Standards & Tools
Content Standards
Content standards are the guidelines which prescribe what type of information is recorded in the description (title, credits, notes, etc.) and how it is formatted (for example, initial articles should be dropped from titles, or names should be formatted as Lastname, Firstname)." By using the standards outlined below, description can be organized in a way that permits improved intellectual and physical access to the contents of any object. Standards also permit sharing of information with other institutions as well as within an organization.
AACR2. Anglo-American Cataloging Rules, 2nd ed., 2002 revision. Chicago: American Library Association, the Library Association (U.K.), and the Canadian Library Association.
A detailed set of standardized rules for cataloging various types of library materials, for general libraries of all sizes. Divided into two parts: rules for creating the bibliographic description, and rules governing the choice and form of entry of headings (access points) in the catalog. See also LCRIs.
AMIM. Archival Moving Image Materials: a Cataloging Manual. 2000. 2nd ed. . Washington, D.C.: Cataloging Distribution Service, Library of Congress.
Also known as AMIM2. Prepared by a committee of Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division cataloging staff, the manual provides detailed rules for descriptive cataloging of film and video within the framework of Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed., chapter 7. Includes a glossary and guidelines for assigning access points and for collection-level cataloging. Manual is thoroughly revised and expanded from the first edition, which was compiled by Wendy White-Hensen and published in 1984. Maintained by the Library of Congress, updates are found in: Cataloging Service Bulletin, Spring 2001; 92:21-25, and are also available on the Web at: 
http://www.loc.gov/catdir/cpso/amimupd.html
APPM. Archives, Personal Papers, and Manuscripts : a Cataloging Manual for Archival Repositories, Historical Societies, and Manuscript Libraries. 1989. 2nd ed. Chicago: Society of American Archivists.
Rules for describing primarily textual archival collections, although it includes rules for moving images. Intended to provide guidance within the general framework of the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd ed. (AACR2).
DACS. Describing Archives: A Content Standard. 2004. Chicago, Ill.: Society of American Archivists.
A product of the CUSTARD project (Canadian-U.S. Task Force on Archival Description), and funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, designed to facilitate consistent, appropriate, and self-explanatory description of archival materials and creators of archival materials. It can be applied to all types of material at all levels of description. Examples of the application of the rules are provided for two widely used structure standards, MARC 21 and Encoded Archival Description (EAD). The volume consists of three parts: "Describing Archival Materials," "Describing Creators," and "Forms of Names." Separate sections discuss levels of description and the importance of access points to the retrieval of descriptions. Appendices include a glossary, list of companion standards, and crosswalks to APPM, ISAD(G), ISAAR(CPF), MARC 21, and EAD.
The FIAF Cataloging Rules for Film Archives.
Rules for describing archival moving image materials, developed for an international audience by FIAF (Fédération Internationale des Archives du Film, or International Federation of Film Archives).
LCRIs. Library of Congress Rule Interpretations (2002 Cumulation: 1989 base text with all updates through 2002 interfiled. Washington, D.C. : Library of Congress. (Quarterly updates available.)
Records Library of Congress decisions on application and adoption of particular AACR2 rules, to ensure uniform cataloging for the purposes of record sharing. The LCRIs encompass both interpretations of rules and other types of statements, e.g., decisions on options and alternative rules; or documentation of routines related to the rules. Drafted by the Library's Office for Descriptive Cataloging Policy in consultation with cataloging experts in the field.
RAD. Rules for Archival Description. 2003. Ottawa: Bureau of Canadian Archivists'.
Rules for describing archival collections in all formats, including moving images, maps, photographs, electronic records, sound recordings, and textual materials. Based on the premise that description should occur on multiple levels (fonds, series, file, and item). Maintained by the Canadian Committee on Archival Description.
RAK. für die alphabetische Katalogisierung. 2002. Die Deutsche Bibliothek.
Rules for describing materials in all formats. The German cataloging code, analogous to the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2).
RICA. Regole Italiane di Catalogazione per Autori. Commissione permanente per l'aggiornamento della RICA.
