What is METS used for in digital archiving?

METS, which stands for Metadata Encoding and Transmission Standard, is specifically designed to package and encode descriptive, administrative, and structural metadata for digital objects. By providing a standardized approach, METS allows institutions and individuals to describe the attributes of digital content in a consistent manner. This facilitates better management and preservation of digital resources, making it easier to share and navigate complex digital objects or collections.

The primary goal of METS is to bring together various types of metadata that are essential for the proper identification, description, organization, and preservation of digital materials. These include information about the digital content itself, its creation, copyright, and how the content is organized or structured within a digital environment. This framework supports the long-term preservation of digital assets and enhances accessibility.

The other choices do not align with the primary function of METS. For instance, while encoding video files and storing large volumes of data are important aspects of digital media management, they fall outside the specific intent of METS. Similarly, while high-resolution image transmission may involve metadata, METS is not fundamentally used for the transmission of images but rather for organizing metadata that describes their characteristics.