Images, metadata, databases

The article discusses the possibilities and gives examples of using MARC records with related URLs as a method of organising a library's electronic collection. The MARC records may be very simple, providing only the few most important access points, or may contain many names, geographical names and other subject entries to the electronic document they are describing, thus creating a sophisticated search tool even to electronic libraries stored in picture files. The MARC records may become part of the library's general catalogue or may form a separate database. In the latter case it is possible to create special indexes according to the needs of the material in the electronic collection. Trying to make use of the potentials of detailed MARC coding may spare us the effort of converting our picture files into xml coded text.