simile objectives, current status, and demonstration stephen j. garland, mit csail mick bass, hp...

SIMILEObjectives, Current Status, and

DemonstrationStephen J. Garland, MIT CSAIL

Mick Bass, HP Labs

DSpace User Group MeetingCambridge, MA March 11, 2004

DSpace User Group Simile Overview Slide 2

Simile GoalsMake the Semantic Web a reality

For libraries and their usersSupport heterogeneous, multi-community metadataProvide tools for viewing, browsing, searching

Assess current state of Semantic WebExplore utility of standards (RDF, RDFS, OWL)Extend Semantic Web tool stack for librariesIdentify issues, gaps, opportunities, best practices

for digital libraries


Current State of AffairsLibrary perspective

Large amounts of metadata in catalogsDifferent schemas (DC, VRA, site specific)Varying amount, quality of metadata

User perspectiveMultitude of site-specific toolsHard to switch from one domain to anotherHard to search across domains


Simile ObjectivesReduce effort, time spent by librarians, usersProvide contextual views of dataAllow serendipitous discoveryVia flexible semantic web infrastructure

Value added by incremental, recombinant metadataWithout custom development for new schemas


Simile ParticipantsMIT Libraries DSpace, DSpace

FederationMacKenzie Smith, PI

W3C Semantic Web ActivityEric Miller, PI

Hewlett-Packard RDF TechnologiesMick Bass, PI

MIT CSAIL Haystack ProjectDavid Karger, PI


Simile: Current StatusSample data repositories

ARTstor: visual images (VRA Core metadata)OCW: MIT OpenCourseWare (IMS LOM metadata)Metadata transformed into RDF using XSLTARTstor ↔ OCW mapping established using OWL

ToolsFor manipulating RDF: JenaFor browsing, searching: Longwell, Haystack

Illustrated by sample scenario


Scenario: Creating an Art CourseGoal: create course on abstract art

Shape, flesh out courseTrack down resources (e.g., images)Leverage thought, work by others (e.g., in OCW)

Approach: faceted browse of diverse collections


Step 1: Getting Started

3 OCW courses

Let’s start by clicking here

Facets for browsing

787 OCW resources2384 ARTSTOR resources


Step 2: Exploring One Collection

Let’s clickto focus on an early abstractartist

137 images on island


Step 3: Pausing to Think

Narrow focus raises questions: What else did Gorky do? Who was doing similar work?

Let’s click to find out more about Gorky by removing a restriction


Step 4: Redirecting the Search

Two islands inview now, linkedby Gorky bridge

Let’s click tocross bridge


Step 5: Exploring a 2nd Collection

We found an image not in the ARTstor collection!

Let’s look forinformationabout another artist

Now on OCW island


Step 6: Exploring it Further

Let’s lookfor Grahamon the OCWisland

And click tomove to thatpart of theisland


Step 7: Back to the 1st Collection

Let’s take adifferentbridge back


Step 8: The View from the Bridge

Scroll down tosee the rest


Step 9: The View from the Bridge

Both islands are in view!


Recap of ScenarioStarted on ARTstor island

SUBJECT: Abstract

Roamed around islandSUBJECT: Abstract, CREATOR: Gorky

Traveled over Gorky bridge to OCW islandCREATOR: Gorky, IS PART OF: ...

Found resource not on ARTstor island

Traveled over Graham bridge

To another part of ARTstor island


Simile Beyond this ScenarioNecessary to scale in multiple dimensionsTools for creating, improving metadata

Quality of current metadata could be betterTools, guidelines for creators should helpSo would “use” metadata: click logs, synaptic pathways

Tools for storing, querying metadataHorizontal scaling: increasing quantities of dataVertical scaling: levels of metadata


Simile and DSpaceDSpace assets

Interesting, fruitful islands of metadataMetadata for navigating around each islandExperience letting users see, discover what they want

Simile assetsSemantic web tools for digital libraries

Potential Simile, DSpace collaborationIncrease quantity, quality of existing metadataDevelop inexpensive metadata “best practices”


Potential ImpactEnlarged community of metadata creators

Catalogers, users, automated agents, …

New bridges between diverse collections Created incrementally by adding new metadata

Improved navigation across diverse collectionsUsing new pathways created by new metadata

Stay tuned! Visit simile.mit.edu

http://simile.mit.edu/

simile objectives, current status, and demonstration stephen j. garland, mit csail mick bass, hp...

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