Findings are reported from four projects initiated through funding by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation in 2001 to explore applications of metadata harvesting using the OAI-PMH. Metadata inconsistencies among providers have been encountered and strategies for normalization have been studied. Additional findings concerning harvesting are format conflicts, harvesting problems, provider system development, and questions regarding the entire cycle of metadata production, dissemination, and use (termed metadata gardening, rather than harvesting).
In accordance with the grant proposal submitted to and approved by the Andrew W.
Mellon Foundation, the project staff at AmericanSouth.org is to “coordinate specific
evaluations of AmericanSouth.org from the perspectives of … scholars and other users.” The types of testing to be conducted were specified as including “evaluation
and usability studies.”