The purpose of this article is to focus on the approaches to metadata pursued by North Carolina's Exploring Cultural Heritage Online (NC ECHO), a statewide digitization project. Metadata forms the cornerstone to the project and serves as a vehicle to meet the vision of all‐inclusive access to the state's unique cultural and historical resources.
The article begins with a description of the cultural heritage institution landscape in North Carolina and a discussion of that landscape within the framework of metadata challenges. Four distinct but interrelated approaches are then discussed in the context of the project's missions and goals: working groups, “metadata first”, training and outreach, and “Seek a Metadata Consultation”.
The described approach demonstrates a commitment to communication, facilitation, and empowerment that is fundamental to the overall mission of NC ECHO: to provide access to the state's cultural heritage materials through an online portal.
The article provides a discussion of the importance of marketing, approval, coordination, and participation in the context of these metadata solutions.
