----------------------------Original message----------------------------
At its June 8, 1994 meeting, the (US) Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC)
unanimously approved the "Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata."
Metadata, or "data about data," describe the content, quality, condition, and
other characteristics of data.
 
The FGDC invites and encourages organizations to use the standard to document
their geospatial data.  President Clinton's recent Executive Order on the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure instructs Federal agencies to use the
standard to document new geospatial data beginning in 1995, and to provide
these metadata to the public through the National Geospatial Data
Clearinghouse.
 
The objective of the standard is to provide a common set of terminology and
definitions for the documentation of digital spatial data.  The standard
establishes the names of data elements and groups of data elements to be used
for these purposes, the definitions of these data elements and groups, and
information about the values that are to be provided for the data elements.
Information about terms that are mandatory, mandatory under certain
conditions, and optional (provided at the discretion of the data provider)
also is provided by the standard.
 
 
Obtaining Copies of the Standard:
 
The standard is available by anonymous FTP from:
 
ftp://fgdc.er.usgs.gov/gdc/metadata/meta.6894.wp5 for WordPerfect 5.1 (PC/DOS)
(remember to transfer in binary/image mode!) or
 
ftp://fgdc.er.usgs.gov/gdc/metadata/meta.6894.ps for PostScript.
 
The WordPerfect file is set up for 10pt Times Roman font on an HP LaserJet 4
printer.  It can be printed using other fonts or printers, but the sections
that are sensitive to page numbers (i.e. the table of contents and list of
data elements with page numbers) will have to be regenerated.  We have
inserted codes in the file to aid efforts to regenerate the page numbers.
 
We will make ASCII text from the standard available from the site, but we do
not think that it will be as useful as the WordPerfect or PostScript versions.
 
Paper copies of the standard may be requested from the Federal Geographic Data
Committee (FGDC) Secretariat, c/o U.S. Geological Survey, 590 National
Center, Reston, Virginia 22092, USA; telephone  (703) 648-5514;
facsimile (703) 648-5755; or Internet [log in to unmask]  If you previously
received a draft of the standard from us, you will automatically receive a
copy of the final version.
 
 
Sample Uses of the Standard and Implementation of the Clearinghouse:
 
We will place sample uses of the standard in fgdc.er.usgs.gov under the
gdc/metadata directory as they become available.  We also will place
promotional items and instructional aids at this site.
 
The FGDC also is developing implementation guidelines for the clearinghouse.
The current guidelines are in the directory
ftp://fgdc.er.usgs.gov/gdc/clearinghouse/
 
 
Michael A. Domaratz
FGDC Executive Secretary
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