Rules for describing materials in all formats. The Italian cataloging code, analogous to the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition (AACR2).
Descriptive Metadata Schema
A metadata schema is a standardized structure for metadata which allows repositories or machines to share data with mutual understanding. The metadata schema defines the data elements (fields) or tags (labels) used to enable indexing, retrieval, display, and sharing of records by computer systems.
Note: Many of the schema listed below are proposals and have not been implemented at all or may not have been widely implemented. When in doubt, contact the authoring organization for more information.
Dublin Core. Dublin Core Metadata Terms. Dublin Core Metadata Initiative.
A set of fifteen elements (title, creator, subject, etc.), with optional qualifiers, used to structure descriptive records and facilitate information sharing. Originally intended for use in describing Web-based resources, it is now used also for describing physical collections in museums, libraries, archives, and other repositories. Approved by ANSI, the Dublin Core metadata standard is designed for simplicity of creation and maintenance, and extensibility. It uses commonly understood terminology and is international in scope. Developed in the mid-1990s.
EAD. Encoded Archival Description.
A data interchange standard for encoding archival finding aids using the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). Defines the structural elements (and their interrelationships) to be used in creating archival inventories or registers (finding aids that supplement broad collection descriptions for archival collections). Maintained by the Library of Congress in partnership with the Society of American Archivists.
IEEE-LOM. Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers - Learning Object Metadata.
A set of elements used to structure descriptive records and facilitate information sharing. Intended for use in describing learning objects, online learning or instructional materials which have been created by a variety of software such as presentation software or complex authoring software. Developed in the late 1990s.
Standard providing a general framework for the description of different kinds of library materials (books, serials, electronic resources, etc.), including the order of elements in the catalog entry and prescribed punctuation. ISBDs have been integrated into several catalog codes around the world, including AACR2 and AMIM.
MARC. MAchine Readable Cataloging Formats. Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress.
A series of detailed standards for the structuring or tagging of data to facilitate the interchange of records between databases or files. The principal format is the MARC 21 Format for Bibliographic Data, used for descriptions of library and archival materials. There are also formats for Authority (for controlled vocabularies, or established lists of preferred terms with cross references), Holdings, Classification, and Community information, and a variety of code lists for use with the standard. Developed in the 1960s.
The MARC Web site includes introductory information on MARC, documentation of all MARC formats, code lists, crosswalks, MARC in XML, and more, in English and Spanish.
The Formats exist in full and concise versions. Concise versions, as well as the code lists, are available online:
MARC 21 Concise Authority Format
MARC 21 Concise Bibliographic Format
MARC 21 Concise Classification Format
MARC 21 Concise Community Information Format
MARC 21 Concise Holdings Format
MARC Code List for Geographic Areas
MARC Code Lists for Organizations
MARC Code Lists for Relators, Sources, and Descriptive Conventions
A standard set of elements or labels to structure descriptive records. Intended to be able to carry selected data from existing MARC 21 records as well as to enable the creation of original descriptive records. It includes a subset of MARC 21 bibliographic fields and uses language-based tags rather than numeric ones, in some cases regrouping elements from the MARC 21 bibliographic format. Expressed using the XML schema language of the World Wide Web Consortium. May be used for a variety of purposes, and particularly for library applications.
MPEG-7. Multimedia Content Description Interface, or ISO 15938. Moving Picture Experts Group.
An international standard for description of multimedia resources, including still images, moving images, audio, etc. Uses XML for the textual representation of content, supports descriptions at the segment level (i.e., shots or clips), supports textual and non-textual data, and can marry both in indexing. Can reside native on an MPEG-4 stream. Primarily used for born-digital materials. Originally released in late 2001.
PBCore. Public Broadcasting Metadata Dictionary.
Designed to provide a standard way of describing and using metadata for public broadcasters and associated communities. PBCore is built on the foundation of the Dublin Core and has been reviewed by the Dublin Core Metadata Initiative Usage Board.
SMEF. Standard Media Exchange Framework, British Broadcasting Corporation.
