Linked Data in Library Collections

Betty Decker

Leading to Linking: Introducing Linked Data to Academic Library Digital Collections

Lampert, C. K., & Southwick, S. B. (2013). Leading to linking: Introducing linked data to academic               library digital collections. Journal of Library Metadata, 13(2-3), 230-253.  

            doi:10.1080/19386389.2013.826095

A Guide for Transforming Digital Collections Metadata into Linked Data Using Open Source Technologies.

Southwick, S. B. (2015). A guide for transforming digital collections metadata into linked data using open source technologies. Journal of Library Metadata, 15(1), 1-35. doi:10.1080/19386389.2015.1007009

Summary: These two articles discuss how the University of Nevada Las Vegas Libraries introduced linked data, the ability to add linked data to a library collection, and how that can be accomplished. The author of Leading to Linked provides a simple history of linked data, noting the many definitions available for linked data. UNLV created a group of library professionals to begin the process. The group used Resource Description Framework (RDF) and Unique Resource Identifiers (URI) to practice on items that they considered adding to the collection. Once the group was comfortable, they created a diagram of steps needed to add a linked data item. It was then time to begin adding the UNLV Digital Collections, which consisted of photos, manuscripts, interviews and other formats of historical perspective. The project of adding these items consisted of five phases. In the second article we are provided with more information on implementing RDF and URI triples that are needed for linked data, and the programs used for this implementation.  

Evaluation: I am very interested in adding open source materials to the library collection as well as other items into my collection. Currently we are adding a collection of Kachina Dolls to a Microsoft Access Database in the hopes that we will eventually be able to create a linked data site for this information. These articles were great. They actually spoke about adding items similar to our Kachina Dolls and creating linked open data that would allow them to be easily searchable. I originally started reading the 2015 article first, but decided to find the 2013 article and start from the beginning. I am glad that I did, as it provided me with a better background of what UNLV was hoping to accomplish. If you are interested in this, you should read the article.