What They Are, How They Work
The RDA Vocabularies
2ALA TechSource Webinar
Sorting out some important definitionsA brief history lesson on the RDA VocabulariesA structural tour of the vocabularies, including:
Rationale and decision makingGeneral and FRBR-constrained elementsPotential for extension
Putting it all together Language versions of RDA VocabulariesImportant related workOur focus is on ‘Why’ not ‘How’ (we’re not at
‘How’ yet)
Nov. 17, 2011
What We’ll be Doing Today
3ALA TechSource Webinar
How RDA will be working in the real worldWHY?: There aren’t tools yet, and we don’t really
know what they’ll look like …But maybe we can make some educated guesses?
Most likely the tools will be form-based (like the MARC tools are)
There are likely to be fewer places where text is typed in and more where pull-down lists are available
The FRBR structure, if used intelligently by vendors, should save time and money, as re-use of data will be possible (choices will still need to be made to identify the appropriate work and expression when these exist)
Nov. 17, 2011
What We Can’t Show You Yet
4ALA TechSource Webinar
XML assumes a 'closed' world (domain), usually defined by a schema:"We know all of the data describing this resource. The single
description must be a valid document according to our schema. The data must be valid.”
XML's document model provides a neat equivalence to a metadata 'record’
RDF assumes an 'open' world:"There's an infinite amount of unknown data describing this
resource yet to be discovered. It will come from an infinite number of providers. There will be an infinite number of descriptions. Those descriptions must be consistent."
RDF's statement-oriented data model has no notion of 'record’ (rather, statements can be aggregated for a fuller description of a resource)
Nov. 17, 2011
Two Models of ‘the World’
5ALA TechSource Webinar
In XML these are ‘attribute/value pairs’ Ex.: Author = Twain, Mark
Where, in the context of a bounded record structure we know what we’re describing
In the Resource Description Framework (RDF, the language of the Semantic Web), these are independent statements: Ex.: The author of Huckleberry Finn is Mark
Twain, or subject = Huckeberry Finnpredicate = hasAuthorObject = Mark Twain
Nov. 17, 2011
In Both, We Talk About Statements
6ALA TechSource Webinar
We need to expand our ideas of what machines can and should do for us
We need to articulate better what we, as humans, bring to the table (and stop thinking we need to control it ALL)
We need to educate ourselves about this new world we live in (what it is and isn’t)
We need to understand enough to work with our vendors to make it happen in our libraries
Nov. 17, 2011
What Does This Imply for Us?
7ALA TechSource Webinar
A Brief History
It all started in
London, the last
day of April 2007
Nov. 17, 2011
8ALA TechSource Webinar
The participants agreed that DCMI and the Joint Steering Committee for the Development of RDA should work together to:Develop an RDA Element VocabularyExpose RDA Value VocabulariesDevelop an RDA Application Profile, based on
FRBR and FRADThe first two are largely complete; the third is
started
What Was Accomplished
Nov. 17, 2011
9ALA TechSource Webinar
It represented a recognition on the part of library leaders that it was essential to break out of the data silo of the past
The collaboration started at that meeting is resonating throughout the world of library data standards (more on this later)
It started the process of exposing library experience and knowledge to a larger audience
It set the stage for libraries to broaden their view of what they do and what they offer the information world
Nov. 17, 2011
Why Was This Meeting Important?
10ALA TechSource Webinar
We used the Semantic Web as our “mental model”Wanted to create a “bridge” between XML and RDF
to support innovation in the library community as a whole, not just those at the cutting edge or the trailing edge
We registered the FRBR entities as classes in a ‘FRBR in RDA’ vocabulary, to enable specific relationships between RDA properties and FRBR
IFLA has followed suit using the Open Metadata Registry to add the ‘official’ FRBR entities, FRAD, FRSAR and ISBDThis provides exciting opportunities to relate all the
vocabularies together
Nov. 17, 2011
The General Strategy
11ALA TechSource Webinar
Property and value vocabularies are registered in the Open Metadata Registry (formerly the NSDL Registry): http://metadataregistry.org/rdabrowse.htm
Used RDF Schema (RDFS), Simple Knowledge Organisation System (SKOS) and Web Ontology Language (OWL)
Decisions oriented to favor approaches that can be generalized to make other vocabulary based standards web-friendly, available for use in applications, and easily updated by communities
Structure: Rationale & Decisions
Nov. 17, 2011
12ALA TechSource Webinar
FRBR in RDA Vocabulary declared as classesRDA Properties declared as a ‘generalized’
vocabulary, with no explicit relationship to FRBR entities
Subproperties for the generalized elements may be explicitly related to FRBR entities (using ‘domain’)Label/Name includes (Work) or other class to provide
unique name (unless the entity name already appears in the name of the property)
Other generalized subproperties usable by others not tied to FRBR
All this is done according to available best practices for declaring vocabularies on the Web
The Structure, Simplified
Nov. 17, 2011
13ALA TechSource Webinar
We think of the ‘generalized’ RDA properties as the real RDA vocabulary The ‘bounded’ properties should be seen as the
first pass at an Application ProfileExtensions can be built more usefully from the
generalized propertiesMapping will be cleaner using the generalized
properties (since most properties mapped to or mapped from will not be based on FRBR)
Generalized properties much more acceptable to non-library implementers (not often using FRBR)
Why Generalized Properties?