A data dictionary which defines the attributes of data, the entities into which the data is grouped, and the relationships between these entities. It attempts to include all data a business needs to know about a particular media item throughout its life-cycle.
Metadata schema for digital audiovisual materials, designed for the production environment and covering the entire production chain: pre-production, post-production, acquisition, distribution, broadcasting, storage and archiving.
VRA Core. VRA Core Categories, Version 3.0. Visual Resources Association Data Standards Committee.
A standard set of about 17 elements, with optional qualifiers, used to structure descriptive records and facilitate information sharing. Intended for use in describing "works of visual culture" as well as the images that document them. It follows the “1:1 principle,” developed by the Dublin Core community.
Related Metadata Standards
Note: Many of the schema listed below are proposals and have not been implemented at all or may not have been widely implemented. When in doubt, contact the authoring organization for more information.
AAF. Advanced Authoring Format. AAF Association, Inc.
The Advanced Authoring Format (AAF) is a multimedia file format that enables content creators to easily exchange digital media and metadata across platforms, and between systems and applications.
Proposed standard for network and file transfer of audio.
METS. Metadata Encoding & Transmission Standard.
A standard schema for encoding descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata regarding objects within a digital library, expressed using the XML schema language of the World Wide Web Consortium. The standard is maintained in the Network Development and MARC Standards Office of the Library of Congress and is being developed as an initiative of the Digital Library Federation. The METS Web site includes an Overview and Tutorial about the primary schema that is intended to serve as a framework document and explains that users may select extension schemas in order to provide additional metadata.
MPEG-21. International Organization for Standardization.
MPEG-21 aims at defining a normative open framework for multimedia delivery and consumption for use by all the players in the "value chain," from creator to consumer. In this sense, it covers much more than intellectual property rights. The goal of MPEG-21 is to define the technology needed to support users to exchange, access, consume, trade and otherwise manipulate digital items in an efficient, transparent and interoperable way.
MXF. Material eXchange Format. SMPTE.
The Material eXchange Format is a new standard created for interchanging media- and metadata. MXF allows user to store metadata and media-data in one file and/or stream. This is achieved by 'wrapping up' all data (media- and metadata) in a standardized hierarchical way. The amount of descriptive metadata, which can be included in an MXF file stream can be quite extensive. Metadata not only include important information on e.g. display size, compression method etc. but also a wide range of descriptive metadata related to the media content and production (e.g. shot location, list of participants etc.).
NISO MIX. NISO Metadata for Images in XML. Library of Congress.
XML schema for a set of technical data elements required to manage digital image collections. The schema provides a format for interchange and/or storage of the data specified in the NISO Draft Standard Data Dictionary: Technical Metadata for Digital Still Images (Version 1.2)
UPF. Universal Preservation Format. WGBH.
Proposed standard for the archiving of media assets.
Controlled Vocabularies
Controlled vocabularies optimize retrieval by enabling users to find all works associated with a particular name, title, or topic under a single, authoritative form of term, regardless of which variant the user searches under. Controlled vocabulary resources may be found in the
Controlled Vocabularies Resource Guide
Standards for Creating Controlled Vocabularies
International Standards Organization. Documentation: Guidelines for the establishment and development of monolingual thesauri (ISO 2788:1986)
The international standard for construction of monolingual thesauri. A thesaurus is defined as the vocabulary of a controlled indexing language, formally organized so that the a priori relationships between concepts (for example as "broader" and "narrower") are made explicit
International Standards Organization. Guidelines for the establishment and development of multilingual thesauri (ISO 5964:1985)
The international standard for construction of multilingual thesauri. A thesaurus is defined as the vocabulary of a controlled indexing language, formally organized so that the a priori relationships between concepts (for example as "broader" and "narrower") are made explicit. Designed to be used in conjunction with ISO 2788. Regarded as an extension of the scope of the monolingual guidelines.
