Developing a Metadata Best Practices Model: The Experience of the Colorado State University Libraries By: Patricia J. Rettig Shu Liu Nancy Hunter Allison V. Level Abstract: The Metadata Best Practices Task Force at the Colorado State University (CSU) Libraries developed a core set of metadata elements and an accompanying data dictionary to facilitate a coordinated metadata management approach for a central digital repository of diverse digital objects. This article describes the rationale for the Task Force and the process used for its work following a look at the background of digitization and past metadata practices at CSU. The article includes a literature review on institutional metadata projects and examples, and it ends with a description of the Task Force’s ongoing work and plans for future assessment. Keywords: Colorado State University Libraries, CSU, data dictionary, digital projects, metadata best practice, Metadata Best Practices Task Force © 2008 by The Haworth Press, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC, Philadelphia, Penn. Journal of Library Metadata, Vol. 8(4) 2008 Available online at http://jlm.haworthpress.com Article copies available from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: docdeliver@haworthpress.com URL: http://www.HaworthPress.com doi: 10.1080/19386380802656371 All rights reserved.