Canadian Cohort: Moving Towards Linked Data Implementation at UAL

Ian Bigelow, University of Alberta Libraries

With thanks to Danoosh Davoodi, Sharon Farnel and Abigail Sparling for the

reuse of several slides from previous presentations

Playmobil (2019). Roman Warriors’ Ship. Retrieved from: https://www.playmobil.ca/en/roman-warriors-ship/5390.html

At the Annual Meeting of the American

Library Association (ALA) in June 2018, LC

confirmed that BIBFRAME will be their

replacement for MARC

Alea iacta est

Moving Forward with Linked Data at the UAL

Linked data implementation as a strategic priority

“In order to reap the benefits of full participation in the linked open data environment,

UAL should continue to take steps towards complete conversion of existing library

data to linked open data. This would involve a full transition of workflows for resource

description/metadata creation to linked open data, transitioning all library systems for

resource discovery so they work with linked open data formats, and developing new

workflows, both internal and with associated vendors and partners, to support these

steps.”¹

What might this mean for you? … What do you think?

1. Moving Forward with Linked Data at UAL

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What is Linked Data

The Semantic Web

“The Semantic Web will bring structure to the

meaningful content of web pages. It is not a

separate Web but an extension of the existing one,

in which information is given well-defined

meaning, better enabling computers and people to

work in cooperation”

Berners-Lee, T., Hendler, J., Lassila, O. (2001). The Semantic Web.

ScientificAmerican.com

lod-cloud.net: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/7

What is linked data?

“The collection of interrelated datasets on

the Web can be referred to as Linked

Data”.

https://www.w3.org/standards/semanticweb/data.html

Jakov M. Vežić (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10214499563312325&set=gm.1820667984616319&type=3&theater)8

Principles of linked data1. Use URIs (Uniform Resource Identifiers) to

name things

2. Use http URIs so that people and machines

can look up those names

3. When a person or a machine looks up a URI,

provide useful information using Web

standards such as RDF, SPARQL, JSON

4. Include links to other URIs so that a person

or machine can discover other things

5. Use an open license*

* appropriate openness; open data ≠ linked data

Berners-Lee, T. (2006). https://www.w3.org/DesignIssues/LinkedData.html9

Google Knowledge GraphAn intelligent model of

entities and relationships

Designed to enhance

search and discovery in

three ways:

1. find the right thing

2. get the best summary

3. go deeper and

broader

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Linked Data for Libraries

Linked Data and Libraries● Many examples of linked data outside of libraries

● Uptake in libraries has been slow and uneven

○ paradigm shift

○ lack of skills and expertise

○ lack of practical starter projects

○ challenge of data conversion

○ changes in workflows

○ lack of system support

● But things are shifting

○ viable alternatives to MARC exist and are being implemented

○ standards and workflows are being rebuilt to facilitate this shift

○ moves in repository communities to linked data for interoperability

○ linked data potential for managing knowledge production lifecycle

What is MARC?Machine Readable Cataloguing

● A transition from the catalogue card to working in an online catalogue

● Developed in the 1960s by Henriette Avram

● MARC has been around for a very long time and it is still the primary encoding

format for bibliographic metadata for libraries worldwide … for now

Whither MARC?● “MARC must die!” - Roy Tennant, October 2002

○ “I wanted librarianship to wake up to the fact that our foundational standard was no

longer serving us like it should”

● What is the future of MARC in an increasingly digital, interconnected

information environment?