The U.S. national standard for thesaurus construction (equivalent international standard: ISO 2788). Shows how to formulate descriptors, establish relationships among terms, and present the information in print and on a screen. Included are thesaurus maintenance procedures and recommended features for thesaurus management systems. Includes extensive examples, suggestions for further reading, and a detailed index. Available as a free pdf file.
Other Resources for Creating Controlled Vocabularies
An annotated bibliography of information sources useful for creating authorized headings in audiovisual and music catalog records. Each entry also includes a suggested way of citing the work in authority records.
Web Resources for SACO proposals.
A list of links to online resources useful for creating authorized headings and authority records. Classified by broad subject area.
Controlled Vocabularies for Names and Subjects
AAT. Art & Architecture Thesaurus On Line. The J. Paul Getty Trust.
A thesaurus, or hierarchical list of preferred terms with cross references, of topical subject terms, forms, genres, occupations and function terms relating to art, architecture, and material culture.
CPSO. Cataloging Policy and Support Office.
CSH. Canadian Subject Headings. National Library of Canada.
A list of over 2,000 subject headings in the English language for accessing and expressing the subject content of documents on Canada and Canadian topics. Available free online, with both thesaurus and MARC21 record displays. Compatible with LCSH.
Iconclass. Maintained by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW).
A subject specific international classification system for iconographic research and the documentation of images.
A comprehensive controlled vocabulary (established list of preferred terms, with cross references), primarily of names and jurisdictions, used by thousands of institutions to describe and index persons or bodies who are the subject or, or responsible for the intellectual content of, library and archival material. The online version, available on an experimental basis, includes a "Help Desk" and a link to FAQs. Also searchable on OCLC and RLIN.
LCSH. Library of Congress Subject Headings.
A comprehensive controlled vocabulary (established list of preferred terms, with cross references), primarily of topical subjects, used by thousands of institutions to describe and index the content or subject of library and archival material. Developed for books but also useful for moving image materials. The online version at Library of Congress Authorities, available on an experimental basis, includes a "Help Desk" and a link to FAQs. Also published in 5 volumes and available as part of Classification Web, or through OCLC or RLIN. Used in conjunction with the Library of Congress Subject Cataloging Manual.
MeSH. MEdical Subject Headings. National Library of Medicine.
A comprehensive controlled vocabulary (established list of preferred terms, with cross references) used to describe and index the content or subject of library and archival materials in the field of medicine.
Over 200,000 French subject headings and their English equivalents, as well as some 30 lists of subdivisions applicable to these headings. The product of a collaboration between Library and Archives Canada and the Bibliothèque de l'Université Laval.
A comprehensive thesaurus (hierarchical list of preferred terms with cross references) of over 6,300 terms for indexing visual materials. Companion document to Thesaurus for Graphic Materials II: Genre & Physical Characteristic Terms (TGM II).
TGN. Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names On Line. The J. Paul Getty Trust.
A thesaurus, or hierarchical list of preferred terms with cross references, of geographic names worldwide.
ULAN. Union List of Artist Names On Line . The J. Paul Getty Trust.
A structured vocabulary containing names and information about individuals or "corporate bodies" (i.e., groups of people working together) involved in the design or creation of art and architecture. Scope is global and covers Antiquity to the present, about 220,000 names. Records include spelling variants, nicknames, pseudonyms, biographical data, etc.
Controlled Vocabularies for Forms, Genres, and Physical Characteristics
A controlled vocabulary, with scope notes, of form and genre terms for moving image materials. Not a thesaurus, as it has no hierarchical cross reference structure to navigate between related terms.
MIM. Moving Image Materials. Library of Congress, 1988.
A thesaurus of genre and form terms for moving image materials, constructed according to the ANSI standard for thesaurus construction. Includes cross references. Weighted toward television and theatrical films typical to large "nitrate-preserving" archives.
A controlled vocabulary with which to describe various types of radio programs. It reconciles variant terms, establishes relationships between terms, and guides users in the application of terms.