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 14
Property (Generalized, no FRBR relationship)
Subproperty (with relationship to one FRBR entity)
FRBR Entity
SemanticWeb
Library ApplicationsThe Simple Case:
One Property-- One FRBR Entity
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 15
Book format
Book format (Manifestation)
Manifestation
SemanticWeb
Library ApplicationsThe Simple Case:
One Property-- One FRBR Entity
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 16Nov. 17, 2011
http://RDVocab.info/Elements/bookFormatManifestation
17ALA TechSource Webinar
There are multiple techniques used in RDA to make the connection between FRBR entities and RDA propertiesWe tried to reconcile those in the RDA Vocabularies
Some properties related to more than one FRBR entityRelationships in Appendix J actually include the
name of the FRBR entity in the name and have separate definitions (we re-used this strategy for the FRBR-bounded properties)
Other properties and sub-properties appear multiple times in the text and ERDs, with the same definitions and no indication that they might be repeated elsewhere (we consolidated these)
Nov. 17, 2011
More Complex Relationships
ALA TechSource Webinar 18
Property (Generalized, no FRBR relationship)
Subproperty (with relationship to one FRBR entity)
Subproperty (with relationship to one FRBR entity)
FRBR Entity
FRBR Entity
SemanticWeb
Library ApplicationsThe Not-So-Simple Case: One Property—more than
One FRBR EntityNov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 19
Extent
Extent (Item)
Extent (Manifestation)
FRBR Item
FRBR Manifestation
SemanticWeb
Library ApplicationsThe Not-So-Simple Case: One Property—more than
One FRBR EntityNov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 20Nov. 17, 2011
21ALA TechSource Webinar
In 2005, the DC Usage Board worked with LC to build a formal representation of the MARC Relators so that these terms could be used with DC
This work provided a template for the registration of the role terms in RDA (in Appendix I) and, by extension, the other RDA relationshipsRole and relationship properties are registered at
the same level as elements, rather than as attributes (as MARC does with relators, and RDA does in its XML schemas)
Applications can choose either approachNov. 17, 2011
Roles: Attributes or Properties?
ALA TechSource Webinar 22
“Super” Property
Subproperty (with relationship to one FRBR entity)
Subproperty (Generalized, no FRBR relationship)
FRBR Entity
SemanticWeb
Library Applications The Roles Case: Properties, Subproperties
and FRBR Entities
Mapping,Etc.
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 23
RDA:Creator
RDArole:Composer (Work)
RDArole:Composer
Work
SemanticWeb
Library Applications The Roles Case: Properties, Subproperties
and FRBR Entities
Mapping,Etc.
Nov. 17, 2011
24ALA TechSource Webinar
RDA sets up Publication, Distribution, Manufacture and Production statements very much the way they have been done since catalog card days:Assumed aggregation of Place, Name and Date are
obvious leftovers from catalog cards, and are not necessary to enable indexing or display of those elements together if libraries want to do that
We viewed those aggregations as ‘Syntax Encoding Schemes’ (as defined in the DCAM) and built in ways to accommodate them within the bounded propertiesThose using the generalized properties (outside
libraries, usually) need not be constrained by these traditional aggregations of properties
Nov. 17, 2011
Aggregated Statements
ALA TechSource Webinar 25
Aggregated Statement (no domain or range)
Aggregated Statement Subproperty
Range: RDA Syntax Encoding Scheme (Subclass of RDF Datatype)
Dom
ain
: FR
BR
E
ntity
Range: [Specific] Encoding Scheme (Subclass)
General Property (no domain or range)
Subproperty
Pre-coordinated Statements: Structure
Option 1Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 26
Publication Statement (no domain or range)
Publication Statement (Manifestation)
Range: RDA Syntax Encoding Scheme (Subclass of RDF Datatype)
Dom
ain
: M
an
ifesta
tion
Range: Publication Statement Encoding Scheme (Subclass)
Place of publication (no domain or range)
Place of publication (Manifestation)
Pre-coordinated Statements: Example
Option 1Nov. 17, 2011
27ALA TechSource Webinar
Release from the tyranny of recordsPotential for use with a variety of encodingsAbility to maintain statements at a more granular level
Opportunity to re-think how we build, maintain and share data
Potential for sharing data beyond the library siloBoth directions!
