The Open Metadata Exchange (OME)

A decentralized network for sharing OER metadata across libraries

The Open Metadata Exchange (OME) is a decentralized network of participating open libraries that enables the exchange of openly licensed resource metadata. OME helps these libraries connect with one another through the network so that librarians and end users can discover, publish, and integrate resources across libraries.

OME is designed to build bridges across “islands of knowledge”, connecting disconnected information housed across libraries, while ensuring that each participating library retains local control and benefits from shared infrastructure.

Why this matters

Open Educational Resources (OER), as defined by UNESCO, are teaching, learning, and research materials that are freely accessible and openly licensed for reuse, adaptation, and redistribution. OER can include textbooks, lesson plans, datasets, simulations, videos, and audio created and maintained by governments, universities, nonprofits, and other institutions. 

Using the OME infrastructure harnesses and makes use of the curatorial expertise of librarians who have invested significant time and effort in cataloging and evaluating educational resources within individual libraries. Importantly, even when individual collections and libraries contain high quality and well-defined resources, these libraries operate in silos, which result in:

  • Duplicated efforts to discover, tag, and curate similar materials across platforms
  • Limited visibility into relevant resources held by other libraries
  • Metadata mismatches that make cross-platform cataloging cumbersome

OME addresses these challenges by making it easier for libraries to share, discover, and reuse metadata while maintaining local standards and control. 

Functioning of the OME network 

Functioning of the OME network with 2 participating libraries or “nodes” (Qubes and OER Commons) 

  • Voluntary Participation: Libraries and repositories can choose to join the OME network and become a participating “node” in the network. They independently decide what metadata they share and under what conditions.
  • Share Metadata/Resources: Participating institutions publish metadata about their resources in their preferred structure. The OME network will help map this to the metadata structures across libraries.
  • Cross-Library Discovery: Other connected libraries can search, subscribe to, and access shared metadata across the network.
  • Flexible Cataloging: Libraries can import relevant metadata and associated resources into their local systems while maintaining their own cataloging standards.
  • Decentralized, Community-Governed Network: OME operates as a decentralized system governed by a representative body of participating organizations and institutions. ISKME will steward the governance framework in the early stages, with the intention of transitioning ownership and decision-making to participating libraries as the network matures.

Why a decentralized approach

A decentralized model offers:

  • Resilience: No single point of failure
  • Scalability: The shared infrastructure has the ability to support a large number of participating institutions
  • Financial equity: Shared costs reduce burden on any one organization
  • Flexibility: Members can innovate locally while maintaining a stable connecting protocol and contributing to the OME

How can you contribute to the development of the OME

The founding partners of the OME, including ISKME, Bioquest, World Historical Gazetteer, and the Internet Archive, are inviting organizations and individuals interested in supporting and shaping this endeavor to join us. 

If you are an OER Library or Repository: 

  • Join the OME network by creating your repository specific plugin or reach out to us for a demo and support to create a plugin. We can provide guidance for standing up your own node, and would be glad to engage in detailed conversations around the ongoing technical development and operational aspects of participation in the OME. 

If you are a platforms and metadata expert: 

  • Support us in designing the interoperable metadata systems that the OME will incorporate. 

If you are a software developer or technical documentation expert:

  • Click here to explore the technical implementation of the Open Metadata Exchange which is available as an open-source code repository on GitHub, and let us know if you would like to contribute to the technical development efforts.

By joining the network, OER libraries and repositories, platforms and metadata experts, and developers will play a crucial role in building this shared infrastructure and defining the information standards for the metadata on the OME network while also benefiting from the growing ecosystem of interoperable OER platforms. The goal is to establish the OME as a community-owned initiative, where network partners play a key role in shaping the direction and governance of the OME, making operational decisions for the future of the network. 

To stay updated on the latest developments and join our open community discussions, please fill out this form to join our open forum.