Classification Schemes
A classification scheme is a system by which information and knowledge is organized into classes, usually subject classes. There are various classification schemes, both general classification schemes that cover the broad spectrum of subject classes and subject-specific classification schemes that carefully cover all facets of a particular subject area. Classification schemes utilize some form of notation or system of characters by which they identify the various subject classes.
ANSCR. Alpha-Numeric System for Classification of Recordings
The Alpha-Numeric System for Classification of Recordings (ANSCR) is composed of 46 major categories into which all sound recordings are organized.
BC2. Bliss Bibliographic Classification. K. G. Saur Verlag.
The Bibliographic Classification (BC2 or Bliss) is an example of a fully faceted classification scheme that is used by a few institutions. It provides a detailed classification for use in libraries and information services of all kinds, having a broad and detailed structure and order. The Bliss Classification Association (BCA) is a non-profit organization that exists to promote development and use of the Bibliographic Classification.
DDC. Dewey Decimal Classification. OCLC Forest Press.
A system of classifying library and archival materials, particularly in small and medium size libraries. In the Dewey Decimal System, the notation is expressed in Arabic numerals.
LCC. Library of Congress Classification. Library of Congress.
A system of classifying library and archival materials, particularly in larger research collections. Divides human knowledge into 20 broad categories indicated by single letters of the roman alphabet, with major subdivisions indicated by a second letter, and narrower subdivisions by decimal numbers and further alphabetic notation.
MSC. Mathematical Subject Classification
A detailed outline of the classification scheme used by the American Mathematical Society (AMS) for papers on mathematical subjects.
NLM. National Library of Medicine Classification. National Library of Medicine (U.S.)
A system of classifying library and archival materials in the field of medicine and related sciences. Designed for use in both large and small library collections. The NLM Classification is a system of mixed notation patterned after the Library of Congress Classification (LCC).
PACS. Physics and Astronomy Classification Scheme
A subject-specific, hierarchical classification scheme prepared by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) in collaboration with certain other members of the International Council on Scientific and Technical Information (ICSTI).
A system for classifying publications of the U.S. federal government, which is designed to uniquely identify, logically relate, and physically arrange each publication so that all publications of a single agency or department may be found together.
UDC. Universal Decimal Classification. UDC Consortium.
Adapted from the Dewey Decimal Classification System, the UDC is a classification scheme designed to accommodate all fields of knowledge. It has become a highly flexible and effective system, which incorporates new developments and new fields of knowledge readily.
Other Standards (Compilations)
Provides downloadable .pdf files of ISAAR(CPF): International Standard Archival Authority Record for Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families and ISAD(G): General International Standard Archival Description, 2nd ed., as well as links to the “Guidelines for the Preparation and Presentation of Finding Aids” and the “Guidelines for the Translation of Standards of the Committee on Descriptive Standards” documents.
Describes technical standards, conventions, and guidelines used by archivists in describing holdings and repositories.
Other Standards (Individual Standards)
ALA LC Romanization Tables: Transliteration Schemes For Non Roman Scripts ALA LC Romanization Tables. 1997 ed. Washington: Cataloging Distribution Service, Library of Congress.
Audio Interchange Standards. The Diffuse Project.
The list provides information on standards used to interchange audio (sound) data, from MPEG standards to WAVE and MIDI among others, funded by Information Society Technologies programme.
A conceptual framework that defines relationships between works, their creators and their subjects.
OAI-PMH. Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting.
A framework for metadata harvesting created to facilitate discovery of resources whose descriptions (metadata, catalog records) are distributed across multiple remote databases.
ODRL. The Open Digital Rights Initiative
The ODRL specification supports an extensible language and vocabulary (data dictionary) for the expression of terms and conditions over any content including permissions, constraints, obligations, conditions, and offers and agreements with rights holders. The ODRL has also been submitted to MPEG for their rights language specification. It is freely available and has no licensing requirements.
XML. Extensible Markup Language. World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
Simple, very flexible text format derived from SGML. XML is playing an increasingly important role in the exchange of a wide variety of data on the Web and elsewhere.