○ functions to a point but leaves library records siloed

○ focuses on records that are independently understandable

○ data not easily parsed

“So what has happened over the last 15 years? For starters, no one seems to

think it’s controversial anymore. The Library of Congress has not only

admitted that MARC’s days are numbered, they are actively working to

develop a linked data replacement”. (Roy Tennant, “MARC Must Die” 15 Years On -

http://hangingtogether.org/?p=6221)

Why linked data? Why for libraries?● facilitate data integration and enable

interconnection of previously disconnected

datasets

● addition of each new dataset increases value

of existing datasets (the network effect)

● browsing through data is easier with URIs

● increased use and pressure to improve data

quality

● data as a service increases usability

● use of flexible and extensible data models

● compatibility with existing standards

● encourages openness, sharing, and reuse

● enhanced discovery experiences

● make rich library data actionable

● enhanced integration across collections

based on flexible and extensible data models

and shared principles

● opportunities for modeling different

worldviews to enable more contextually

appropriate descriptions

● enable enhanced collaborations across

libraries, archives, museums

● enhanced capabilities for researcher identity

and research output management

● streamlined workflows for metadata creation

and enhancement

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What is BIBFRAME

BIBFRAME● Initiative of Library of Congress and

community partners and collaborators in

2011

● Provides a foundation for the future of

bibliographic description on and of the web

● Based on linked data principles and

standards

● Goes beyond “replacing” MARC

○ different model for expressing and

connecting bibliographic data

● https://www.loc.gov/bibframe

● http://bibframe.org/

● Three core levels of abstraction

○ Work

○ Instance

○ Item

● Additional key concepts

○ Agents

○ Subjects

○ Events

● Consists of RDF classes and properties

○ members of a class share certain

characteristics and may have subclasses

○ properties describe characteristics of

resources as well as relationships among

resources

BIBFRAME 2.0

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BIBFRAME Ontology● List view

○ entire vocab on a single page

○ lists classes and properties

○ http://id.loc.gov/ontologies/bibframe.html

● Category view

○ all properties sorted into several broad categories such as identifiers, relationships, etc.

○ http://id.loc.gov/ontologies/bibframe-category.html

● RDF

○ full OWL ontology

○ http://id.loc.gov/ontologies/bibframe.rdf

LD4P Cohort

Linked Data for Production (LD4P)For the past two years, Linked Data for Production has been focusing on:

● developing standards, guidelines, and infrastructure to communally produce

metadata as linked open data

● developing end-to-end workflows to create linked open data in a technical services

production environment

● extending the BIBFRAME ontology to describe library resources in specialized

domains and formats

● engaging the broader library community to ensure a sustainable and extensible

environment

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LD4P Phase 2 and the LD4P Cohort

A collaborative project among four institutions (Cornell, Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Iowa) and the

Program for Cooperative Cataloging (PCC), this phase of LD4P will have seven broad goals:

1. The creation of a continuously fed pool of linked data expressed in BIBFRAME-based application profiles.

2. The development of an expanded cohort of libraries (the LD4P Cohort) capable of the creation and reuse

of linked data through the creation of a cloud-based sandbox editing environment.

3. The development of policies, techniques and workflows for the automated enhancement of MARC data

with identifiers to make its conversion to linked data as clean as possible.

4. The development of policies, techniques, and workflows for the creation and reuse of linked data and its

supporting identifiers as libraries’ core metadata.

5. Better integration of library metadata and identifiers with the Web through collaboration with Wikidata.

6. The enhancement of a widely-adopted library discovery environment (Blacklight) with linked-data based

discovery techniques.

7. The orchestration of continued community collaboration through the development of an organizational

framework called LD4.

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LD4P Cohort MembershipUniversity of Alberta

University of California, Davis

University of California, San Diego

Casalini Libri

University of Chicago

University of Colorado

Cornell University

Duke University

Frick Art Reference Library

Harry Ransom Center

Harvard University

University of Iowa

Library of Congress

University of Michigan

University of Minnesota

National Library of Medicine

Northwestern University

PCC

University of Pennsylvania

Princeton University

Stanford University

Texas A&M University

University of Washington

Yale University

UAL LD4P Cohort Project Summary1. Enhancement of conversion, reconciliation and enrichment processes for MARC to BIBFRAME

2. Exploration of new forms of authority control based on URIs - Utilizing MARC and BIBFRAME data

enriched with URIs

3. Conversion of Monographs Team Operations - In order to make optimal use of current staffing and the

current level of development of BIBFRAME, we plan to work on original creation of data in the shared

