Judy Hermann, past president of the ASMP, has an article about managing your metadata with part one and part two.
"Whether you’re managing a complex archive of images from a wide variety of sources, or simply trying to stay on top of your best family photos, applying and using metadata—often described as “data about data”—will make a huge difference in your ability to find specific images quickly and easily. It will also enable people who come across your files to find vital information such as who created the image and when and where it was created.
Metadata is a powerful tool, and software developers are rapidly designing improved methods for entering, viewing and searching metadata. This two-part series will help you understand what metadata is, why it’s important, and how you can best approach it depending on your goals. It will also provide you with some resources for getting more detailed explanations for your specific needs."
