METADATA: THE KEY TO THE PRESERVATION AND DISSEMINATION OF SPATIAL DATA

The preservation and dissemination of digital research data has become a hot topic among the university research co mmunity. Of particular concern is the availability of GIS spatial data. Often the biggest roadblock to making GIS data available is that the creator of the project either does not have the time or the skills to create the metadata, a crucial component to making spatial data retrievable from GIS data portals. This paper describes how the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries (UNL Libraries), as part of its GIS program, has stepped in to help its campus community develop and distribute FGDC/ISO compliant metadata through the UNL Libraries\u27 catalog, as well as state, regional and national GIS metadata portals