diff --git a/examples/metadata.rs b/examples/metadata.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4cd71397
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/metadata.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+extern crate gdal;
+
+fn main() {
+    use std::path::Path;
+    use gdal::raster::dataset::Dataset;
+    use gdal::metadata::Metadata;
+
+    let driver = gdal::raster::driver::Driver::get("mem").unwrap();
+    println!("driver description: {:?}", driver.get_description());
+
+    let path = Path::new("./fixtures/tinymarble.png");
+    let dataset = Dataset::open(path).unwrap();
+    println!("dataset description: {:?}", dataset.get_description());
+
+    let key = "INTERLEAVE";
+    let domain = "IMAGE_STRUCTURE";
+    let meta = dataset.get_metadata_item(key, domain);
+    println!("domain: {:?} key: {:?} -> value: {:?}", domain, key, meta);
+
+}
diff --git a/src/gdal_major_object.rs b/src/gdal_major_object.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c59b99da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/gdal_major_object.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+use libc::{c_void};
+
+pub trait MajorObject {
+    unsafe fn get_gdal_object_ptr(&self) -> *const c_void;
+}
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 65c3cece..9c5dcbf8 100644
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -20,12 +20,15 @@
 #![crate_name="gdal"]
 #![crate_type="lib"]
 
+
 extern crate libc;
 extern crate geo;
 
 pub use version::version_info;
 
 mod utils;
+mod gdal_major_object;
+pub mod metadata;
 pub mod version;
 pub mod raster;
 pub mod vector;
diff --git a/src/metadata.rs b/src/metadata.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d63f9bd2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/metadata.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,50 @@
+use libc::{c_char, c_void, c_int};
+use utils::{_string};
+use std::ffi::{CString};
+use gdal_major_object::MajorObject;
+
+#[link(name="gdal")]
+extern {
+    fn GDALGetDescription(hGdalMayorObject: *const c_void) -> *const c_char;
+    fn GDALGetMetadataItem(hGdalMayorObject: *const c_void, pszName: *const c_char, pszDomain: *const c_char) -> *const c_char;
+    fn GDALSetMetadataItem(hGdalMayorObject: *const c_void, pszName: *const c_char, pszValue: *const c_char, pszDomain: *const c_char ) -> c_int;
+}
+
+pub trait Metadata: MajorObject {
+
+    fn get_description(&self) -> Option<String>{
+        let c_res = unsafe { GDALGetDescription(self.get_gdal_object_ptr())};
+        if c_res.is_null() {
+            None
+        } else {
+             Some(_string(c_res))
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn get_metadata_item(&self, key: &str, domain: &str) -> Option<String> {
+        if let Ok(c_key) = CString::new(key.to_owned()) {
+            if let Ok(c_domain) = CString::new(domain.to_owned()){
+                let c_res = unsafe { GDALGetMetadataItem(self.get_gdal_object_ptr(), c_key.as_ptr(), c_domain.as_ptr())};
+                if !c_res.is_null() {
+                    return Some(_string(c_res));
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        None
+    }
+
+    fn set_metadata_item(&mut self, key: &str, value: &str, domain: &str) -> Result<(), ()> {
+        if let Ok(c_key) = CString::new(key.to_owned()){
+            if let Ok(c_domain) = CString::new(domain.to_owned()){
+                if let Ok(c_value) =  CString::new(value.to_owned()){
+                    let c_res = unsafe { GDALSetMetadataItem(self.get_gdal_object_ptr(), c_key.as_ptr(), c_value.as_ptr(), c_domain.as_ptr())};
+                    if c_res == 0 {
+                        return Ok(());
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        Err(())
+    }
+
+}
diff --git a/src/raster/dataset.rs b/src/raster/dataset.rs
index ded78ed3..8bb2f405 100644
--- a/src/raster/dataset.rs
+++ b/src/raster/dataset.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ use raster::{gdal, Driver};
 use raster::driver::_register_drivers;
 use raster::gdal_enums::{GDALRWFlag, GDALAccess, GDALDataType};
 use raster::types::GdalType;
+use gdal_major_object::MajorObject;
+use metadata::Metadata;
 
 pub type GeoTransform = [c_double; 6];
 
