Would you like to get involved with the Metadata Technical Standards Review Group (METATEC)? Here’s how:

  1. Explore our Projects and initiatives webpage – contact our Chair
  2. Check out the IFLA Namespaces, which is maintained by METATEC
  3. Learn how to become a Member – consult the IFLA elections page

To keep up to date with the latest from METATEC, follow our newsfeed.

METATEC Terms of Reference

The Review Group has the responsibility to coordinate and support the publishing of IFLA Metadata Standards. METATEC:

  • Coordinates the development and publishing of metadata standards by IFLA units on the IFLA Namespaces website technical infrastructure
  • Develops and promotes guidelines for the efficient and effective management of IFLA metadata standards in the IFLA Namespaces
  • Develops training materials for units wishing to publish their standards in the Namespace
  • Oversees the maintenance of the infrastructure to support the efficient and effective management of IFLA Namespaces
  • Supports the Advisory Committee on Standards in areas of publishing metadata standards, linked data and the Semantic Web
  • Acts as liaison with non-IFLA groups involved in the organisation of information as linked data in the Semantic Web and the published metadata standards
  • Promotes and makes more visible the IFLA metadata standards, the IFLA Namespaces and encourages their use in all appropriate communities

Members should be able to demonstrate: 

  • expertise, experience and interest in the area of metadata standards, linked data and the Semantic Web
  • proven ability to contribute meaningfully as part of a committee, in order to develop work that supports the wider library field 
  • willingness and ability to devote time and energy to the role – this is usually a few hours per month 
  • time allowance to prepare and attend meetings of the Committee throughout the year
  • an ability to act with respect, trust, confidentiality and transparency and recognize the need to protect personal and privileged information. Members must declare any conflicts of interest and abstain from discussions where they have a conflict or potential conflict of interest 

Membership

  • At least 6 and up to 12 members
  • Technical support team
  • Liaisons from each Review Group (BCM, ISBD, UNIMARC) or standard represented in the IFLA Namespaces platform

A Chair is selected from among the members by the members. The term of office of the Chair is two years, renewable. The role of the Chair is to coordinate the work of the Review Group and serve as liaison to the Advisory Committee on Standards. The Chair reports regularly at Advisory Committee on Standards meetings.

METATEC Meetings

Review Group working meetings are held online as needed throughout the year to progress projects.

The Review Group holds an open meeting during the IFLA World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) in August each year.

METATEC participates in and reports at the Advisory Committee on Standards Open Sessions during WLIC.

Minutes of meetings and reports

  • 20 August 2025, Astana, Kazakhstan
  • 18 March 2025, Athens, Greece, joint meeting of the Advisory Committee on Standards and Review Groups – Minutes
  • 24 August 2023, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • 28 July 2022, Dublin, Ireland – Minutes
  • 27 August 2019, Athens, Greece – Minutes
  • 29 August 2018, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Minutes
  • 24 August 2017, Wrocław, Poland – Minutes
  • 18 August 2016, Columbus, Ohio, USA – Minutes
  • 19 August 2015, Cape Town, South Africa. Inaugural meeting – Notes

From 2009 to 2015, the IFLA Namespaces Task/Technical Group, reporting to the Subject Analysis and Access Section, developed the initial requirements for IFLA’s namespaces.

Past Committee Members

2024-2025 METATEC

Chair: Joseph Hafner, York University Library, Canada

  • Robin Dresel, National Library Board, Singapore
  • Scott Goldstein, McGill University Library, Canada
  • Nancy Lorimer, Stanford University Library, USA
  • Jeff Mixter, OCLC, USA
  • Renate Behrens, German National Library, Germany (liaison from the ISBD Review Group)
  • Daniel Paradis, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, Canada (Expert Advisor)

      IT Support Team

  • Metadata Management Associates, Jon Phipps and Diane Hillman

2023-2024 LIDATEC

Chair: Joseph Hafner, McGill University Library, Canada

  • Robin Dresel, National Library Board, Singapore
  • Nancy Lorimer, Stanford University Library, USA
  • Jeff Mixter, OCLC, USA
  • Li Qian, National Science Library of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
  • Mélanie Roche, Bibliothèque nationale de France, France (liaison)

      IT Support Team

  • Metadata Management Associates, Jon Phipps and Diane Hillman

2021-2023 LIDATEC

Chair: Joseph Hafner, McGill University Library, Canada

  • Eder Áliva Barrientos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
  • Anders Cato, Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, Denmark
  • Nancy Lorimer, Stanford University, USA
  • Rehab Ouf, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt (liaison from the ISBD Review Group)
  • Mélanie Roche, Bibliothèque nationale de France, France (liaison from the BCM Review Group)

2019-2021 Linked Data Technical Subcommittee

Chair: Joseph Hafner, McGill University Library, Canada

  • Getaneh Alemu, Southampton Solent University, UK
  • Anders Cato, Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, Denmark
  • Haliza Jailani, National Library Board Singapore, Singapore
  • Ana Vukadin, National and University Library in Zagreb, Croatia
  • Gordon Dunsire, Independent Consultant, UK (liaison from the Permanent UNIMARC Committee)
  • Rehab Ouf, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt (liaison from the Committee on Standards)
  • Mélanie Roche, Bibliothèque nationale de France, France (liaison from the Bibliographic Conceptual Models Review Group)

2017-2019 Linked Data Technical Subcommittee

Chair: Anders Cato, Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces, Denmark

  • Getaneh Alemu, Southampton Solent University, UK
  • Gordon Dunsire, Independent Consultant, UK
  • Joseph Hafner, McGill University Library, Canada
  • Haliza Jailani, National Library Board Singapore, Singapore
  • Ana Vukadin, National and University Library in Zagreb, Croatia
  • Rehab Ouf, Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt (liaison from the Committee on Standards)
  • Mélanie Roche, Bibliothèque nationale de France, France (liaison from the ISBD Review Group)

2015-2017 Linked Data Technical Subcommittee

Chair: Lars Svensson, German National Library, Germany

  • Uldis Bojars, Latvia
  • Gordon Dunsire, Independent Consultant, UK
  • Shawky Salem, Egypt
  • Mirna Willer, University of Zagreb, Croatia
  • Abraham Azubuike, United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Library, New York (liaison from the Committee on Standards)