Metadata Quality Improvement Program

For HathiTrust members that have deposited content, the Metadata Quality Improvement Program (MQIP) supports work to improve correct, and enhance their own catalogs – the source records for all HathiTrust items. HathiTrust grants catalog-wide full text access to y senior-level metadata professionals at participating, eligible institutions for the purposes of metadata remediation and/or enrichment of records in their local catalogs. They may then view the full-text scan for all items in the HathiTrust Digital Library for use in improving their local catalog records. Once updated locally, the records are resubmitted to HathiTrust, thereby improving the records in the HathiTrust catalog and benefitting the entire collection for all users.

Benefits of MQIP

Improve efficiency of metadata enrichment and remediation

• • Access to view the full-text scan for all items in the HathiTrust Digital Library allows members to improve their local catalog records without physical access.
  • Reduce need to retrieve physical volumes from storage or stacks and empower cataloging staff without adding to the work of non-cataloging staff.
  • Provide remote work option for day-to-day cataloging.

Enable DEIA-focused remediation and other large-scale analysis projects

• • Streamline workflows and limit physical retrieval to scale up efforts to address long-standing needs for remediation.

For more information on the pilots and the program, watch the introductory webinar on MQIP.

Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in this phase of the program, institutions must meet the following criteria.

1. Must Be a Depositing Institution

• HathiTrust can only be updated with records from the institutions that deposited the items, therefore the first criterion is that only depositing institutions are eligible at this time. See list of depositing institutions to find out if your institution is eligible.

2. Have a Plan for a Local Metadata Project

• Interested institutions must have a metadata project in the works. This does not need to be a clearly defined or resource-heavy project. It could be as simple as a project with a list of all of the records for items an institution has submitted to HathiTrust and working through those records as resources allow.
• After the initial project has completed to the satisfaction of the institution, continuing participation in the program is not tied to the existence of an internal project. Even during the duration of the initial project, access may also be used to support day-to-day cataloging and metadata activities.

3. Have a Current Process for Metadata Submission to HathiTrust

• The institution must have a current process for submitting updated records established with HathiTrust for approval. Having done so in the past or at the point of initial deposit does not mean there is a current workflow.
• If a process is not yet in place or an institution has migrated ILSs since the last time records were submitted, HathiTrust will work with members to re-establish the process.

4. Identify Senior-Level Metadata Staff Who Will Participate in the Work

• Only metadata professionals that have senior-level responsibilities and will be doing the metadata work are eligible.
• Each institution may have multiple individuals that can be granted access as long as they each meet the criteria of job responsibilities.
• Each participating individual will need to agree to and sign the Collection Administration Access Terms of Use.
• CAA is not for personal use or job duties outside of the scope of metadata responsibilities (e.g. reference desk support).
• Supervisor-only roles are not eligible.
• Student workers are not eligible.

5. Have Designated a Point-person

• Each institution will designate a contact person from among the participants so that we can keep in contact for questions of use and other concerns.

How to Apply

Please contact support@hathitrust.org and indicate your interest in applying, or if you have any questions about the eligibility criteria.