Metadata Repository is a modifed version of an award-winning prototype developed as part of the Center for Technology in Government's New York State GIS Cooperative Project . The Repository is now part of the New York State GIS Clearinghouse , which is housed and operated by the New York State Library . The purpose of the Metadata Repository is to allow producers of geographic data to describe what datasets they have available and to allow users of Geographic Information Sytems to find the datasets they need. Data producers describe their datasets using the Federal Geographic Data Committee's Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata . Metadata is information about data, and the FGDC Standards specify what information should be contained in a metadata record for GIS datasets.
Users find the datasets they are looking for by conducting a search .
As a result of that search, a list of datasets will be returned. The complete metadata record for each dataset can then be viewed, so that the user can determine if the dataset is truly what they need. In some cases, a map image of the dataset can be viewed. Information about obtaining the dataset can be found in the Distribution Information Section of the metadata. In some cases, the file will be available for immediate download through ftp.