Linked Data in Libraries

LINKED DATA IN
LIBRARIES OR:
HOW I LEARNED TO
STOP WORRYING AND
LOVE THE WEB

USING THE WEB TO
CONNECT DATA
SIMILAR TO HOW IT
CONNECTS PAGES

• ―Linked Data is simply about using the web to create typed
links between data from different sources.‖ –Christian Bizer,
Tom Heath, and Tim Berners-Lee, ―Linked Data—The Story So
Far‖
• Connections between data are understandable by computer
programs
• Data is sharable, extensible, and reusable.

TIM BERNERS-LEE’S
FOUR RULES
1. Use URIs as names for things
2. Use HTTP URIs so that people can look up those names
3. When someone looks up a URI, provide useful
information, using the standards
4. Include links to other URIs, so they can discover more
things

PICTURE WITH URI

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/images/ic/credit/640x395/m/ma/mallard/mallard_1.jpg

RDF:
RESOURCE DESCRIPTION
FRAMEWORK

• The main standard of linked data
• RDF is a data model that expresses connections in the
form of ―triples‖
• Model, not schema (expressing RDF often done in XML)

THE RDF TRIPLE

Subject Predicate Object

First Second
Resource Resource

Defines relationship using set
vocabulary (ex. Dublin Core)

THE RDF TRIPLE:
CONCEPTUAL EXAMPLES

same as

author of

LINKED DATA GRAPH
Classifies
Document 3

Author A Subject

Written by
Written by Author of
Classified
as

Document Document
1 2 Author B

―Follow your nose.‖

WHAT CAN LINKED DATA DO
FOR LIBRARIES? (A LOT)

UNLOCK LIBRARY DATA
• Transforms library data so that it is of the web
• Becomes easily searchable
• Libraries can integrate outside data into what they already
have
• Anyone can reuse library data to create their own
applications

EXAMPLE: CONTROLLED
VOCABULARIES
• Create URIs for each word in a controlled vocabulary
• Creates method for classifying and cataloging web
resources that can easily be used by libraries and others
• Library of Congress has released LCSH as linked data,
and OCLC has a modified version of LCSH called FAST as
linked data

CATALOG COMPLEX
RELATIONSHIPS
• Linked Data is flexible enough to express entity-
relationship relationships such as FRBR/FRAD that MARC
struggles with
• Oslo Public Library Pode project
• Define relationships between different manifestations of a
work
• Allow patrons to either request any version a work or a
specific manifestation

CONNECT DIFFERENT PARTS
OF THE LIBRARY’S SYSTEM
• Different parts of the library structure (ILS, ERMS, different
databases, etc.) would be able to share data more easily,
allowing searches to easily jump from one area to another
• This is still a long way off

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Baker, Thomas et all. ―Library Linked Data Incubator Group Final Report.‖ W3C
Incubator Group Report. October 2011. Available at:
http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/XGR-lld-20111025/
Berners-Lee, Tim. ―Linked Data.‖ W3C. June 2009. Available at:
http://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData
Bizer et all. ―Linked Data—The Story So Far.‖ International Journal on Semantic Web
and Information Systems 5 (2009): 1-22.
Chudnoy, Daniel. ―Libraries in Computers: What Linked Data is Missing.‖ Computers in
Libraries 31 (2011): 35-36.
Fox, Robert. ―Avoiding the Weak Link.‖ OCLC Systems & Services 27 (2011): 163-169.
Miller, Eric, and Westfall, Micheline. ―Linked Data and Libraries.‖ The Serials Librarian
60 (2011): 17-22.
Singer, Ross. ―Linked Library Data Now!‖ Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship
21 (2009): 114-126.
Wallis, Richard. ―Linked Data Applicable for Libraries.‖ Talis. Available at:
http://consulting.talis.com/resources/presentations-from-linked-data-and-
libraries-2011/
Westrum, Anne-Lena et all. ―Improving the Presentation of Library Data Using FRBR
and Linked Data.‖ Code{4}Lib Journal 16 (2011): 1-7.

Linked Data in Libraries

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