The Building Blocks Of DAM

Metadata guru, David Riecks, whose Controlled Vocabulary site and associated Yahoo group is often featured on DAM News has written an article: The Building Blocks of DAM.  He outlines six major areas that are common to nearly all DAM systems and also some that are not.  These include:

• Create a record in a database for a each asset file
• Create a representation of that asset
• Record the location of the file at the time it was ingested
• Read all or specific metadata values that are embedded in the asset and copy those values to a database.
• Allow users the option to enter, replace, or append new metadata values to fields within the database.
• Allow users to perform searches

“One of the first things to understand is, “what the goal is of your particular DAM?” It’s important for those who create and maintain the DAM system know both what it is, as well as what it is not. There should be a primary goal, which should be obvious to both the users as well as those creating the system. ” [Read More]

This is a multi-part article so more advanced aspects are promised in forthcoming updates.  David is undoubtedly one of the few genuine, original DAM experts out there unlike the multitude of late-comers who are now claiming expertise in our subject.  If Createaspehere weren’t always using him as a judge for their ‘DAMMY’ awards  then he would deservedly wipe the floor with anyone else who has won or been nominated to date.

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