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Why focus on metadata classification?
In visually-based cultures where supply and demand for digital images is growing rapidly, the need for swift, efficient and cost-effective image cataloguing systems is ever increasing. Image collections, art librarians and museum curators have adopted various schemas for cataloguing visual art images, none of which have been designed specifically for cultural collections. More recent developments which are attempting to provide for cataloguing visual art images include Categories for the Description of Works of art (CDWA), VRA Core Categories, ULAN and TGN. However, these are not standardised.

What will MILE do?
MILE brings together partners who include metadata creators, technology providers and end users to establish the challenges in creating a harmonised cataloguing system by studying the problems with existing standards. This will help MILE to find solutions for better cataloguing systems. In doing so, MILE will consider guide models such as the 'Cataloguing Cultural Objects' project and MDA's SPECTRUM standard, as a means of providing a potential solution for implementing not only harmonisation across Europe's image archives, but also the maintenance of high quality and authoritative standards.