OAI – Open Archives Initiative

OAI-PMH – Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting . A protocol specification that enhances the description of resources (digital but also non digital) on the web. It does allow exchange and diffusion of metadata but not of digital object.

OCLC – Online Computer Library Center

ONIX – Online Information Exchange

Online public access catalogue (OPAC) – An acronym for online public access catalogue, a database composed of bibliographic records describing the books and other materials owned by a library or library system, accessible via public terminals or workstations usually concentrated near the reference desk to make it easy for users to request the assistance of a trained reference librarian. Most online catalogues are searchable by author, title, subject, and keywords and allow users to print, download, or export records to an e-mail account. (Reitz, 2004, p. 501)

OWL – Web Ontology Language

PADI – Preserving Access to Digital Information. Research overview of work done in preservation metadata in the library community (dated Feb 2003). Essential to ensuring long-term accessibility is the development of structured ways to describe and record information needed to manage the preservation of digital resources. This is commonly called preservation metadata. Preservation metadata is intended to store technical details on the format, structure and use of the digital content, the history of all actions performed on the resource including changes and decisions, the authenticity information such as technical features or custody history, and the responsibilities and rights information applicable to preservation actions.

PDF – Portable Document Format

Persistent identifier – A persistent identifier is a code that identifies a digital resource (document, object or bibliographic record) without any ambiguity and that can be cited for information retrieval in the long term. Even if the resource moves within the information system, the persistent identifier still remains the same thanks to a resolver system making a permanent correspondence between the identifier publicly known and the physical current address in the system. 

PREMIS – PREservation Metadata Implementation Strategies

Publisher – A person or corporate entity that prepares and issues printed materials for public sale or distribution, normally on the basis of a legal contract in which the publisher is granted certain exclusive rights in exchange for assuming the financial risk of publication and agreeing to compensate the author, usually with a share of the profits. (Reitz, 2004, p. 579)

PURL – Persistent Uniform Resource Locator

RAK – Regeln fur die alphabetische Katalogisierung = Rules for Alphabetical Cataloguing 

RDA – Resource Description and Access. RDA is the successor to the AACR2 (Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, 2nd edition). The Joint Steering Committee is the body responsible for developing RDA. RDA evolved out of a desire to modernize AACR2 for the digital world of the 21st century, reorganize the rules for more consistency, make the rules more international, and appeal to other metadata communities outside the library world in order to facilitate better exchange of data with providers and users of information resources in all formats. RDA is designed to be a Web-based tool, but it is also available in a print version. RDA was published in the RDA Toolkit in June 2010.

RDF – Resource Description Framework

Resource Description and Access, see RDA

Resource Description and Classification – A collection of references on matters of Subject Classification, Taxonomies, Ontologies, Indexing, Metadata, Metadata Registries, Controlled Vocabularies, Terminology, Thesauri, Business Semantics. The collection is based upon links and cribbings from various resources on the Internet. An unfinished and non-authoritative reference document. The references cited in this document are only incidentally related to XML; the survey was conducted in connection with work on the OASIS Registry and Repository Technical Committee (Fall 1999/Spring 2000).

RFC – Request for Comments

Role of classification schemes in internet resource description and discovery Classification schemes have a role in aiding information retrieval in a network environment, especially for providing browsing structures for subject-based information gateways on the Internet. Advantages of using classification schemes include improved subject browsing facilities, potential multi-lingual access and improved interoperability with other services. Classification schemes vary in scope and methodology, but can be divided into universal, national general, subject specific and home-grown schemes. What type of scheme is used, however, will depend upon the size and scope of the service being designed. A study is made of classification schemes currently used in Internet search and discovery services, particular reference being given to the following schemes: Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC); Universal Decimal Classification (UDC); Library of Congress Classification (LCC); Nederlandse Basisclassificatie (BC); Sveriges Allmäma Biblioteksförening (SAB); Iconclass; National Library of Medicine (NLM); Engineering Information (Ei); Mathematics Subject Classification (MSC) and the ACM Computing Classification System (CCS). Projects which attempt to apply classification in automated services are also described including the Nordic WAIS/WWW Project, Project GERHARD and Project Scorpion.

RSS – Really Simple Syndication or RDF Site Summary