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Metadata Matters

Online training and workshops from the Iowa State University Library Metadata Services department

Let’s Get Ready to Roomba with OpenRefine!

This session will focus on the practical applications of OpenRefine for library staff, demonstrating how this tool can transform messy data into useful and consistent information.

We want to highlight that Michelle Zhai, the library’s Research Data Education Specialist, recently presented a workshop at the Catalyst titled “Dust Off Your Spreadsheets using OpenRefine.” This Metadata Matters session will complement this workshop by focusing on library metadata and providing non-MARC and MARC examples.  

Through slides and live demos, attendees will learn how OpenRefine can be used to standardize, clean, and transform metadata. Attendees will also participate in a hands-on activity, which will help them become familiar with the tool and how it works. They will be guided through a sample scenario, allowing them to practice using OpenRefine in a real-world context. 

Finally, the session will also provide attendees with additional resources to continue their learning and exploration of OpenRefine. 

Presented by Hema Thulsidhos and Heather Campbell
Tuesday, October 3, 2023, 2:00–3:00 PM

Important: Before attending this session, please download and install OpenRefine on the laptop you will bring to the session. Instructions are here: Download OpenRefine.

Note: The presentation and activities were designed for the concurrent session “Spring Cleaning Your Messy Data with OpenRefine,” presented by Hema Thulsidhos and Heather Campbell at the ILA/ACRL & IPAL Conference, May 24-25, 2023, Loras College Library, Dubuque, Iowa. In October 2023 we repurposed them for this Metadata Matters session for Iowa State University Library staff.