DPUB general: The Metadata Handbook

Hi Everyone -

Per one of my recent DPUB telecon takeaways, I’ve had a chance to circle back and talk to Renee Register and Thad McIlroy – authors of the Metadata Handbook (which can be found here: http://themetadatahandbook.com/)

If you remember, I mentioned that the Metadata Handbook might be of interest to members of the group who are not as familiar with the intricacies of book publishing metadata as people who either work with this metadata on a daily basis, or work for a publishing company that has to deal with this metadata on a daily basis.

To this end, Thad and Renee have graciously offered to provide up to 10 free eBook (your choice of PDF, EPUB 3, or KF8) copies of the Metadata Handbook to members of the Digital Publishing Interest Group on a first come first serve basis, and a 25% discount on the Metadata Handbook to members of the W3C as a whole.

Further, Renee provided an update on the status of international versions of the Metadata Handbook in progress:

 *   A contract has been signed for a Turkish translation
 *   A French translation is in the works
 *   A revised version of the original Metadata Handbook will be published in early 2014
 *   There is a strong possibility that a smaller Metadata Handbook specific to digital publishing will be published in 2014, as well. This manual will include an expanded section specific to EPUB 3 metadata options.

At this point, I think the group will do fine with copies of the original Metadata Handbook, because the reference covers the complexity of the different metadata systems in place in the United States and Canada alone. This is a good starting point for everyone in the group to consider when we talk about identifiers and other aspects of publishing digital content.

Please let me know if you are interested in taking up Thad and Renee on their generous offer. I will keep track of names and numbers, which I will then hand over to Renee so she can arrange for provisioning.

Thanks!

Jean Kaplansky
Solutions Architect
Aptara, Inc.
Email: jean.kaplansky@aptaracorp.com<mailto:jean.kaplansky@aptaracorp.com>
Skype: JeanKaplansky
Mobile: 518 487 9670

[cid:B035D4DD-1FEC-49F3-97CC-73127A28C50B]