diff --git a/src/hyparquet.d.ts b/src/hyparquet.d.ts
index f46bf15..13563c4 100644
--- a/src/hyparquet.d.ts
+++ b/src/hyparquet.d.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export function parquetRead(arrayBuffer: ArrayBuffer): any[][]
  * @param {ArrayBuffer} arrayBuffer parquet file contents
  * @returns {FileMetaData} metadata object
  */
-export function parquetMetadata(arrayBuffer: ArrayBuffer): any
+export function parquetMetadata(arrayBuffer: ArrayBuffer): FileMetaData
 
 /**
  * Decompress snappy data.
diff --git a/src/schema.js b/src/schema.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d12812
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/schema.js
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+import { FieldRepetitionType } from './types.js'
+
+/**
+ * @typedef {import('./types.js').SchemaElement} SchemaElement
+ * @typedef {{ element: SchemaElement, children: SchemaTree[], endIndex: number }} SchemaTree
+ */
+
+/**
+ * Build a tree from the schema elements.
+ *
+ * @param {SchemaElement[]} schema
+ * @param {number} i index of the root element
+ * @returns {SchemaTree} tree of schema elements
+ */
+function schemaTree(schema, i) {
+  const root = schema[i]
+  const children = []
+  i++
+
+  // Read the specified number of children
+  if (root.num_children) {
+    while (children.length < root.num_children) {
+      const child = schemaTree(schema, i)
+      i = child.endIndex
+      children.push(child)
+    }
+  }
+
+  return { endIndex: i, element: root, children }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the schema element with the given name.
+ *
+ * @param {SchemaElement[]} schema
+ * @param {string[]} name path to the element
+ * @returns {SchemaElement} schema element
+ */
+export function schemaElement(schema, name) {
+  let tree = schemaTree(schema, 0)
+  // traverse the tree to find the element
+  for (const part of name) {
+    const child = tree.children.find(child => child.element.name === part)
+    if (!child) {
+      throw new Error(`schema element not found: ${name}`)
+    }
+    tree = child
+  }
+  return tree.element
+}
+
+/**
+ * Check if the schema element with the given name is required.
+ *
+ * @param {SchemaElement[]} schema
+ * @param {string[]} name path to the element
+ * @returns {boolean} true if the element is required
+ */
+export function isRequired(schema, name) {
+  return schemaElement(schema, name).repetition_type === FieldRepetitionType.REQUIRED
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the max repetition level for a given schema path.
+ *
+ * @param {SchemaElement[]} schema
+ * @param {string[]} parts path to the element
+ * @returns {number} max repetition level
+ */
+export function getMaxRepetitionLevel(schema, parts) {
+  let maxLevel = 0
+  parts.forEach((part, i) => {
+    const element = schemaElement(schema, parts.slice(0, i + 1))
+    if (element.repetition_type === FieldRepetitionType.REPEATED) {
+      maxLevel += 1
+    }
+  })
+  return maxLevel
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the max definition level for a given schema path.
+ *
+ * @param {SchemaElement[]} schema
+ * @param {string[]} parts path to the element
+ * @returns {number} max definition level
+ */
+export function getMaxDefinitionLevel(schema, parts) {
+  let maxLevel = 0
+  parts.forEach((part, i) => {
+    const element = schemaElement(schema, parts.slice(0, i + 1))
+    if (element.repetition_type !== FieldRepetitionType.REQUIRED) {
+      maxLevel += 1
+    }
+  })
+  return maxLevel
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the number of bytes to skip for definition levels.
+ *
+ * @param {number} num number of values
+ * @returns {number} number of bytes to skip
+ */
+export function skipDefinitionBytes(num) {
+  let byteLength = 6
+  let n = num >>> 8
+  while (n !== 0) {
+    byteLength += 1
+    n >>>= 7
+  }
+  return byteLength
+}