This new and updated second edition of a classic text provides a thought provoking introduction to metadata for all library and information students and professionals. Metadata for Information Management and Retrieval has been fully revised to bring it up to date with new technologies and standards. It builds on the concept of metadata through an exploration of its purposes and uses as well as considering the main aspects of metadata management. This new edition, containing new chapters on 'Very Large Data Collections' and the 'Politics and Ethics of Metadata', assesses the current theory and practice of metadata and examines key developments in terms of both policy and technology. Coverage includes: defining, describing and expressing metadata data modelling metadata and information retrieval big data, linked data, open data repositories, social media and research data collections metadata in information governance: compliance, risk and information security managing intellectual property rights the politics of metadata: ethics, power and money. This book is essential reading for library and information students at undergraduate and postgraduate level and will also be useful reading for LIS professionals looking for an accessible introduction to metadata.