The document discusses the concept of linked data and its implications for libraries, emphasizing the importance of connecting previously unlinked data to enhance discoverability and efficiency. It presents basic principles of linked data, its advantages, and its relationship to existing library frameworks like FRBR and RDA, while highlighting projects and technologies that facilitate its implementation. Additionally, it addresses the challenges and future directions in the context of evolving library systems and user expectations.

1. Linked Data: What it Means
for the Future of Libraries
Robin Fay @georgiawebgurl
Head, DBM/Cataloging / UGA Libraries
Peter Murray
Lyrasis
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013 / robinfay

2. Agenda
• Overview of linked data
▫ What is linked data?
▫ What are linked data concepts?
▫ Background: Alistair Croll talk at ALA Midwinter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic_BlPesEls
• Discussion
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

3. •Linked data is: “about using the Web
to connect related data that wasn't
previously linked, or using the Web to
lower the barriers to linking data.”
•Think> related, series records,
authority files
•Libraries already using linking
behavior.
•Projects such as the NYT Linked Open
Data project and the Virtual Authority
File project are resources of
controlled vocabularies.
•Verified and digital identity accounts
such as openID and claimID to
differentiate names
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

4. Basic principles of linked data
It keeps us from having to re-enter or copy information
▫ Making our data:
 reusable
 easy to correct (correct one record instead of
multiples)
 efficient
 and potentially useful to others
It can build relationships in different ways - allowing us to
create temporary collections (a user could organize their
search results in a way that makes sense to them) or more
permanent (collocating ALL works by a particular author
more easily; pulling together photographs more easily)
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

5. • Advantages (reusable data, potential to provide and
built relationships, discoverability)
• How library data fits into linked data
o FRBR ( a bibliographic FRAMEWORK which is more
semantic by nature) RDA (Resource Description &
Access metadata rules which are not tied to a
programming language such as MARC but can work
with semantic web standards like XML); IRs, and
CMS like Drupal which have semantic web
capabilities
• RDA expressed as RDFa
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

6. • What is linked data and open data
o Linked data is about reusing data
o We already do some linked data in our library catalogs
and even in our daily lives
o The link in a bibliographic record (like an authority
record link) is linking data behavior
o A link that we share to our friends on facebook is
linked data (of sorts)
• Linked data is a link to a record/data/content that can
then be utilized in some way
• Open data is data that available to be used in some
way with no barriers to access (licensing, etc.)
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

7. The RDF Triple:
conceptual Examples
same as
author of
Predicate/verb
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8. 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
URIs = Uniform Resource Identifier
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

9. What can linked data do for libraries?
• URIs creates methods for classifying that can be used
(linked to!) by others
• Library of Congress has released LCSH as linked
data, and OCLC has a modified version of LCSH called
FAST as linked data
• Linked Data is flexible enough to express entity-
relationship relationships such as FRBR/FRAD
• Different databases (ILS, ERMS, IRs, local
databases, etc.) allowing sharing of data – potentially
more consistent data – allowing for collocation across
resources and allowing users to easily find resources
regardless of source
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

10. Our data in a semantic view
SOURCE: Getting triples from records: the role of ISBD
http://www.slideshare.net/scottishlibraries/isbd-record2triples
“Bib”
:Record
id as
subject
Field role and
relationship
Can map to record
such as viaf
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11. A changing library and WEB landscape
• Automation and new technologies
• The web has changed
• Large scale bibliographic databases
• Cooperative cataloging
• Administrative desire to decrease costs
• Greater variety of media in library collections
(electronic!)
• User expectations and needs
• FRBR is our data model – semantic web
friendly!
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

12. • Our future systems will most likely not use MARC, but
a semantic web friendly schema.
• Currently, the Library of Congress has started a
project called the Bibliographic Framework
Transition Initiative
• Why?
• We need something that is more flexible, not flat
in file structure, yet works with a semantic
framework.
• We need something that works better with
different metadata schemas.
• This new framework will provide us with enormous
functionality in our catalogs and allow us to fully use
RDA. It will allow us to move forward into the
semantic web world.
RDA, FRBR, and MARC
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013

13. Discussion points
• How will using linked data change our
workflows, and how will this challenge us?
• Who will be responsible for maintaining the
provenance of information?
• How will linked data be graphed? Will a
standard bearer like OCLC or LC provide this,
or will this be something that libraries will
provide?
Draft Content for Discussion group 04.30.2013