Book excerpt: Cultural heritage professionals have high levels of training in metadata. However, the institutions in which they practice often depend on support staff, volunteers, and students in order to function. With limited time and funding for training in metadata creation for digital collections, there are often many questions about metadata without a reliable, direct source for answers. The Metadata Manual provides such a resource, answering basic metadata questions that may appear, and exploring metadata from a beginner's perspective. This title covers metadata basics, XML basics, Dublin Core, VRA Core, and CDWA schemes and provides exercise in the creation of metadata. Finally, the book gives an overview of metadata, including mapping and sharing. - Outlines the most popular metadata schema written by practicing metadata librarians - Focuses on what you "need to know - Does not require coding experience to use and understand