Implementation and evaluation of palm leaf manuscript metadata schema (PLMM)

ABSTRACT

The evaluation of Palm Leaf Manuscripts Metadata Schema (PLMM) aims to examine whether the PLMM satisfactorily meets the user requirements in searching for the PLMs and managing the PLMs collection. (1) An examination of the PLMM's capability in describing the particular characteristics of Northeastern Thai Palm Leaf Manuscripts, and its usefulness in the palm leave manuscripts preservation and rights control management (2) an investigation of users' satisfaction when using PLMM to search for the PLMs and managing the PLMs collection. The evaluation process began with the development of the prototype of PLMs management system to implement the PLMM. Then, more than 200 metadata records describing all types of sample PLMs (with variations in sizes, scripts, languages, titles, and number of content subjects contained in a fascicle) were provided in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format, while system interfaces and queries were developed with Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP). This was followed by the trials with end users and staff in their workplace in order to evaluate the usefulness of PLMM in user tasks according to the FRBR tasks: find, identify, select, and obtain; and collection development tasks. The research found that 'somewhat high' efficiency of the PLMM was perceived among the participants in the two tasks. The finding also suggests that perceived efficiency of the PLMM was significantly higher with more years of users' experience with the PLMs. The status of users is another factor which positively affected the perceived efficiency of the PLMM.

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.7 Digital Libraries
          Subjects: Standards

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.7 Digital Libraries
          Subjects: Collection

General Terms:
Experimentation, Human Factors, Standardization

Keywords:
cultural heritage, metadata schema, palm leaf manuscript