A challenge to our old notions of what library data can do and should be doingAs our users migrate to the web and away from library
catalogs, we need to follow them (and lead them appropriately!)
What Does This Structure Buy Us?
Nov. 17, 2011
28Nov. 17, 2011
Time for Questions?
29ALA TechSource Webinar
How do we take advantage of the RDA Vocabulary infrastructure?Relationships between properties is built-in,
allowing ‘bottom up’ aggregation of dataTools to enable easier data creation (with
machine assistance) are critical Our thinking about how we build and share
data needs to reflect modern ideas about data use, not MARCEx.: records as aggregations of information,
not templates to be filled in (although some tools may continue to look like that’s what they’re doing) Nov. 17, 2011
Putting it All Together
ALA TechSource Webinar 30Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasAuthor “Kurt Vonnegut”
ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle
“Bluebeard, a novel”
ID=23456 isFormOfWork “Novel”
ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage
“English”
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456
hasStatementOfEdition “1 st
trade edition”
ID=23456 h
asLan
guageO
fExp
ress
ion
“Englis
h”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
Statements on the Floor?
ALA TechSource Webinar 31Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasAuthor “Kurt Vonnegut”
ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle
“Bluebeard, a novel”
ID=23456 isFormOfWork “Novel”
ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage
“English”
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456
hasStatementOfEdition “1 st
trade edition”
ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression
“English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
Is This Really Chaos?
ALA TechSource Webinar 32Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasAuthor “Kurt Vonnegut”
ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle
“Bluebeard, a novel”
ID=23456 isFormOfWork “Novel”
ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage
“English”
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456
hasStatementOfEdition “1 st
trade edition”
ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression
“English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
Or Just an AggregationIn the Making?
ALA TechSource Webinar 33Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasAuthor “Kurt Vonnegut”
ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle “Bluebeard, a novel”
ID=23456 isFormOfWork “Novel”
ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage
“English”
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456
hasStatementOfEdition “1 st
trade edition”
ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression
“English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
ALA TechSource Webinar 34Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasAuthor “Kurt Vonnegut”
ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle “Bluebeard, a novel”
ID=23456 isFormOfWork “Novel”
ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage “English”
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456
hasStatementOfEdition “1 st
trade edition”
ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression
“English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
ALA TechSource Webinar 35Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasAuthor “Kurt Vonnegut”
ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle “Bluebeard, a novel”
ID=23456 isFormOfWork “Novel”
ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage “English”
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456
hasStatementOfEdition “1 st
trade edition”ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression
“English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
ALA TechSource Webinar 36Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasAuthor “Kurt Vonnegut”
ID=23456 hasPreferredTitle “Bluebeard, a novel”
ID=23456 isFormOfWork “Novel”
ID=23456 hasOriginalLanguage “English”
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456
hasStatementOfEdition “1 st
trade edition”ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression
“English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
Work
ALA TechSource Webinar 37Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456
hasStatementOfEdition “1 st
trade edition”
ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression “English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
ALA TechSource Webinar 38Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456 hasStatementOfEdition “1st
trade edition”
ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression “English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
ALA TechSource Webinar 39Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456
hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456 hasStatementOfEdition “1st
trade edition”
ID=23456 hasLanguageOfExpression “English”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
Expression
ALA TechSource Webinar 40Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456 hasPublisher
“Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
ALA TechSource Webinar 41Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456 hasPublisher “Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate
“1987”
ALA TechSource Webinar 42Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456 hasPublisher “Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate “1987”
ALA TechSource Webinar 43Nov. 17, 2011
ID=23456 hasPlaceOfPublication “New
York”
ID=23456 hasPublisher “Delacorte Press”
ID=23456 hasPublicationDate “1987”
Manifestation
44ALA TechSource Webinar
The inclusion of generalized properties provides a path for extension of RDA into specialized library communities and non-library communitiesThey may have a different notion of how FRBR
‘aggregates’ For example, a colorized version of a film may be
viewed as a separate workThey may not wish to use FRBR at allThey may have additional properties to include,
that have a relationship to the RDA propertiesThis allows other communities to use this data without
problems
Extension
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 45
RDA:adaptedAs
RDA:adaptedAsARadioScript
hasSubprope
rty
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 46
RDA:adaptedAs
RDA:adaptedAsARadioScript
KidLit:adaptedAsAPictureBook
hasSubproperty
hasSubprope
rtyNov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 47
RDA:adaptedAs
RDA:adaptedAsARadioScript
KidLit:adaptedAsAPictureBook
hasSubproperty
hasSubprope
rty
KidLit:adaptedAsAChapterBook
hasS
ubprop
e
rty
Nov. 17, 2011
48ALA TechSource Webinar
We wrote about the decisions we made for RDA in DLib:http://dlib.org/dlib/january10/hillmann/01hillmann.html
Need to continue to disclose what we’ve learned and work on building best practices documentation in this environment
We need research and innovation to help us move forward
What We’ve Learned
Nov. 17, 2011
49Nov. 17, 2011
More Questions?
