Open Metadata Guidelines
Open Metadata
Metadata is the descriptive information libraries create about their books and other materials, including titles, authors, subjects, and publication details. While traditional library metadata is typically restricted to proprietary systems, open metadata is freely available for anyone to use and share without additional permissions or barriers. Making metadata openly accessible supports research, discovery, and innovation by allowing people to create new tools, research projects, and discoveries that build on existing knowledge.
The University of Washington Libraries provides open access to the metadata we create, adding restrictions only when required by legal, ethical, or contractual obligations. This approach aligns with the University’s broader commitment to open access, including the UW Faculty Senate Open Access Policy.
Available Open Metadata
The following metadata is available for use under the open license CC0 1.0 Universal Deed:
Descriptions of print and electronic books, journals, and other materials in the Libraries’ catalog.
Note: we are only able to provide records created by UW Libraries or through the Library of Congress Program for Cooperative Cataloging.
Descriptions of digital photographs, maps, newspapers, and other materials in the Libraries’ Digital Collections.
Descriptions of research papers, theses, and other scholarly works by UW faculty and students in ResearchWorks.
Datasets and vocabularies from University of Washington Libraries Semantic Web Data.
Descriptions of archival collections from the Libraries’ Special Collections.
Terms of Use
Use of the Libraries’ metadata must conform to all applicable laws and regulations in a given jurisdiction and applicable contractual restrictions, including WorldCat Rights and Responsibilities. The Libraries offers its metadata as-is and makes no representations or warranties of any kind.