Are Libraries Ready for Linked Data?

Are Libraries Ready for

Linked Data?

A not-too-technical look at the question at hand …

Diane I. HillmannInformation Institute of Syracuse/Metadata Management Associates

ALA Annual: Linked Data Program

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 … 7/13/092


We’re READY!

7/13/093


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] 7/13/094


Starting at the Grass Level

7/13/095


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

7/13/096


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

7/13/097


Book Has Author Person

You’ve seen this before …

7/13/098



Has Title Has Name

BluebeardVonnegut,

Kurt

And this …7/13/099



Has Title Has Name

BluebeardVonnegut,

Kurt

RelationshipsHave Identifiers

Object & Agent Have Identifiers

Identifiers are critical for Linked Data!Libraries are used to providing identifiers

for Agents and Objects, but not for Relationships

7/13/0910


Q: How do we make Identifiers for Relationships?

A: We already have them, in RDA

7/13/0911


URI

Definition

For use with this FRBR entity

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More specific properties

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7/13/0914


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)

7/13/0915


7/13/0916

262 Relationships?


URI

Parent Property

Status

Language

7/13/0917


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

7/13/0918


Thank you!

7/13/0919

Technology

Are Libraries Ready for Linked Data?