Participants in VIA contribute their locally created cataloging in a common metadata format. Because VIA serves as a union catalog for many institutions with different kinds of visual materials and different research perspectives, the data elements in the VIA metadata format are more general than those in the contributors' local data. The OLIVIA support team can help new contributors determine how to map their existing data into the VIA format.
The metadata format defined by the VIA Access Working Group draws upon many nascent standards, particularly the Visual Resources Association Core Categories. XML is used as the transport syntax, and the VIA DTD and associated files are available from the Harvard University Library Office for Information Systems. The relationship of VIA metadata to existing standards is explained in The Development and Context of VIA Metadata Standards.
Introduction
The use of consistent terminology in cataloging data significantly improves the precision and comprehensiveness of retrieval. Repositories that are participating or planning to participate in VIA use a wide variety of controlled vocabularies in their local systems. Among the challenges of VIA will be determining how and where the use of consistent terminology across repositories can be encouraged, how vocabulary might be standardized during the process of loading data into the system, and what online functions might be developed to help users negotiate across vocabularies where necessary.
The VIA Data Element list includes subelements where the source of the vocabulary used in the element can be specified. Any automated ways of standardizing terminology or guiding users through alternatives will certainly make use of such information. Contributing repositories are encouraged to supply a consistent code denoting the source vocabulary for a term when they know which vocabulary was used.
The VIA Access Working Group surveyed the community to determine which vocabularies or other sources of terminology were in use. The table below summarizes the results of that survey, showing for each controlled data element codes for the vocabularies in use and the repositories using the vocabulary in that data element. New contributors to VIA should use these vocabulary codes where applicable, and register previously unused vocabularies to be added to this list.
Controlled vocabulary in use
| VIA Data Element / Source code | Repositories using this source |
|---|---|
| Creator | |
| AACR2 | SCGSD; SL |
| Avery | VRGSD |
| GEH | P&GA; SL |
| HOLLIS | FAL; JC; SL; VRGSD |
| LC | FAL; JC; P&GA; PIRC; SL |
| Local | FAL; HUAM; PIRC; VRGSD |
| OCLC | VRGSD |
| ULAN | HUAM; SL; VRGSD |
| Personal name | |
| AACR2 | SCGSD; SL |
| Avery | VRGSD |
| HOLLIS | FAL; JC; SL; VRGSD |
| LC | FAL; JC; P&GA; PIRC; SL |
| Local | FAL; HUAM; PIRC; VRGSD |
| OCLC | VRGSD |
| ULAN | HUAM; SL; VRGSD |
| Corporate name | |
| AACR2 | SCGSD; SL |
| Avery | VRGSD |
| GEH | P&GA; SL |
| HOLLIS | FAL; JC; SL; VRGSD |
| LC | FAL; JC; P&GA; PIRC; SL |
| Local | FAL; HUAM; PIRC; VRGSD |
| OCLC | VRGSD |
| Place name (subject) | |
| AAT | HUAM; SCGSD; SL |
| HOLLIS | FAL; JC; SL; VRGSD |
| LC | FAL; JC; P&GA; PIRC; SCGSD; SL |
| Local | FAL; HUAM |
| TGN | HUAM; SL; VRGSD |
| Topics | |
| AAT | FAL; HUAM; P&GA; PIRC; SCSGD; SL; VRGSD |
| HOLLIS | JC; SL |
| LC | FAL; JC; PIRC; SCGSD; SL; VRGSD |
| Local | FAL; HUAM |
| Style / period | |
| AAT | FAL; HUAM; PIRC; SCGSD; SL; VRGSD |
| HOLLIS | JC; SL |
| LC | FAL; JC; SCGSD; SL |
| Local | FAL; HUAM |
| Nationality / culture | |
AAT |
FAL; HUAM; PIRC; SCGSD; SL; VRGSD |
| HOLLIS | JC; SL |
| LC | FAL; JC; SCGSD; SL |
| Local | FAL; HUAM |
| Location (e.g., where the object was found) | |
| AAT | HUAM; SCGSD; SL |
| HOLLIS | FAL; JC; SL; VRGSD |
| LC | FAL; JC; PIRC; SCGSD; SL |
| Local | FAL; HUAM |
| TGN | HUAM; SL; VRGSD |
Glossary
AAT. Art and Architecture Thesaurus
Avery. Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
FAL. Fine Arts Library, Visual Collections
GEH. George Eastman House Photographers database
HOLLIS. HOLLIS
HUAM. Harvard University Art Museums
JC. Harvard College Library, Judaica Collection
LC. Library of Congress: Subject Headings, Name Authority File or Graphic Thesaurus
LOCAL. Local sources, identified below.
OCLC . OCLC
P&GA. Houghton Library, Department of Printing and Graphic Arts
PIRC. Harvard Planning and Real Estate, Property Information Resource Center
SCGSD. Frances Loeb Library Special Collections Department, GSD
SL. Schlesinger Library
TGN. Thesaurus of Geographic Names
ULAN. Union List of Artists Names
VRGSD. Frances Loeb Library Visual Resoures Department, GSD
Local sources
Benezit. HUAM
Bosworth: the New Islamic Dynasties. FAL
Cambridge History of Iran. FAL
Dictionary of Art. VRGSD
Directory of American Artists. HUAM
Encyclopaedia of Islam. FAL
Encyclopaedia Iranica. FAL
Macmillan/Grove Dictionary of Art. FAL; VRGSD
ProFile. VRGSD
Thieme-Becker. HUAM
Times Atlas. FAL
Webster's new geographical dictionary. HUAM
Who was who in American art. HUAM