Class 4

I have to admit, I am still confused on the inner workings of databases. I appreciated there are differences among the forms of databases and their basic differences. But I was unable to think of examples that would show the different models. The Wikipedia article made it seem as if the relational model was the most common model. It is hard for me to move this explanation of a database to a database I am familiar with such as ProQuest. I don't see the column structure or hierarchical structure. I must be missing an aspect of the database understanding. I think the database is amazing and is such an useful tool. I would appreciate having it explained in simpler terms.

Reading the article by Gilliard on Metadata was a pleasure to read. I found the article easy to follow and regenerated my appreciation for the behind the scenes work that is done by librarians and other professionals to maintain materials and make them legitimate sources. It is incredible to me that so much information can exist about a work, and most not even be seen or noticed. I was especially struck by Gilliard's comment on the importance of keeping metadata standards, which then allow the works to be converted or saved to different formats and programs if need be. When we talk about preservation and the longevity of different storage devices, this performance of metadata would be very important.

Unfortunately, I was having difficulty getting the Dublin Core article to open, but I hope to get a chance to look at writing as well.

For week 4, I commented on Analog Failure? and Technology Chat. See Blog list at right.