The Future of Serials

in a Linked Data World

Presented by Valerie Bross and Yvette Diven (for Laurie Kaplan)

Charleston Conference, November 8, 2012

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Agenda

Current Landscape of Serials – Access to

Research

Issues and current studies of linked data –

Extending the research

Open Discussion – Questions and Answers

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300-30 BC - Library of Alexandria,

Egypt – classification by subject

1770s – Thomas Jefferson classifies by subject

and chronology: Science, Memory (History),

Reason (Philosophy), and Imagination (Fine Arts)

1876 – Dewey

Decimal System

1882 – Cutter

Classification System 1897 – Library of Congress

Classification System

A Little History:

Bottom line – librarians have been

classifying data, and therefore working

with linked data, for as long as libraries

have existed, to make resources

accessible to library patrons

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Current State of Serials

Serials publications come in a variety of formats

Cataloging and metadata enable discovery of these resources

The metadata associated with these and other publications is multiplying, e.g.:

ISNI (Name identifier)

ORCID (Open Researcher & Contributor Identifier)

ISTC (Text identifier)

The familiar MARC records and AACR2 cataloging rules used to describe these records are changing too

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Metadata Options

Types of metadata to

include are:

Descriptive, structural, and

administrative

Descriptive metadata is most

useful for aiding discovery

Formats available for

cataloging and delivery of

metadata including:

MARC, Dublin Core, METS,

MODS, EAD, LOM, TEI, and

ONIX

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Image created with WordleTM (http://www.wordle.net)

Bibliographic Framework Initiative

Library of Congress engaged Eric Miller, from Zepheira,

to accelerate the Bibliographic Framework Initiative

Project began in May 2012

Updates can be found on the LC (http://www.loc.gov/marc/transition/)

Latest update is from Sally McCallum "Bibliographic

Framework Initiative Approach for MARC Data as Linked

Data," (a PowerPoint presentation from the 2012 IGeLU conference September 13, 2012).

Bibliographic Framework Initiative goal:

Replace MARC as the core vehicle for exchange of bibliographic

description

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Bibliographic Framework Initiative

The linked data orientation will lead to easier integration

of catalog data with data on the web and in social media

It will increase flexibility for descriptive data, and will

facilitate reuse of data for searching and applications

McCallum noted that while balancing factors they would

―leverage machine technology for the

mechanical while keeping the librarian

expertise in control.‖

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So what about Linked Data,

Semantic Web, and Serials?

Linked Data: potential replacement for MARC

Publish structured data

Link that data to other data to enhance discoverability over the Web

In line with MARC’s functions – representation and communication

RDF: main format for describing Linked Data

Identified using URI (uniform resource identifiers)

The two core and historical functions of MARC:

Represent the data - RDF

Communicate the data - Linked Data methods & practices

(Ford, K. (2012). ―LC’s Bibliographic Framework Initiative and the Attractiveness of Linked Data.‖ Information Standards Quarterly. 24(2/3) p. 46-50.)

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Linked Data Service

Library of Congress already has published a Linked Data

Service (id.loc.gov)

Started in 2009

Includes 17 data sets in RDF:

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LC Subject Headings:

Who is currently involved?

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Some of the more familiar

library participants:

Library of Congress

Linked Data Service -Id.loc.gov

Bibliographic Framework

Initiative

JISC

LOCAH – Linked Open

Copac and Archives Hub

Who is currently involved?

OCLC

Dewey.info

VIAF.org

FAST (http://id.worldcat.org/fast/)

Serials Solutions

IntotaTM

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Library Use Example

Dewey.info (Dewey Decimal Service)

Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) top three levels

became available as linked data in September 2009

Summaries are also available as linked data (June 2012)

Extends the web document version of Dewey by adding

RDF vocabulary and URIs

Librarians can add URIs to Dewey numbers in their

records to link to the top three levels and the summaries

Available in nine languages

Updates are automatically available through the links

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Research Example

Impetus: need to improve the National Science and Technology Library (NSTL) workflow 2009-2010 preresearch

project led by the Institute of Science and Technology Information (ISTIC) and funded by the National Science and Technology Library (NSTL)

Goals and objectives of the project: to build structured URI based on FRBR and semantic relationships for the serials

publications; . . .

to optimally streamline NSTL workflow such as helping the Union Data Processing System to identify relationships and match related metadata; and

to support Central Repository and Union Service System by superior presentation of the ―seriality and dynamicity‖ of the serials in search results.

Defined and linked relationships based on identifiers: Super-Work-ID, Work-ID, Expression-ID and Manifestation-ID

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FIG. 1. Linking of serial development

Role of Libraries and Linked Data

Exposing collections – use of Semantic Web

technology

―Webifying‖ thesaurus, mapping, and taxonomy

services

Continuing to share trials and tribulations

Persistence

Ensuring the Bibliographic Framework Initiative moves ahead

Advocating changes from the data provider community

Experimenting with linked data for collections in their

libraries

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Linked data

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Söderbäck, Anders. ―Why libraries should embrace linked

data‖ http://code4lib.org/files/LIBRIS_code4lib.pdf

Still more to consider

Serials: the shape-shifters

Some inspirational(?) pictures

What we want: can we get there?