@@ -13,6 +15,14 @@ pub struct Dataset {
     c_dataset: *const c_void,
 }
 
+impl MajorObject for Dataset {
+    unsafe fn get_gdal_object_ptr(&self) -> *const c_void {
+        self.c_dataset
+    }
+}
+
+impl Metadata for Dataset {}
+
 
 impl Drop for Dataset {
     fn drop(&mut self) {
diff --git a/src/raster/driver.rs b/src/raster/driver.rs
index ce7839da..e659d9f5 100644
--- a/src/raster/driver.rs
+++ b/src/raster/driver.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ use std::sync::{Once, ONCE_INIT};
 use utils::_string;
 use raster::{gdal, Dataset};
 use raster::types::GdalType;
+use gdal_major_object::MajorObject;
+use metadata::Metadata;
 
 
 static START: Once = ONCE_INIT;
@@ -93,3 +95,11 @@ impl Driver {
         };
     }
 }
+
+impl MajorObject for Driver {
+    unsafe fn get_gdal_object_ptr(&self) -> *const c_void {
+        return self.c_driver;
+    }
+}
+
+impl Metadata for Driver {}
diff --git a/src/raster/tests.rs b/src/raster/tests.rs
index d17f0b20..84fb211b 100644
--- a/src/raster/tests.rs
+++ b/src/raster/tests.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 use std::path::Path;
 use super::{ByteBuffer, Driver, Dataset};
 use super::gdal_enums::{GDALDataType};
+use metadata::Metadata;
 
 
 macro_rules! fixture {
@@ -113,6 +114,41 @@ fn test_get_dataset_driver() {
     assert_eq!(driver.long_name(), "Portable Network Graphics");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn test_get_description() {
+
+    let driver = Driver::get("mem").unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(driver.get_description(), Some("MEM".to_owned()));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_get_metadata_item() {
+    let dataset = Dataset::open(fixture!("tinymarble.png")).unwrap();
+    let key = "None";
+    let domain = "None";
+    let meta = dataset.get_metadata_item(key, domain);
+    assert_eq!(meta, None);
+
+    let key = "INTERLEAVE";
+    let domain = "IMAGE_STRUCTURE";
+    let meta = dataset.get_metadata_item(key, domain);
+    assert_eq!(meta, Some(String::from("PIXEL")));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn test_set_metadata_item() {
+    let driver = Driver::get("MEM").unwrap();
+    let mut dataset = driver.create("", 1, 1, 1).unwrap();
+
+    let key = "Test_Key";
+    let domain = "Test_Domain";
+    let value = "Test_Value";
+    let result = dataset.set_metadata_item(key, value, domain);
+    assert_eq!(result, Ok(()));
+
+    let result = dataset.get_metadata_item(key, domain);
+    assert_eq!(Some(value.to_owned()), result);
+}
 
 #[test]
 fn test_create() {
diff --git a/src/vector/dataset.rs b/src/vector/dataset.rs
index 50831f24..69724cb3 100644
--- a/src/vector/dataset.rs
+++ b/src/vector/dataset.rs
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ use std::ptr::null;
 use libc::{c_int, c_void};
 use vector::{ogr, Layer};
 use vector::driver::_register_drivers;
+use gdal_major_object::MajorObject;
+use metadata::Metadata;
 
 /// Vector dataset
 ///
@@ -19,6 +21,14 @@ pub struct Dataset {
     layers: Vec<Layer>,
 }
 
+impl MajorObject for Dataset {
+    unsafe fn get_gdal_object_ptr(&self) -> *const c_void {
+        self.c_dataset
+    }
+}
+
+impl Metadata for Dataset {}
+
 
 impl Dataset {
     pub unsafe fn _with_c_dataset(c_dataset: *const c_void) -> Dataset {
diff --git a/src/vector/layer.rs b/src/vector/layer.rs
index 55d55e94..83c1e868 100644
--- a/src/vector/layer.rs
+++ b/src/vector/layer.rs
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ use std::ptr::null;
 use libc::{c_void};
 use vector::{ogr, Feature, Geometry};
 use vector::defn::Defn;
+use gdal_major_object::MajorObject;
+use metadata::Metadata;
 
 /// Layer in a vector dataset
 ///
@@ -20,6 +22,14 @@ pub struct Layer {
     defn: Defn,
 }
 
+impl MajorObject for Layer {
+    unsafe fn get_gdal_object_ptr(&self) -> *const c_void {
+        self.c_layer
+    }
+}
+
+impl Metadata for Layer {}
+
 
 impl Layer {
     pub unsafe fn _with_c_layer(c_layer: *const c_void) -> Layer {