RDF pool for Monographs. Thinking about this as a starting point for fuller implementation (across other

teams) we aim to convert the operations/workflows of our Monographs Team

4. Community building:

a. To help foster a wider community of linked data experimentation and implementation in Canada,

UAL will work with other Canadian participants to liaise with the cataloguing community and

standards organizations in Canada (CFLA, CCC, CCM, CLDI)

b. As a member of the NEOS consortium, which includes a shared catalogue and services related to

cataloguing, UAL will engage NEOS members in aspects of this work to transition towards linked

data, so that we can move forward together.

http://bibframe.org/bfe/index.html#

Sinopia Overview

Sinopia Exercise … not yetLookups and profiles in place, but currently in a transitional state with a new version

and need to set-up local profiles.

Timelines for a public launch are tabled to be discussed at ALA Annual in Washington.

While LC is providing training for the LD4P Cohort, once this is complete and Sinopia

launched the PCC will be working with Cohort members to broaden the reach of

Sinopia. Key takeaways:

1. The software is open

2. Sinopia will be made available for wider testing

3. PCC will be working on a wider training strategy

4. Learn more!

Coverage of QA

SVDE

SHARE-VDE is a community-driven initiative to implement linked

data. While the aim is a more general focus on transitioning traditional

GLAM institution data thus far the project focus has been on moving

from MARC to BIBFRAME.

The process enriches library data with additional information and

relationships, previously unexpressed with MARC, and converts

bibliographic and authority data in linked data.

A virtual discovery platform with a four-layered adaptation of the

BIBFRAME data model was developed to provide a linked data

discovery option.

SHARE Virtual Discovery Environment (SVDE)

The main areas of the SHARE-VDE project:● Enrichment of MARC record with URIs

● Conversion from MARC to RDF using the BIBFRAME vocabulary (and other additional ontologies as needed)

● Data publication according to the BIBFRAME data model

● Batch/automated data updating procedures

● Batch/automated data dissemination to libraries

● Progressive implementation of further use cases in the priority order defined by the community

SHARE-VDE is a collaborative endeavour, based on the requirements and perceptions of libraries, developed by:

- Casalini Libri, provider of bibliographic and authority data as member of the Program for Cooperative Cataloguing - @Cult, provider of ILS, Discovery tools and Semantic web solutions for the cultural heritage sector

- with input and active participation from an international group of 22 Research Libraries and influenced by the vision of the LD4P initiative

The collaborative initiative is steered by the library community

Casalini SHARE VDE (SVDE) Project: Vendor Supported and Community Driven Development

Involvement in phase 1 and/or 2 has included:

● Stanford University

● University California Berkeley

● Yale University

● Library of Congress

● University of Chicago

● University of Michigan Ann Arbor

● Harvard University

● Massachusetts Institute of Technology

● Duke University

● Cornell University

● Columbia University

● University of Pennsylvania

● Pennsylvania State University

● Texas A&M University,

● University of Alberta

● University of Toronto

Work thus far has culminated in the creation of an

experimental linked data discovery environment as

well as the return of the NEOS catalogue in MARC

enriched with URI and BIBFRAME.

Phase 3a will see the implementation of the SVDE

platform with the full UAL/NEOS catalogue with

ongoing updates. This will allow us to continue

with data experimentation and analysis, provide a

training tool to familiarize ourselves with this kind

of data/work, and continue progression towards

linked data implementation.

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Participating Institutions

SVDE Full Members

Duke University

New York University

Stanford University

University of Alberta – NEOS consortium

University of Chicago

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

University of Pennsylvania

Yale University

National Libraries

Library of Congress

National Library of Medicine

National Library of Norway

LD4P Cohort

Cornell University

Frick Art Reference Library

Harry Ransom Center

Harvard University

Northwestern University

Princeton University

UC Davis

UC San Diego

University Colorado at Boulder

University of Minnesota

University of Texas A&M

University of Washington

SVDE Transformation Council

«The SHARE-VDE Transformation Council's role is to provide insight and analysis of the MARC to BIBFRAME transformation to make recommendations for improvements based on member library data analysis, and project documentation. Initial recommendations are based on Phase 2 deliverables, but the work of the team will be ongoing into the foreseeable future.»

