W3C Library Linked DataIncubator Group

Antoine Isaac

Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamEuropeana

Talis Open Day: Linked Data and Libraries, London, July 21st 2010

Let’s start with references

Landmark Linked Data implementations by library actors• Swedish National Library’s Libris catalogue and thesaurus• Library of Congress’ vocabularies, including LCSH• DNB’s Gemeinsame Normdatei• BnF’s RAMEAU subject headings• OCLC’s DDC classification and VIAF• NL of Hungary’s catalogue and thesauriAlso relevant!• STW economy thesaurus• Social Science thesaurus• GEMET environmental thesaurus• Agrovoc• New York Times subject headings• Scientific publications

libris.kb.se/id.loc.gov/

d-nb.info/gnd/stitch.cs.vu.nl/rameau/

dewey.info/ viaf.org/oszkdk.oszk.hu/resource/DRJ/404

zbw.eu/stwlod.gesis.org

eionet.europa.eu/gemetaims.fao.org/

data.nytimes.com/(among others) dblp.rkbexplorer.com/

Linked Library Cloud beginning 2008

[Ross Singer, Code4Lib2010]

http://code4lib.org/conference/2010/singer

Linked Library Cloud mid-2010

Plus:• Germany NL• Hungary NL• STW• GEMET• NYT• Agrovoc

[Ross Singer, Code4Lib2010] http://code4lib.org/conference/2010/singer

Useful tooling

Available• Dublin Core• SKOS• BIBO• OAI-ORE...In progress• RDA vocabularies• FRBR@IFLA

dublincore.org/www.w3.org/2004/02/skos/

bibliontology.com/www.openarchives.org/ore/

metadataregistry.org/rdabrowse.htm

2010, Year 1 of library linked data?

Libraries and LD, the perfect match?

• Libraries have been producing metadata for ages• Libraries (often) produce high-quality metadata

Libraries and LD, the perfect match?

• Library metadata is still locked in records• While it does maintain links to the outside world

• Bibliographic and web references• Shared vocabularies• Same books!

Unleash library data!

Johan Stapel, Koninklijke Bibliotheek

A dream at the Dutch National Library

But there are obstacles

Emerging best practices?

• What vocabularies are being used, and is there emerging consensus about which to use?

• What licenses (if any) are associated with the data?• How much linking and interlinking is going on?• What sorts of mechanisms does the publisher offer for getting the data:

sitemap, feeds, SPARQL, bulk download?• What is the quality of the data: granularity, link integrity, vocabulary

usage.• What approaches to identifiers for “real world things” have publishers

taken: hash, slash, 303, PURLs, reuse of traditional identifiers, etc.• What are the relative sizes of the pools of library linked data?• How are updates being managed?

Ed Summershttp://inkdroid.org/journal/2010/04/18/research-ideas-for-library-linked-data/

Connecting to more general LD Issues

Mike Uschold’s “semantic elephants”• Proliferation of URIs, Managing Coreference• Overloading owl:sameAs• Versioning and URIs

http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-lod/2010May/0012.html

Also, gospel is needed

NAHSL2009

Stuart Weibel

What’s this I hear about the Semantic Web?

• What is the Semantic Web?

• What does it have to do with bibliography?

• Does it make life better for patrons?

• Does it strengthen libraries?

• Is it practical?

• Where can we get some?

http://www.slideshare.net/stuartweibel/semantic-web-technologies-changing-bibliographic-descriptions

Determine use case & business models

• Libraries may just publish data, but they can do more– Connect library data to other data– Integrate data from external sources in library systems– Crowdsourcing?

• Potential data consumers deserve some help, too

Linking strategy

• Links to library-originated sources– VIAF, LCSH, DDC, UDC– RDA vocabularies– Worldcat, TEL

• Links to resources from the “natural environment”– Museums, archives– Scientific communities: bibliographic data & research data– Publishers– Europeana and other aggregators

Need for charting the LLD landscape

W3C incubator (XG) activity

• Short-lived working groups: 1 year

• Light administration burden

• Not W3C Recommendations, but “innovative ideas for specifications, guidelines, and applications that are not (or not yet) clear candidates as Web standards”Deliverables are, but XGs can trigger further W3C work

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/

Example XGs

• Provenance• Multimedia semantics• Social Web…

LLD Steps

1. Preparing a charterInitial chairs: Tom Baker, Emmanuelle Bermès, Antoine Isaac10 W3C initiating members

Aalto University HelsinkiDERI GalwayCompetence Centre for Interoperable Metadata (KIM)Library of CongressLos Alamos National LaboratoryMIMOSOCLCTalisUniversity of Applied Sciences PotsdamVrije Universiteit Amsterdam

To help increase global interoperability of library data on the Web, by

bringing together people involved in Semantic Web activities—focusing on Linked Data—in the library community and beyond,

building on existing initiatives, and identifying collaboration tracks for the future.

