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Add a custom metadata property

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Learn how to add a custom metadata property in CONTENTdm (new version).

 Roles: Users with the Administrator or Collection manager role can add custom metadata properties.  Refer to CONTENTdm (new version) roles. 

 Note: Every instance of CONTENTdm (new version) includes a set of managed properties, such as Title and Description. You add custom properties to meet the needs of your collections. For more information about the differences, refer to About metadata properties.

To add a custom metadata property from the Metadata properties screen:

  1. Select Add property.
  2. Enter the Property name.
  3. Select a Definition from the drop-down list. The definition describes what the property means and maps it to Dublin Core and WorldCat ontology terms. If none of the definitions apply, select None. Refer to Definitions for a complete list of all available definitions.
  4. (Optional) Select a constraint from the Constraints drop-down list to limit the values that can be entered in the property. The constraints available depend on the definition you selected in step 3.
    • Vocabulary: The property is constrained to a specific controlled vocabulary. 
      • Select the vocabulary from the Vocabulary options drop-down list. Refer to Manage vocabularies for more information. 
      • If the property is constrained by more than one vocabulary, results from the first selected vocabulary will be displayed first.
    • Date: The property only accepts dates. This constraint is available only when you select Date (ISO 8601) or Date (text) as the definition.
    • If you do not select a constraint, the property is a text entry field.
  5. Determine whether the property should be required.
    • If Required is toggled on, the property will be required every time it is used in a template. If the property appears in multiple templates, it will be required. 
  6. Determine whether the property should be Publicly viewable.
  7. Determine whether the property should be searchable.
    • Each instance of CONTENTdm (new version) has a limit on the number of searchable custom properties. If you have reached the limit, you cannot save a new property as searchable. Toggle off Searchable on the new property, or on another custom property of the same type, and then save. Refer to Searchable property limits for more information.
  8. Click Save.

 Note:

  • An All Metadata Properties template is automatically created in your instance of CONTENTdm (new version). Every time you add a property, it automatically appears in this template. You do not need to add it again.
  • On a metadata template, you can change the Required and Constraints settings for a property. The Property name, Definition, Publicly viewable, and Searchable settings are set on the Metadata properties screen and cannot be changed on a template. Refer to Metadata templates for more information.