A content management system is provided including a library server in which user and system metadata is stored in a plurality of tables forming a tree-based storage hierarchy. The metadata is stored in a first data format compatible with a complex query language such as Structured Query Language (SQL). A query processor in the library server maps the first data format to a second data format which is compatible with a simpler query language such as XML query language. A client's user experience is substantially simplified when queries are presented to the system.