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/charter

Activities• Gathering use cases and case studies demonstrating successful

implementation of Semantic Web technologies in libraries and related sectors

• Fostering collaboration among actors (libraries, museums, archives, publishers) interested in porting cultural assets to the Linked Data Web

• Identifying relevant data models, vocabularies and ontologies and ways to build or improve interoperability among them

• Identifying the need for the elaboration of new standards, guidelines & best practices

• Identifying the areas of (Semantic) Web technology that could benefit from the expertise of the communities represented in the Group

• Proposing a relevant scope and organization for work that follows on the initial effort carried by the Group.

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/charter

Planned deliverables

Report presenting the landscape of Linked data development in the library domain and related sectors, including:

• A use-case document that describes a number of real-world use cases, case studies, outreach and dissemination initiatives targeted to the library community and related sectors

• A document that describes relevant technology pieces, including vocabularies and ontologies (e.g., SKOS), with the intended goal to identify extension or interoperability requirements, and help determine what other standards may be needed.

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/charter

Charter – leaving scope open

The incubator group has been initiated by actors from national libraries, university libraries and research units, library vendors companies and other interested stakeholders. Its scope is however not limited to libraries as institutions, but is meant to involve other cultural heritage institutions, partners from the publishing industry, and other relevant domains.

Potential Links with other communities• W3C eGovernment Interest Group• EDItEUR• Semuse…

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/charter

Charter – leaving scope open

The Incubator could contribute feedback and ideas re. other W3C area

• Experience in modeling and publishing data…

LLD Steps

1. Preparing a charter2. Launch XG

May 21st 2010: http://www.w3.org/News/2010#entry-8803

LLD Steps

1. Preparing a charter2. Launch XG3. Get participants

– 43 participants– 20 W3C member organizations– 10 invited experts

Complete list at http://www.w3.org/2000/09/dbwg/details?group=44833&public=1

Steps

1. Preparing a charter2. Launch XG3. Get participants4. Start work!

1. Use cases and case studies2. Issue list

Case Template

• Background and Current Practice• Goal• Use Case Scenario• Application of linked data for the given use case• Problems and Limitations• Library Linked Data Dimensions / TopicsPlus other optional references

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/wiki/Use_Case_Template

First Cases

• Authority data enrichmenthttp://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/wiki/

Use_Case_Authority_Data_Enrichment

• Digital preservationhttp://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/wiki/Use_Case_Digital_Preservation

Coming Case Work

• Contributions from XG participants

• And from the wider communityCalls for cases will be issued, stay tuned!

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/wiki/UseCases

Current LLD Issue List

• Conceptual ModelsFR family, SKOS, non-bibliographic/authority data

• Applying SemWeb Technology to Library DataHandling legacy data, available vocabularies (ontologies)

• Semantic Web/LD “Environmental Issues”Identifiers, linking across datasets

• Management and distribution of data Hosting, preservation, updates, web architecture

• Community and Management IssuesOutreach, strategic guidance & business models, licenses

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/wiki/Topics

Participate?

Core Incubator work

Participation to the LLD Incubator is still open• Teleconferences and work on deliverables

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/

Everyone can follow our work without participating• Publicly readable LLD XG wiki

http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/lld/wiki/

• Publicly readable LLD XG mailing listhttp://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-xg-lld/

Outside the LLD XG

We try to provide spaces to the wider LLD community• LLD community wiki

http://www.w3.org/2001/sw/wiki/LLD

• LLD community mailing listhttp://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/public-lld/

• Twitter hashtag#lldata

Thanks!

aisaac@few.vu.nl

Pictures

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/nationalarchives/3048286070/• http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/

04031/2D6FEB34557045A39A1D62761DAE00FEAF8B48F0.html• http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/

03903/8C5C6AEFF6B50DCCEDF6A23A99DD3A2D66AEB2CC.html• http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/

03903/1C123C986FDEBFCD0E307AFF8969F07F95BFCA49.html• http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/

03903/78FA3F8B4299B45C25C395345D3D16ED24EA7F4F.html• http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/04031/

CBF262142EAC88529CAA8F8D8A6969B72F8D3541.html• http://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/

03903/95D8DA53C17F227BD27BCC148F79238FD6E2443E.html(Europeana links give access to resources on original sites)