50ALA TechSource Webinar
Registered elements and vocabularies can include multiple languages
The Open Metadata Registry has been working with the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek to demonstrate this with German translations in the OMR for specific vocabulariesOther language versions being discussed with
national libraries and language groups by ALA Publishing in conjunction with translations of RDA guidance text
OMR enhancements planned to make building of language versions easier
Nov. 17, 2011
Multi-Lingual RDA
ALA TechSource Webinar 51Nov. 17, 2011
52ALA TechSource Webinar
Important Related Work:IFLA“Functional Requirements” family or “FRBR
family of models”:FRBR, 1998: Bibliographic Records [data]FRAD, 2009: Authority DataFRSAD, [2010]: Subject Authority Data
Consolidated model in developmentRDF/XML representation of the consolidated
edition of ISBD.Relating FR, ISBD and RDA, SKOS, FOAF,
etc.
Nov. 17, 2011
53
FR in RDFRepresentation of FRBRer model element set is
mainly completeClasses and properties have “approved” statusFRAD and FRSAD close behind
Representation in Resource Description Framework Schema (RDFS) is informing work on combining and consolidating the model familyAlso supplies “learning curve” for Semantic Web
environmentFRBR is a conceptual model built on the E-R
methodology which is intrinsically applicable to representation in RDF, while ISBD is a data standard
ALA TechSource WebinarNov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 54
Extent
Extent of textExtent of still image
Extent of text (I/)Extent of still image (I/)Extent of text (M/) Extent of still image (M/)
Extent (M/) Extent (I/)
Label (Domain/Range)Subproperty
RDA properties
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 55
Extent
Extent of text
Extent of text (M/)
Extent (M/)
Label (Domain/Range)Subproperty
RDA
has extent of the carrier (M/)
FRBRSameAs
has extent (R/)
ISBD
has extent of the carrier
FRBR lite ISBD lite
has extent
RDA/IFLA properties (minimal linkage)
Note: Manifestation sub-class-of Resource
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 56
Extent
Extent of text
Extent of text (M/)
Extent (M/)
Label (Domain/Range)Subproperty
RDA
has extent of the carrier (M/)
FRBRSameAs
has extent (R/)
ISBD
has extent of the carrier
FRBR lite ISBD lite
has extent
RDA/IFLA properties (maximum linkage)
Nov. 17, 2011
ALA TechSource Webinar 57
Label (Domain/Range)Subproperty
RDA FRBRSameAs
ISBD
FRBR lite ISBD lite
RDA/IFLA/other properties (minimal linkage)
DCT
Extent (/S)
DC
format
Extent
Extent of text
Extent of text (M/)
Extent (M/) has extent of the carrier (M/)
has extent (R/)
has extent of the carrier
has extent
BIBO
numPages (D/l) numVolumes (C/l)
Classes: Manifestation, Resource, Collection, Document, SizeOrDuration, literal
Note: Document sub-class-of Resource
Nov. 17, 2011
58ALA TechSource Webinar
DCMI/RDA Task Group Wiki: http://dublincore.org/dcmirdataskgroup/
RDA Vocabularies: http://metadataregistry.org/rdabrowse.htm
Diane: [email protected]
Slides on IFLA Vocabularies by Gordon DunsireFlickr images thanks to: Trois Têtes (TT),
Craft*ology
Links and Contact Info
Nov. 17, 2011