Proofing metadata

I have found proofing the metadata files for the exhibits to be an almost never-ending process.  It illustrates a couple of things to me. First, that you absolutely learn things as you go while you catalog items. That, of course, is a good thing. However it does create a consistency conundrum. Secondly, the devil is in the details with a large number of items. I have spent a lot of time checking the placement of commas. (And yet, I still feel like I’ve missed some out there!)

Looking back on the process, I think a style sheet would be an efficient way to streamline the process. The task of maintaining consistency is time consuming. I makes me wonder about large scale projects where many people are inputting metadata on one collection. The quality control issue is a big part of the workflow.