Creating metadata that works for digital libraries and Google

For many years metadata has been recognised as a significant component of the digital information environment. Substantial work has gone into creating complex metadata schemes for describing digital content. Yet increasingly Web search engines, and Google in particular, are the primary means of discovering and selecting digital resources, although they make little use of metadata. This article considers how digital libraries can gain more value from their metadata by adapting it for Google users, while still following well-established principles and standards for cataloguing and digital preservation. It introduces the concepts of functional and variable metadata, and explains why they may be of value to users and managers of digital libraries that rely on Web searching as a significant means of resource discovery.