar—that define our shared humanity and connect us across times and places. UNESCO has advanced standardized metadata and outlined a program on cultural and digital technologies to strengthen action around heritage. From digital mapping of diverse practices to 3D modelling of World Heritage sites, projects embody and harness the potential of technologies for the new chapter of culture for all. Building on this, the panel discussion adds metadata as an important layer for digital safeguarding and preservation processes. Laying the groundwork, the first session will focus on ethical practices in metadata creation, preserving and amplifying underrepresented voices, and addressing the challenges of safeguarding metadata. Building on this, the second session will feature distinct case studies on approaches to metadata from community practitioners. Together the Humanities Roundtable will offer an in-depth exploration of the critical role metadata and digital preservation play in protecting the legacies of cultural heritage, and the transformative potential of digital preservation of cultural heritage with emerging technologies.

Collaborative Notes

This two-session event will examine the intersection of cultural heritage, digital preservation, and metadata. Across the globe, archives hold ephemeral treasures—images, recordings, manuscripts, oral histories, and similar—that define our shared humanity and connect us across times and places. UNESCO has advanced standardized metadata and outlined a program on cultural and digital technologies to strengthen action around heritage. From digital mapping of diverse practices to 3D modelling of World Heritage sites, projects embody and harness the potential of technologies for the new chapter of culture for all. Building on this, the panel discussion adds metadata as an important layer for digital safeguarding and preservation processes. Laying the groundwork, the first session will focus on ethical practices in metadata creation, preserving and amplifying underrepresented voices, and addressing the challenges of safeguarding metadata. Building on this, the second session will feature distinct case studies on approaches to metadata from community practitioners. Together the Humanities Roundtable will offer an in-depth exploration of the critical role metadata and digital preservation play in protecting the legacies of cultural heritage, and the transformative potential of digital preservation of cultural heritage with emerging technologies.

The first half of this discussion can be seen here: https://nisoplusbaltimore25.sched.com/event/1olIW but you can attend this without having attended the first. 

Collaborative Notes

As AI continues to redefine digital information practices, libraries face new challenges and opportunities in managing, curating, and enhancing the discoverability of resources. This proposal presents two case studies from Goldey-Beacom College that illustrate how libraries can strategically employ AI to enhance both creative and informational collections through metadata improvements.

In the first case study, "From Canvas to Quartex: The Evolution of Art in the Age of AI and Digital Archives," we examine the inaugural Common Reading Program at Goldey-Beacom College. Using the themes in Kristen Radtke's Seek You, students explored loneliness by creating posters, some AI-generated, which were digitally archived in Quartex. This initiative emphasized the importance of metadata standards to ensure both human- and AI-generated art are accessible, accurately categorized, and preserved.

In the second case study, "Enhancing FAQ Systems with Generative AI: A Case Study on Improving Metadata and User Discoverability," we outline how generative AI transformed Goldey-Beacom College Library’s FAQ system, consolidating overly specific metadata into broader, discoverable categories that enhance the user experience.

Together, these case studies provide practical insights and methodologies for leveraging AI in digital collections, underscoring the necessity of evolving metadata frameworks to accommodate both traditional and AI-driven content. Aside from the listed speakers, the presenters would like to recognize Devon Ellixson, Library Intern, for their work on this project.

Collaborative Notes