Week 29: Wrapping Up

So, not much can be said of this week.  Unfortunately, the work on Vict Bib that other people were doing is not finished yet, so I cannot complete my part.   I am quite disappointed and really wish that I could have left here on a high note.  Instead of writing about what I did this week, I thought I'd wrap up this blog addressing a question that I actually have been asked multiple times by multiple people outside of the library/information science world. The question is, "what are the differences between HTML and XML?"  I have tried in many ways to answer the question, but for once and for all, I want to have my answer here. 

So, what are the main differences between HTML and XML?  (Not in any particular order)
1. HTML is static, but XML can carry data between platforms, so it is dynamic.
2. HTML has pre-defined tags, while XML is more flexible and allows the inclusion of custom tags created by the author of the document.
3. HTML is more relaxed about closing tags than XML.
4. HTML was created for design and presentation, whereas XML was originally meant to transport data between an application and a database.
5. The most important distinction is that HTML is concerned with how the data looks, but XML exists to describe the data and is concerned with presentation only if it further reveals the meaning within the data. 

So, I guess I need to write down a quick breakdown of what I have done during my time here at the DLP.

1. I have rewritten the Schematron for validating TEI-encoded Victorian Women Writers Project texts.  Through this process I have had experience with XML, XPath and quality control of electronic texts while increasing my comfort level with TEI. 

2. In collaboration with metadata experts across IU Libraries, I helped to define a core metadata set for use in the ICO and Photocat.  I developed my analysis and survey-writing skills while juggling thinking both broadly and on a small scale.  I became acquainted with MODS while mapping the Photocat fields to MODS and then later tweaking existing XSLT and drafting a new XSLT for the new core set. 

3. I was introduced to METS during the METS Navigator project.  I came to appreciate the transition and great amount of work necessary to migrate sets of data from one iteration to the next.  I did further mapping and analysis work and tried my hand at writing specifications to be turned over to programmers to create a new and improved METS Navigator 3.0 with pop-up found through finding aids. 

4. The last project, as short as my time with it was, allowed me to work with CSV files- a format I had not worked with before- and introduced me to online data extraction tools (cb2bib, text2bib).  I also came to have a greater understanding and respect for the steps necessary and the care it takes to migrate large amounts of data. 

Although I knew that working in any environment with other people demands a great deal of patience, I have to admit my patience was tried multiple times here, especially the last part of my second semester.  While I was frustrated a lot in the beginning of my internship, that was more with myself, trying to figure out Schematron.  This time, I became frustrated because I felt I had to wait a lot for people to finish their part of the project until I could do my part.  I don't blame anyone, and I understand it is just part of a working environment.  That being said, I really valued my time here and I can honestly say I've learned more than I could have by just taking classes.  I dont' know what the future holds for me, but I know I am better prepared than I was before my digital library life.