'return field metadata from the field if it is there. Otherwise return
None. field is the key name, not the label. Return a copy if requested,
just in case the user wants to change values in the dict.'

def get_standard_metadata(self, field, make_copy):

    if ((field in field_metadata) and (field_metadata[field]['kind'] == 'field')):
        if make_copy:
            return copy.deepcopy(field_metadata[field])
        return field_metadata[field]
    return None
