Future Proofing Metadata at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Abstract

The Los Alamos National Laboratory’s National Security Research Center is home to a distinct collection of technical documentation spanning the history of the laboratory. Recent current events have created a need for expedited scientific research. Access to information has been stymied by a lack of coherent metadata, generated by heavily siloed working groups managing information across disparate systems. The laboratory’s Metadata Initiative, made up of a group of library science and metadata professionals, assembled in 2023 to begin standardizing metadata across the complex. The initiative is engaged in several projects that will promote consistency across systems, driven by the adoption of the Dublin Core metadata standard, and additional in-house development of tools designed to assist both staff and user alike. Our approach, as it is presented here, may be used as a guide for other institutions working to overcome similar challenges.