Columbia's objectives in creating a 'Digital Library Data Dictionary' and Record Interface Format are:

• to specify a standard, recognized set of metadata elements that can used broadly for digital library projects in academic and research libraries
  
  
• to stabilize element naming across projects to support integrated access and retrieval of a wide range of digital library resources
  
  
• to build on existing data dictionaries & element sets, notably USMARC and Dublin Core
  
  
• to allow for the flexible extension of the element set as needed
  
  
• to allow for the retention and transmission of hierachical and version-related data in a flat-file format
  
  
• to allow for the retention and transmission of structural metadata elements in a flat-file format
  
  
• to facilitate the loading and manipulation of metadata in relational or object-oriented databases while preserving essential data relationships
  
  
• to minimize the amount of analysis and programming required for creating, using & sharing metadata files.