DSpace METS Document Profile for Archive Information Packages (AIP)

Robert Wolfe, MIT Libraries

Acknowledgements

This document was prepared with the assistance of:

MacKenzie Smith, MIT Libraries
Larry Stone, MIT Libraries

Introduction

Reference Model for Open Archives Information Systems (OAIS)

DSpace at MIT has implemented the Reference Model for Open Archival Information Systems (OAIS) http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/nost/wwwclassic/documents/pdf/CCSDS-650.0-B-1.pdf. DSpace's implementation has identified a need to prepare a METS profile or profiles that will govern the creation of the three types of content "packages" defined by the reference model.

This profile is intended to provide a complete definition of the METS document that is prepared by the AipPrototype. The purpose of the METS AIP document is to capture all the necessary information to describe one archival object in DSpace: Item, Collection or Community. The METS document defined in this document functions as an internal AIP. External AIPs are zip files that include the METS document and all the files and metadata it describes. These external AIPs are logically self-contained and can be used to provide data security for a DSpace installation by providing the ability to restore content when the RDBMS suffers catastrophic loss. In contrast to SIPs and DIPs the AIP contains all available structural and technical metadata, and may contain available provenance (history system metadata) and policy metadata.

DSpace Content Object Model

Only Communities, Collections and Items are archival objects recorded as METS Documents.

DSpace Intermediate Metadata

Item Technical Metadata

Bitstream Technical Metadata

History System Metadata

Policy System Metadata