The process by which software can collect metadata packages from remote locations. By metadata harvesting it is meant the harvest of metadata records from data provider to gather metadata for query results or index creation. In the context of the Open Archive Initiative (OAI), the Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) defines a mechanism for harvesting XML-formatted metadata from repositories - where repositories function as data providers that support the OAI-PMH as a means of exposing metadata, while service providers use metadata harvested via the OAI-PMH as a basis for building value-added services.
OAI-PMH is Europeana's preferred method of capturing metadata from data providers or metadata aggregators.
Explore further the Linked Heritage learning object: MINT Services.
See also: Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH)
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