This course presents the concept, principles, and value of geospatial metadata. The content and structure of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Content Standard for Digital Spatial Metadata (CSDGM) will be provided in detail. Methods for writing quality metadata will be outlined. Students will receive hands-on metadata record creation and validation training. A variety of available software tools are introduced to the student. NCDDC’s MERMAid system will be used during this one-day workshop. Students that successfully complete this class may be eligible for the NCDDC internship.