Metadata is a hot topic right now, with many individuals talking about it but few people actually wanting to implement a metadata program. Three public organizations that have implemented metadata will be utilized as case studies to review the costs, benefits, and pitfalls they have experienced in implementing a metadata program. The organizations that will be reviewed will consist of a small GIS shop for a city that manages 10-20 data sets; a mid-sized organization that is producing metadata for 20-50 data sets with multiple users of the metadata; and an enterprisewide organization that is developing, publishing, and managing metadata from multiple locations.