What if a researcher could search a collection by texture? Inspired by critical making experiences with library collections, DEAR METADATA used speculative design to connect conversations in data visualization and metadata critique. Workshop participants gained hands-on experience working with objects and metadata in collections, incorporating justice principles to consider how metadata practices shift power to prioritize both sensorial and political power structures. Together, we collectively imagined new futures while engaging in critical discourse about metadata's current role in our search and discovery experiences.