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Serials, or what?

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Why seek linked data solutions?

The Published Record:

Navigation among levels and serial segments

Linking to all related data

Citation management

Social aspects (peer review, metrics, etc.)

The Process

Authoring process

Metadata management

―Optimization‖

X-ISSN

xISSN History Visualization Tool

http://worldcat.org/xissn/titlehistory

Harpers.org

New York Times rNews vocabulary

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Behind the scenes…

Libraries: Issues

What we want

Better search capabilities for our researchers

Better clustering of related data—and navigation

Partnerships that could improve accuracy and timeliness of our metadata

What we have tried

Conversion of catalog records

Identification of faculty

Barriers

Learning curve

Redefining our role in this new environment

Publishers/Providers: Issues What we want

Improve discovery through exposure of existing content as linked data

Leverage existing infrastructure

Strengthen partnerships for enhanced content

Build authoritative resources

What we have tried Built discovery services that integrate data services & content in the linked data

cloud

Refined techniques for identity resolution, building on industry-wide collaboration

Barriers Scarce human resources

Cost of meeting very different sets of expectations across multiple platforms

Gaps in linked data tools

Quality control for external data

Now, over to you…

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Some Questions for discussion

From a library perspective, how can we make sure that our bibliographic and authority metadata can be mapped to linked data? What aspects of our current practices need to be re-thought in order to make our work linked-data ready?

From a cross-community perspective, what needs to be done among publisher, library, vendor communities to make sure that we can work together effectively to contribute data to create linked data services? Or is that something that will be taken care of by the developers?

What standards and tools still need to be developed to support the development of linked-data services in general, and services for serials data specifically?

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Additional Questions

What do you see as some of the barriers that need to be

worked out in order for linked data initiatives to be

effective (missing standards, resources)?

What have you been doing to prepare your organization

to participate in this new linked world?

What are some of the linked-data projects you have been

tracking?

What has your organization been doing to prepare staff

to participate in the ―linked data‖ environment?

In your current workflow, do you see the use of linked

data helping or hindering your processes?

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References

Ahonen, Eeva and Eero Hyvönen. (2009). ―Publishing Historical Texts on the Semantic Web.‖ http://www.seco.tkk.fi/publications/

Byrne, Gillian and Goddard, Lisa. (2010). ―The strongest link: Libraries and linked data.‖ D-Lib® Magazine, 16(11/12). Retrieved from

http://www.dlib.org/dlib/november10/byrne/11byrne.html

Coyle, Karen. (2012). ―Linked Data Tools: Connecting on the Web.‖ Library Technology Reports, 48(4).

Cyganiak, Richard and Anja Jentzsch, ―The Linking Open Data Cloud Diagram,‖ last modified September 19, 2011,

http://richard.cyganiak.de/2007/10/lod.

Ford, Kevin. (2012). ―LC’s Bibliographic Framework Initiative and the Attractiveness of Linked Data.‖ Information Standards Quarterly.

24(2/3) p. 46-50.

Haiyan, Bai and Cho, Yung-Lung. (2009). ―Structuring Serials Bibliographic Relationships through ID Linking.‖ [Poster – Seoul

Conference, Oct 12-16, 2009] Proceedings of the International Conference on Dublin Core and Metadata Applications, 131-132.

Krier, Laura. (2012). ―Serials, FRBR, and library linked data: a way forward.‖ Journal of Library Metadata, 12:2-3, 177-187.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19386389.2012.69934

Malmsten, Martin and Safstrom, Miriam. (2012). ―Linked Data at the National Library of Sweden.‖ (webcast).

http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=5521

Marcum, Deanna. (2011). A Bibliographic Framework for the Digital Age.‖ http://www.loc.gov/marc/transition/news/framework-

103111.html

McCallum, Sally. (2012). ―Bibliographic Framework Initiative Approach for MARC Data as Linked Data." http://igelu.org/wp-

content/uploads/2012/09/IGeLU-sally-McCallum.pptx

Sandhaus, Evan. (2012). ―rNews is here.‖ http://open.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/rnews-is-here-and-this-is-what-it-means/

Söderbäck, Anders. (2009). ―Why libraries should embrace linked data.‖ http://code4lib.org/files/LIBRIS_code4lib.pdf

Tous, Ruben, Manel Guerrero, and Jaime Delgado. (2011). ―Semantic web for reliable citation analysis in scholarly publishing.‖

Information Technology and Libraries, 24-33.

Webmaster Tools. http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets?url=

xISSN History Visualization Tool. http://xissn.worldcat.org/xissnadmin/index.htm

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Thank you for listening and

participating!

Valerie Bross – vbross@libraryucla.edu

Yvette Diven – ydiven@proquest.com

(Laurie Kaplan – lkaplan@proquest.com)

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