Are Libraries Ready for Linked Data?

Are Libraries Ready for Linked Data?
A not-too-technical look at the question at hand …
Diane I. Hillmann
Information Institute of Syracuse/
Metadata Management Associates

To Re-phrase the question …
If “linked data” is about relationships …
And we’re done (pretty much) with expressing relationships using textual notes (as we have done for decades—nay, CENTURIES—first on catalog cards, then using AACR and MARC)
And we understand that we need machine-based methods to really do the job well … THEN …
7/13/09
2
ALA Annual: Linked Data Program

We’re READY!
7/13/09
3

Getting Real--Defining READY
Availability of schemas and vocabularies
RDA is full of relationships, from the FRBR model to the extensive relationship vocabularies currently registered and near completion
Availability of applications and tools that can help us use linked data
Started, certainly, but not entirely there yet
[Jennifer will talk a bit about this part]
7/13/09
4

Starting at the Grass Level
7/13/09
5

What’s All This About Triples?
In traditional cataloging, you get attribute/value pairs:
Title = Bluebeard
Author = Vonnegut, Kurt
And you know what the object of the statements are because they’re part of a RECORD
7/13/09
6

What’s All This About Triples?
In traditional cataloging, you get a record package, with an ID:
Title = Bluebeard
Author = Vonnegut, Kurt
The record is identifiable and shareable, but the statements within that package cannot stand alone
Record ID=abc12345
7/13/09
7

Person
Book
Has Author
You’ve seen this before …
7/13/09
8

Book
Person
Has Author
Has Name
Has Title
Vonnegut, Kurt
Bluebeard
And this …
7/13/09
9

Object & Agent
Have Identifiers
Book
Person
Has Author
Relationships
Have Identifiers
Has Name
Has Title
Vonnegut, Kurt
Bluebeard
Identifiers are critical for Linked Data!
Libraries are used to providing identifiers for Agents and Objects, but not for Relationships
7/13/09
10

Q: How do we make Identifiers for Relationships?A: We already have them, in RDA
7/13/09
11

URI
Definition
For use with this
FRBR entity
7/13/09
12

More specific properties
7/13/09
13

7/13/09
14

Registered Elements Contain:
Names and labels
Resolvable URIs (for machine use, primarily)
Reciprocal relationships between elements
Relationships between RDA Elements and FRBR entities (FRBR entities will be maintained by IFLA)
Administrative properties (status, update date, notes, maintainer)
7/13/09
15

7/13/09
16
262 Relationships?

URI
Parent Property
Status
Language
7/13/09
17

Please Note:
The fact that the registration of RDA vocabularies supports a linked data future for libraries is NOT ACCIDENTAL
We owe a great deal to the funders of the DCMI/RDA Task Group (The British Library and Siderean Software), who had the vision to wade in and support this work
The vocabularies will be complete, reviewed and with status “published” when RDA is released
7/13/09
18

Thank you!
7/13/09
19

http://www.slideshare.net	15
http://www.apurva.com	3
https://bb-mercy.blackboard.com	1

Are Libraries Ready for Linked Data?

by Diane I. Hillmann on Jul 16, 2009

Accessibility

Categories

Upload Details

Usage Rights

3 Embeds 19

Statistics

Are Libraries Ready for Linked Data? Presentation Transcript