There are 4 sub-committees focusing on specific areas:• Work Identification Working Group• Authority/Identifier Management Services Working Group• Cluster Knowledge Base Interaction/Editor Working Group• User experience/User Interface Working Group

SHARE-VDE Process Overview

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Casalini bf:2.0 Data

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The Super Work Entity Model

Possemato, T. (2019). “Share Virtual Discovery Environment in Linked Data (SHARE-VDE) Highlight on Data Modeling” 2019 LD4 Conference, Boston, MA

Discovery Overview1. Blacklight, the LD4P2 Cohort, and the UAL Discovery Review

2. SHARE VDE

SHARE VDE Portal Exercise

UAL Participation and Next StepsA vendor supported, community driven project, the SVDE transformation tool and

enrichment service will be used by SVDE members and all LD4P2/LD4P Cohort

members for consistency.

UAL has been active in the development of the project through participation in

steering meetings, analysis of conversion processes, and now work on the SVDE

Transformation Council and Work Identifier Working Group.

How does NEOS fit?

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Further Context

Relating this to current practice: NEOS Standards and BIBFRAME1. Overview of key cataloguing standards in relation to BIBFRAME

a. BIBCO to BIBFRAME

b. CONSER to BIBFRAME

c. Review of LC conversion specifications

Program for Cooperative Cataloguing (PCC)

“It is time to move beyond knowledge and skills related to linked data at a theoretical

level and into implementation. Building on the PCC’s strong tradition of providing

training for metadata creators, active experimentation and piloting of linked data

practices will help inform policy decisions, training, and operationalizing such

practices. As we move to a culture of greater data sharing, it is crucial to extend our

community, both by engaging a more diverse range of members in the work of the

PCC and by collaborating with vendors, open source communities, and others.”

(Program for Cooperative Cataloguing, 2018)

Program for Cooperative Cataloguing (2018). PCC (Program for Cooperative Cataloging) Strategic DirectionsJanuary 2018-December 2021. Retrieved from https://www.loc.gov/aba/pcc/about/PCC-Strategic-Directions-2018-2021.pdf

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BIBFRAME Project Overlap

Where would you like your BIBFRAME?

Linked Data for UAL

UAL Project WorkUAL - Institutional support

Strategic priorities 2019-2020

Vision: Moving Forward with Linked Data at UAL

Bibliographic Services Unit

1. Staffing

a. New Monographs Cataloguing Specialist tied to the LD4P Cohort project

b. New Linked Data Librarian Resident due to start in Bibliographic Services in July

c. Updates to expectations and job fact sheets

2. Training

a. LC provided training sessions for LD4P Cohort members, with further sessions pending for Sinopia

b. Ongoing review of webinar options

c. Common training through LibraryJuice XML and RDF Based Systems Course

d. Linked data lab time sessions to collaboratively work through ideas

3. Infrastructure

e. Testing of NEOS data in a test triplestore (GraphDB) with support from ComputeCanada

f. Testing of triplestore database work via the Stardog triplestore for SVDE

g. SVDE provides a discovery tool for testing

h. Sinopia provides a cataloguing module for working with BIBFRAME

i. ITS is working on the setup of a local production triplestore for NEOS data

4. Community

a. International BIBFRAME Community

b. Canadian BIBFRAME Readiness Task Force

c. Vendors

d. NEOS

Playmobil (2019). Roman Warriors’ Ship. Retrieved from: https://www.playmobil.ca/en/roman-warriors-ship/5390.html

Linked Data for NEOS

Implications for NEOS: Discussion1. What does this mean for the shared database?

2. What work is ahead for NEOS-Tech? How do we ensure our standards are

mapped to this environment?

3. What are the timelines?

a. When will BIBFRAME be here

b. How long can we continue using MARC

4. Support for discovery

5. Training

“Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you

have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm

you against the present.”

Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, 121-180. (2002). Meditations. London: The Folio Society.

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