XrML. eXtensible Rights Markup Language
Provides a universal method for securely specifying and managing rights and conditions associated with all kinds of resources including digital content as well as services. XrML is currently being explored as the base for the rights language specification by MPEG and Open eBook Forum. XrML 2.0 is extensible and fully compliant with XML namespaces using XML schema technology.
A standard which specifies a technical protocol for searching and retrieving information from multiple remote online catalogs or other Z39.50-compliant databases regardless of the native search commands of those individual catalogs or databases. "Z39.50" refers to the numbers of the ISO and ANSI/NISO standards (ISO 23950 and ANSI/NISO Z39.50). The Library of Congress is the Maintenance Agency and Registration Authority for both standards, which are technically identical.
ZING. Z39.50 International: the Next Generation. The Library of Congress.
ZING covers a number of initiatives by Z39.50 implementors to make the intellectual/semantic content of Z39.50 more broadly available and to make Z39.50 more attractive to information providers, developers, vendors, and users, by lowering the barriers to implementation while preserving the existing intellectual contributions of Z39.50 that have accumulated over nearly 20 years.
Cataloging Tools
This is a listing of tools to aid in cataloging moving images. For information about cataloging systems and utilities, click here.
Edge Codes for the U.S., Canada, and the United Kingdom
Edge codes were symbols printed on the edge of the film stock to indicate the year of manufacture. Several resources are available on the Web.
Eastman Kodak USA Film Stock Codes
efilmcenter. The Ultimate Table of Formats--Aspect Ratios
List of gauges including years produced, size of image, and aspect ratios.
Episode lists for over 2500 TV shows containing titles and broadcast dates. A more detailed episode guide with guest stars and plot summaries can be found at TV Tome
Film Tools: Footage Calculator & Charts.
Gartenberg, Jon. 1989. FIAF Glossary of Filmographic Terms. FIAF.
Crosswalk of film credit and other terms, with indexes in English, French, German, Spanish, Russian, Swedish, Portuguese, Dutch, Italian, Czech, Hungarian, Bulgarian.
Glossarist's Film Dictionary, Film Glossary, and Film Terms Directory
Directory of film dictionaries and glossaries available on the Internet.
"This website is meant as a resource for conservators, curators, collections managers, and others who need to know the formats and types of audio materials in their collections. Since the first attempt to capture sound in a solid medium there has been a proliferation of media types and formats." NOTE: much of this site is currently under construction. While there are many useful images, many are missing identifying text.
Useful reference for titles, dates, and credit information for motion picture and television programs, but not always accurate.
Martin, Abigail Leab, ed. 2001. AMIA Compendium of Moving Image Cataloging Practice. Chicago: Society of American Archivists.
A snapshot in time of the cataloging practices of 27 diverse institutions, including historical societies, university archives, broadcast organizations, museums, and subject-specialized collections. The collections include television, film, and video, and utilize both MARC and non-MARC cataloging.
The Introduction and appendices are also available on the AMIA Web site:
Introduction [of AMIA Compendium]
Appendix A [of AMIA Compendium]
Fact sheets for participating institutions.
Appendix E [of AMIA Compendium]
Additional local guidelines and examples. A supplement to the printed volume and available online only.
More than One Hundred Years of Film Sizes
Well-illustrated chronology of film sizes including many obscure formats and projectors.
The Letterbox and Widescreen Advocacy Page. Aspect Ratios and Filming Techniques
A compilation of information about the variety of aspect ratios across film history.
UCLA Film and Television Archive. Cataloging Procedure Manual (CPM).
UCLA's local cataloging procedure manual, which utilizes a combination of AACR2R, AMIM2, LCSH, and MIM. The manual indicates which rules are applied in describing their collection of films and television programs. Contains local rules on uniform titles, supplied titles, local subject headings and genre/form terms, and terms used in the physical description of archival moving image materials, with an extensive glossary of the latter. Especially useful as a tool for institutions cataloging archival moving image materials in the MARC21 format.
Video Format Identification Guide
"This site is produced for archivists, librarians, curators and conservators who want to identify the videotapes in their collections."